Dennis Hoyt just finished his solo exhibition in Shanghai, the premiere of a new direction in his art. CarArtSpot called Dennis to hear his story;

Dennis Hoyt Automotive Sculptor

Dennis Hoyt's solo exhibition in Shanghai

Dennis your new work is just wonderful. You mentioned some months ago that you had new ideas. So this is it?

Yes indeed. I just got tired of seeing the same old stuff. I wanted to be doing what I really want to do. I am just going for it and I don’t know if people are going to accept it or if people will like it but it's more me.

I think you have exceeded yourself Dennis. You have kept your own style but there is so much evolution. Like the red and white SV-16 piece.

I love the Formula I, and this is my take on the 2016 F1 Ferrari. The piece that is really special to me is called REDD. It’s the very first piece I did.

7 foot long ‘REDD’ by Dennis Hoyt

7 foot long ‘REDD’ by Dennis Hoyt

SV-16 Ferrari Formula 1 by Dennis Hoyt

I’ve always been a fan of cubism. I looked at that car and at some pieces of wood that I have and decided to put some stuff together. I didn't pay attention to the scale or the correct form or anything else. I just wanted something that speaks to me.

I have several cans of miscellaneous pieces of wood which are left over from other projects. I just dumped these cans all over and started picking up pieces and looking at how they would fit together to make it work. I want to kind of touch back to cubism and bring it into this century and be more interactive with the audience.

Dennis Hoyt's solo exhibition in Shanghai

Your works are not symmetrical like the real cars. You've played with the shape and it makes it so much stronger.

I feel that way too. As an art piece, it makes it so much stronger. It takes me away from my core audience but I want to push into a different clientele.

Dennis Hoyt's solo exhibition in Shanghai

You did this exposition in China together with some of your previous work, which was an overwhelming success. What can we expect for the rest of this year?

Well there will be two other exhibitions in Malaysia and Shanghai.

Dennis Hoyt's solo exhibition in Shanghai

Dennis Hoyt's solo exhibition in Shanghai

We will definitely let you know when we have the dates for these events and if, in the meantime, you want to see more of Dennis's work, check his website and facebook page.

One of Dennis Hoyt's earlier work

The post Dennis Hoyt Goes Solo appeared first on CarArtSpot.

Stanley Wanlass Automotive Artist & Sculptor

What is your story Stanley, how did you become an artist?

I’m just an ordinary guy who happens to seek beauty; no matter where it is found.  I’m also constantly searching for truth; but that’s much harder to discern.  I suppose that I’m a hopeless idealist & a romantic.  My goal is to aesthetically improve what I can and share my subjective vision of beauty.  I’ve always been an artist. When I was studying at the University in the late fifties and early sixties, it was almost impossible to make a living as an artist.  Mark Rothko was probably one of the first artists to sell enough art not to starve in N.Y. in the early fifties.  So to be practical, and in order to make a living, I went into my second interest which was medicine.  It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I finally came to the realization that my real love was the art and I didn’t care if I starved, I was going to follow my BLISS & my dreams as an artist. However, my sculpting & painting were immeasurably improved by my medical studies and made me a better artist and a broader human being.  Also, to this day, I am creatively inspired (everyday) by my studies of Literature and Music.

Sculpture by Stanley Wanlass

Spirit of Excellence by Stanley Wanlass

I had come to the conclusion that for me.  There is but one God - and his revealer is Art

Do you come from an artistic family?

Not really, with the exception of my Grandfather whom was an easel painter. My Mother was very artistic; but not in a conventional way. Indirectly my childhood naturally lead me toward artistic endeavors.  During the 40‘s & 50‘s I loved working with my Dad helping with the assessment work at his mines located all around the west desert, the Henry mountains, the San Rafael Swell and the Thomas range.  I was just a kid but my Dad put me in charge of the powder & blasting caps after they were flown to our sites in an old “Jenny” bi-wing which bounced over the sagebrush landing strip we had crudely made.  The pilot’s name was “Old Blue”.  His full name (I think) was Blue Archer.  I did a painting of him and his plane near our sagebrush campfire.  I still have that painting to this day.  it’s very dear to me and I can’t bare to sell it although I have had many try to buy; while I do offer it as a Giclee’.

