A chance encounter turned homeless artist into a viral sensation, now making thousands of dollars

For six years, Richard Hutchins, the homeless artist, lived on Skid Row until he met Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley, who would change his life.

Richard Hutchins started working in Georgia’s fields at six, spending his afterschool hours making charcoal stick figures using brown bags and twigs.

His passion for art grew, culminating in his first significant sale at 15 for $1,500.

For Richard, art is not just a hobby but a vital part of his identity, allowing him to imbue his paintings with personal meaning and emotion.

“When I paint, I put my life into it,” he told the Guardian.

Richard, formerly known as “Drew Hill – the celebrity artist,” painted for renowned figures like Burt Reynolds, Marvin Gaye, Muhammad Ali, Richard Pryor, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, and Laurence Fishburne.

He reached significant success and was at the height of his career.

But Richard’s career was interrupted when he was sent to Los Angeles County jail, though he was later cleared of all charges and released.

Despite being confined to his cell for 22 hours a day, he continued to create art, drawing on envelopes with pencil while writing letters to friends.

Meanwhile, a lucky discovery eventually enabled him to reintroduce color into his work.

Richard discovered that Skittles and M&Ms had spilled from his bunk bed in the cell, and their colors ran due to water.

He used his beard hair as brushes, dipping them into the new colors.

Richard continued painting with whatever materials he could find, such as coffee, toothpaste, and toilet paper.

Richard started by experimenting with art. He mailed 15-20 envelopes to friends or any available addresses weekly, marking the days he spent in jail on each.

Some of these envelopes ended up at a gallery in Pasadena, California, where he later became a featured artist.

After he was released, Hutchins lost his studio in a fire, along with around 800 pieces of his work, and became homeless.

He wandered the streets, lived on beaches, and stayed in shelters on Skid Row for six years.

In April 2021, Hutchins met Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley, former manager of rapper 2Chainz, at a grocery store in Los Angeles.

Since then, Charlie and his company, the Dream Machine, have played a crucial role in transforming Richard’s life.

Charlie asked Richard about his dreams, and he replied: “My dream is to walk into a museum one day and see one of my paintings hanging on the wall.”

After their first talk, Jabaley took him to an art store and bought $2,000 worth of supplies to restart his painting.

Charlie’s team also set up a website for Richard to sell his artwork, which included the 250 envelopes he painted in jail.

The painted envelopes are priced at approximately $700 on his website, while the original pieces are listed for around $2,500 each.

Some of these envelopes were later donated to institutions like the UC Santa Barbara Library.

Charlie’s team sold $50,000 of art shortly after launching the website.

Following this success, Charlie organized an exhibition for Richard at the Sofitel Los Angeles hotel in Beverly Hills, which attracted hundreds of attendees.

During the event, Hutchins sold additional paintings, including one for $23,000.

That year, Hutchins earned over $200,000 selling art to notable buyers like Oprah Winfrey, 2Chainz, Steve Harvey, and Will Smith.

Charlie created the Dream Machine to help people achieve their dreams, calling it a new era of philanthropy in an interview with CNN.

Now that Hutchins is housed, he aims to support the Dream Machine’s mission. However, he believes his true purpose is to return to Skid Row.

“I remember the night I slept in a firm good bed. It was a wonderful experience,” Richard said. “But I am not comfortable until everybody around me is comfortable, which means the people that I left behind.”

The former homeless artist Richard Hutchins plans to use his success to help others by taking action and making a difference.

After his Sofitel exhibition, he gave all his pocket money to those on Skid Row.

His future plans include organizing a breast cancer research fundraiser in honor of his late mother and starting a foundation to enhance Skid Row and aid children’s education.

“The money that we have raised and continue to raise, I am going to use … to at least try to make the world a little bit better place to live in – especially on Skid Row.”

Currently, Richard’s website offers master classes that teach street art featuring various famous artists.

Watch the story of Richard Hutchins, the world’s famous homeless artist, below: