dynamic artwork

John Marsh

Alice — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:31:22 +0000

One of the things that takes a car artist out of the pack and into the pantheon of fine artists is the ability to very much imprint their style on the paintings they create. The work of John Marsh is an example of this, as he is deeply interested in the creative process whereby he creates his wonderful depictions of classic cars, and documents this very thing in his own work. It is what is known as a “shop scene” style. By doing this, John Marsh allows the viewer of his paintings to get a real feel for what he himself is doing. It results in some utterly charming paintings.

Realism is a matter of some importance to John. He creates scenes that really take the viewer into the scene and give a real feel for the nuts and bolts. For anyone who has a fascination with classic cars, the drama and high importance of color created by this hugely talented painter really allow the viewer to feel a connection with the painting they view. Universally in the world of car art, John Marsh is viewed as one of the big names, one of the classic creators. He is, unsurprisingly, also a member of the Automotive Fine Art Society.

Jeff Towns

Alice — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:29:33 +0000

Houston is, to many people, the home of the Art Car. And it is all the more shattering when a city that has such love for a movement loses one of the people who gave that movement so much. This is the feeling that still exists among many in the Houston Art Car community in the aftermath of the death of Jeff Towns, one of the most popular and prominent members of the movement in Houston. His suicide on July 14th after a long battle with depression has left many people still stunned. The Houston Art Car Klub, of which Jeff was one of the key members, held events to commemorate his life.

On August 8th, a day after what would have been Jeff’s 43rd birthday, a memorial burn was held by the HACK, where items of significance were burned to create ashes which were then scattered in his honor. The event was preceded by an Art Car Caravan which left from the Art Car Museum and was co-ordinated by Nicole Strine, the President of HACK. Various photo streams have been uploaded on Flickr along with a solemn tribute on YouTube. His loss will continue to be felt, but the happy memories he provided to friends and fellow art car aficionados will live on. Rest in Peace.

James Dietz

Alice — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:27:35 +0000

The term “car artist”, when you think about it, is a somewhat limiting expression. Is someone a car artist because they once painted a piece that happened to feature a car? Are they not a car artist because some of their paintings depict something else? The answer to both questions must surely be “no”. It is entirely possible to be a car artist and – for example – a military artist. One example of this is James Dietz. Well known beyond the world of car art for his depictions of aviation scenes and a particular liking for the aircraft of World War I, James Dietz also depicts classic cars, many from that era, in a way that only a lover of cars truly can.

It is somewhat fitting that James has such a love for military scenes, as his son Ian is a serving officer in the US Army. His love of classic cars is often seen side by side with the aircraft in his paintings, and it may have been this that caught the eye of the board at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, who have more than once commissioned him to design posters for their event – one of the most exclusive Concours events in the entire world. Although his work has certainly leant towards a military theme in recent decades, car art aficionados know the name James Dietz well, for the excellent works he has created in the medium they love. His website, www.jamesdietz.com , is a very worthwhile read for car art fans.

Blog Your Art Car

Alice — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:25:53 +0000

If you are creating an art car, then you have probably already considered and decided to take photos documenting what it looks like before and after the work – but have you considered blogging the whole experience? Back when the movement started, art cars stood alone, with only their creators and their fans even really knowing they existed. But with a blog it is possible to really make the experience interactive and have a self-archiving memory bank for the whole process, and make the whole experience even more rewarding.

When undertaking any project, it is likely that you will be either filled with trepidation about it or hugely confident about creating the best work possible. Sometimes, though, it does not go as expected and this can color your desire to create another art car. By journalising what you can do, you give yourself a little bit of impetus to stick at it and make sure you do a good job, while also giving yourself something to look back on if you should have doubts in the future. It also allows people to follow your progress and encourage you as you go along. There are many art car blogs out there, including at least one by the biggest art car star of them all, Harrod Blank. Why not take inspiration?

Art Cars Hit Baltimore

Alice — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:04:30 +0000

The art car movement is spreading, slowly but surely. Houston and San Francisco were already nailed down, and other cities around the country are following bit by bit. Before we know it, the art car could become the next big movement around the world. Yes? Well, maybe we should not run before we can walk, but the latest Artscape festival in Baltimore has shown that there is a thirst for the art car, and a media who seem captivated by the crazy ideas and skilful execution that we associate with the Art Car.

Not since the Dada movement has art been so joyously unbound by rules. All that is required in order to create an Art Car is the desire to create one. A preview of the festival in the Baltimore Sun featured a long and positive mention of Harrod Blank’s Automorphosis. It reads like a dream for any art car fan, summarising the movement in a way which most art car artists would be delighted with – happy, quirky and approachable? We have all had worse write-ups than that! In addition to those words, the movement is described as “undeniably cool”. And the thing about art cars is … this whole thing was never about trying to be cool. This proves conclusively that the coolest people are the ones who do not have to try.

