Fall Recap

Wow, where has this year gone!? It seems like we were just entering the last holiday season for 2022, and here we are again winding down the warm days and entering into the holiday season for 2023. We had a few really great art shows this season and now we’re done for the year. This season was a little slower for commission work than typical, but I think that comes with the current state of the economy and inflation, and it works to my advantage in some respects as it gives me a chance to experiment with new ideas. With that, here’s my fall recap from the last couple months.

I was honored to have the opportunity to draw this beautiful Studebaker Commander custom for a client. This drawing is made using Micron pens and Copic markers on toned gray paper. I really love the reflections in the paint: my goal for this drawing was to recall classic art deco advertisements from the early 20th century. The text above the car “Hudson” nods to the car’s nickname, and is created using 1950s Studebaker font including the long swooping “S.”

I created this hot rod bar sign as a fun merch item for art shows. It features a non-specific hemi-powered traditional hot rod with midcentury “BAR” lettering and a palm tree. I drew the car using Micron pens on a wood panel, and rendered with white and gray paint instead of marker. The whole sign is clear coated and ready to hang near a home bar or man cave.

I’m really proud of this Chevy duo drawing of Anthony’s Chevelle and C10. I don’t make many multi-car drawings, but I think this one turned out great! The vehicles were sketched together using Micron pens on toned gray paper and rendered using Copic markers. The red Fire Chief gas pump adds a nice splash of color.

Finally, the drawing was framed in matted 14×18.

This was one of my favorite projects of the whole year. I collect vintage drums and have a few old drum heads hanging around, which make cool canvases. This is a vintage 1968 Rogers drum head from an old kit I bought a long time ago that I wanted to use for an art project. It took awhile to decide on the right car to paint on it: what car would go best with classic drums, jazz, and rock n’ roll? When I think of vintage drums, I think of customs and gangsters: how about the most iconic custom of all, a Mercury?

The drum head did not absorb any paint at all, so getting the texture right was a challenge. Overall, I think it turned out really cool!

Finally, I wanted to try something new. Well, kind of. Long before I started drawing, my very first pieces of art that I created back in college were paintings. The most common question I get asked at art shows is whether I can do anything bigger. In order to go bigger, I have to transition into painting. So it’s here that I’m announcing a shift in mediums starting next year into acrylic painting in order to create larger pieces of art. Today, the largest I can make is a drawing framed in 14″ x 18.” With paintings, I can go as big as 48″ x 60.”

My prototype is this Go Mango 1970 Super Bee. I’ve always loved the 1970 Coronet face, which was a one-year-only design. It’s a very polarizing style, and I think the grille looks like angry eyebrows. The painting is acrylic on 12×12 cradled wood canvas. I like the texture of the wood better than canvas, and the wood absorbs the paint better, too. I finished the painting by surrounding the car with a gray background, which nods to my drawings on toned gray paper. I love how the car pops in relation to the gray.

That’s all for my fall recap. I’m working on some new larger scale paintings which I’ll show soon. I do still have some Christmas openings, but only a couple so don’t wait if you’re interested!