Old Blue by Stanley Wanlass

While combing the deserts I ran across numerous old cars that were all rusted out and unusable.  One thing that fascinated me with these old wrecks was that they had this beautiful cloisonné emblem on the front of the radiator.  I started to collect and catalog them wondering how many different ones that I could find and indeed, how many varied car companies there had been in America up to that time.  Years later, when I was working on my Masters Degree, the emblems became a large part of my 500 page thesis on automotive design.  Most experts at that time estimated that there were maybe 3000 to 5000 different individual car companies producing cars from 1900 to 1930 in America.  My research revealed more than 12,000 during those years.  My thesis has since been published by Dover Publications, New York. One of my Dad’s mining claims was near the Bonneville Salt Flats.  I remember the very early hot rods during this period of time which I’m sure helped develop my love for racing from then until now.  And, I was always sculpting and or painting automobile subjects during these years which lead to building real hot rods during the 50’s at my Father’s service station.

What sort of jobs did you have before coming an artist?

I taught at the University of Grenoble and the European Art Academy in France in 1966 and again in 1969 & 1970.  I also taught for six years at Brigham Young University, then another ten or fifteen years at Colleges and Universities in Canada and Oregon.  I was sculpting and painting full time even while I was teaching but when I decided to quit, it really left me much more time to create.

Art around the corner by Stanley Wanlass

Cars are a recurring topic in your art, why is that?

My love for the Automobile and history have been paramount in my life and led to my passion for creating Historical Monuments and Automotive sculpture/paintings. I’ve always loved cars.  I have built them and collected them all of my life. They are kinetic and to me they symbolize the ultimate expression of human FREEDOM.  The Automobile was the only really new significant art form of the 20th century.  For thousands of years’ man relied on the horse and wagon for transportation.  Then this contraption comes along and revolutionized the world.  This came about within my parent’s lifetime.  This was an epic milestone.  This and other significant automotive events should be celebrated as iconic in world history.

I have a world history chart on my wall that is 162 inches long.  It represents the history of the world from 4000 years BC to present.  The invention and history of the automobile is only the last 3 inches.  What an impact the automobile has made in such a short period of time.  My sculptures “SPIRIT OF MERCEDES” & “THE BENZ CENTENNIAL” are in celebration of this milestone.  Another of my sculptures, “PASSING OF THE HORSE” represents the exact moment when this epic demise of the horse (for transportation purposes) came to pass.  The Automobile, along with the computer are in my opinion, the two most significant things to have happened in the last century.

The Benz Centennial by Stanley Wanlass

Passing of the horse by Stanley Wanlass

Your art shows a “Joy de Vivre”, enjoying life. Is that a reflection of who you are?

I’m mostly optimistic and try to have a positive & loving outlook on life.  And yes, I like to hide little “pearls” or “treasures” of whimsy as well as poignant gems of wisdom in both my paintings and sculptures; only to be found by those who take the time to participate in the work.  Some are nothing more than little visual “gems”, others are more serious.  One example is a message in Latin that I hid in one of my Lewis & Clark Monuments, (“Clark’s Tree”) that expresses a question mankind has asked itself since the beginning of time.  There has been a series of articles concerning this hidden message in the Seattle Times.  So far, lots have searched but no one has discovered it.

Clarck's Tree

Every person born to this world has God given gifts of genius (in varying degrees, of course) that are unique and different than anyone before or after him/her.  None are the same... just as no two artists are equal in inspiration, technique, temperament or vision. 

Too many artists believe they have to compete with other artists not realizing that it is impossible to compare.  The truth is that each individual is so unique that they can only really be in competition with themselves. I prefer to start every creation with the end in mind.  As I’m working toward my goal of creating the art it always evolves into something far better than my initial idea.

I would suggest to any artist, don’t be afraid to start.  Then, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  It’s all part of creating.  Mistakes are part of the process and propel you faster and with more clarity and excellence toward the end result than by not making any mistakes at all.

It’s fun and exciting to see the results of your vision become a reality.  It is very satisfying.  But even more exciting is knowing that magic will happen as you are in the act of creating.  You instinctively know that the process naturally evolves way beyond your initial vision... making the process a very satisfying and integral part of creating. Just as a writer must write about what he knows and loves; which is his passion; regardless of a scanty or critical audience, the artist must refuse to surrender the subject of his bliss in trade for the acceptance of the critics.  Without choice, there is no creativity.  Creation demands genuine diversity.  It implies unity but not uniformity.