Bill Neale

Alice — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:23:28 +0000

There are many reasons why a love of cars tallies up with a love of aircraft when considering an artist’s muse. After all, these two things have a lot in common – both are man-made inventions which give us the chance to travel over longer distances than we ever could have before. You will notice that many car artists do also have a fascination for aircraft and for other forms of motorized transport. The subject, after all, is not so much the form of transport but the concept, the idea of making it easier for mankind to broaden its horizons.

Bill Neale’s art shows his own love for both the ground-based four-wheeled method of transport and the winged, sky-based form. In some of his paintings, he combines the two, saying without the need for words all we need to know about the things we love in transport. It is quite humbling to think of what life was like before we could fly or drive to given locations, and a painting depicting planes or cars or both is a suitable testament to what we have received. To see how this love for motoring can be turned into something beautiful, see Bill’s website (www.billneale.com ) or some of his classic posters for Concours d’Elegance events.

Barry Rowe

Alice — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:21:14 +0000

Barry Rowe is one of many car artists who has a very clear preference for depicting the cars of the past over recent ones. This is entirely understandable, too – the classic lines and nostalgic glamor of these cars is why they are so popular with collectors, and every inch a reason for the car artist to feel inspired. There is a real simple beauty to the cars of the first forty years of the last century, one which is reflected by Rowe’s posters for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Looking at the posters, it is hard for some posters not to instantly think of covers for Tintin comic strip albums. This, for many, will unleash a double wave of nostalgia.

For a car artist, being asked to produce a poster for the Pebble Beach Concours is just about as high as accolades get – and Rowe has done as many as any car artist could possibly hope to do. However, it does not stop there. Cruise liner legends Cunard have commissioned him to create three paintings for their newest liner the Queen Victoria - a fitting accolade indeed for a British artist with classicism as one of his watchwords. Check his work out – it is highly impressive.

Automobile Art – A Lifelong Passion

Alice — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:18:40 +0000

There was a time when people made paintings of things they found remarkable and beautiful because that was really the only way to capture such things. Before the camera came along as a freely available method of depicting scenes, before video recording, all we had were a bunch of people who could use oils and charcoal among other materials to capture a moment in living color. The fact that, with all these developments, people are still willing to use the old ways – well, that says something pretty special.

The best car art is all united by one thing – a real sense of passion for the subject in the drawings and paintings. A good car is so much more than just steel, rubber, glass and an engine full of components. A good car is a statement of personal style, and this is why it works so well as a subject for art. Great paintings of cars will bring all the emotions that the car itself brings to the table. Envy, appreciation, whatever you feel when you look at a great car… these are the things that a car artists aims to evoke.

It is for this reason that the cars picked as subjects by the top car artists all have in common a sense of value. Whether it is a classic NASCAR or Indy car, or just a piece of Americana from times gone past, these are the most desirable automobiles you could wish for. And they are all about passion.

Art Ross

Alice — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:15:21 +0000

Sometimes people have extremely appropriate names. One such person would, undoubtedly, be Art Ross. OK, so his first name was actually Arthur, but in its shortened version, under which he went for most of his years, it sums up what he did for a living – creating wonderful pictures. He was one of those car artists for whom the absolute wonder of a fine automobile was simply a fact, not a matter of opinion. Being the son of a Ukrainian Jewish couple who fled to the USA, and landed in New York, the former Arthur Rosenman had an instant liking for the new country.

Although born in New York, it was in Chicago that Art Ross made his life, with his family moving there when he was fourteen years of age. Although his school grades were uniformly bad, he was kept on in school as a result of his immense creative talent. Although he adored the classic cars of the Duesenberg company, he had to turn down a job with them as he was convinced (correctly, it turned out) that the Great Depression would end their operation. He moved out to Detroit instead, to work for General Motors where he became creative designer.

His name has not gone down in history, and he died at the age of 68 in 1981, but the next time you see a tail fin on a car, just think that Art Ross came up with that very idea for the 1948 Cadillac. His invention lives on today.

Art Cars – Why?

Alice — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:13:14 +0000

Although it is hard to imagine, there are some people who look upon the joy expressed at an Art Car parade or any other event and still somehow do not “get it”. Some people will wonder why a seemingly perfectly good car should be defiled with additional paint, ornaments and other cosmetic additions, and what exactly the benefit of this behavior might be. The truth of the matter is that we art car aficionados are in the minority – but we have plenty of good reasons for our love of these wonderful machines.

To understand why an art car is such a fine thing, it is important to bear in mind that art’s purpose is to be witnessed. How much better can you make your chances of being witnessed than to have wheels on your art that allows you to drive it around a city, and further? People will pay to hire Art Cars for their events because they are remarkable to look at. It is a statement, and what an incredible way to make a statement. A great painting is a wonderful thing, but it has to remain in situ. A great Art Car can go anywhere it wants. That is why. That is all we need.