John Lennon wasn’t just a songwriter—he was a lifelong doodler, sketcher, and visual artist. Even in his Beatles days, he scribbled cartoons and surreal images.

John Lennon wasn’t just a songwriter—he was a lifelong doodler, sketcher, and visual artist. Even in his Beatles days, he scribbled cartoons and surreal images.

But after settling down with Yoko Ono and becoming a father again in the 1970s, his drawings became more personal. For holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and birthdays, he gifted intimate hand-drawn art to Yoko and their son Sean.

 

Some of these drawings have been published in books like Real Love: The Drawings for Sean. They show a softer side of John—the dad, the romantic, the playful soul. For example, one Christmas card to Sean features a sketch of a snowman family holding hands with a heart above them, captioned: “Love from Papa.” Another Valentine’s card to Yoko has a quirky drawing of two melting teacups with the words, “We’re stronger as steam.”

 

His style was minimalist but whimsical—thin ink lines, quirky eyes, clever captions. They often echoed the humor and surrealism of his earlier In His Own Write days, but now the themes were about family, peace, and love.

 

These drawings weren’t made for the public. They were expressions of affection. He would hide them under pillows, place them on breakfast trays, or tuck them into Sean’s books. Some were colored in by Sean himself, making them a father-son collaboration.

 

Years later, Yoko curated exhibitions of these artworks, allowing fans to see a John who rarely appeared in interviews or onstage—the quiet, goofy, loving man who found joy in drawing little worlds for the people he loved most.