I take license with facts if it will help the composition.  I change whatever I need to in order to establish a symbol.  Facts bore me.  I’m more interested in truth.  I feel comfortable stretching history and condensing time and space bringing together a dramatic depiction of the spirit of the subject...a symbol, a gestalt, a truth.  “Cold exactitude isn’t art, spirit and form are more important.  Content and meaning are also important, however, form (structure) is the first consideration.  Good design is the structure that supports the statement.  If the form and statement successfully interact a symbol is born.  It becomes more than the sum of its parts.

As I mentioned, an artist should be more interested in truth than fact, and not stunt intuition with reason.  Jean Jacques Rousseau, the noted 18th century philosopher said, “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”

Is that also what you want to express with your artwork?

Yes, beauty as well as dignity & success through struggle.  Man against the odds, and indeed, man & machine against the odds.  Heroic and Epic deeds and the pursuit of excellence.

Fast Company by Stanley Wanlass

Another element seems to be your respect for the history of the United States, is this important for you?

I am very interested in the history of the United States but more importantly the history of the world.  For example, the art history of Asia is so vast that most knowledgeable art historians refer to Europe and the rest of the world as “The small peninsulas of Asia”. I love many artists, writers, musicians and philosophers from all over the world; the United States being only a small part of my studies and appreciation.  Some of my favorites are Michelle de Montaine, Shakespeare, Chopin, Beethoven, Peter Helck, Goethe, Walter Gotschke & Voltaire; not necessarily in that order.

The automobile, arguably had its birth in Germany and eventually came to America. Then, sports cars were developed in Italy, France & England and emanated to America.  However, Hot rods are a purely American phenomenon having their birth here in the United States and are now represented in every socialized country in the world.  I was lucky enough to be a part of this initial movement; having built numerous hot rods in the 1950‘s... and, still at it.  My “Wanlass Windshield” that I designed and built (for 1932 -1934 Ford Roadsters) had its beginnings during this time.  Now, it is also on hot rods in each of these countries.  The altered windshield isn’t just about form, it’s about function.  The chopped, laid-back windshield with a one inch radius cheats the wind.  The aero look moves more efficiently through the air.  This provides such advantages as better gas mileage, fewer bugs and less water & snow on the glass. Plus, the relative wind flows over the cockpit while racing burbles above the deck-lid instead of the cockpit, giving more traction to the rear drive wheels.  This change in the lift/drag coefficient prevents the car from spinning at high speeds.  Although I was very interested in efficiency and function, the real reason for designing and building this windshield was to make the car look downright nasty and mysterious, mean and enigmatic; giving the roadster a real attitude.

Wanlass windshield

'32 Ford Roadster

Stanley Wanlass Alfa Drive

Stan Wanlass '32 Ford Roadster

Which techniques do you use and are they unique?

The origin of bronze casting is shrouded in antiquity.  It is a 6,000 (plus) year old process called Cire Perdue which is (French) from the Latin (Cera Perduta) currently called investment casting, lost wax casting or ceramic shell casting.  Even though some modern materials and techniques are incorporated today, the lengthy process remains surprisingly similar and is very labor intensive. For my monuments, I begin with a relatively soft #2 clay that is sculpted over a stronger armature to ensure that it won’t collapse under its own weight (thousands of pounds).  It is easier to move a soft clay over a large area than a more viscus clay or wax that is stiff and almost unmovable.  For my smaller pieces I use a relatively hard (Victory Brown) microcrystalline wax (a petrochemical) that holds its configuration.  I simply heat it to the consistency of clay while working.  It turns hard again as it cools thus bypassing the need for an armature.

When I have completed my research and the labor of sculpting.......the sculpture (whether clay or wax) is then taken to the foundry where the molding and casting process takes place. After ten to fifteen weeks of work at the foundry, I heat the bronze and apply a chemical patina.  Or, sometimes I paint (polychrome) the bronze.  I typically use acrylics, oils, egg tempera and or enamels.  After painting, I remove (through an ageing process) as much paint necessary to prevent the paint from looking like an apology for the bronze.

You can find a video of the lost wax casting process here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdTM5rSSJjk (not related to Stanley's work).

What inspires you to start a specific artwork?

That’s a hard question to answer as it depends upon whether I’m working on a commission or following my own creative inspiration.  It has to be emotionally positive rather than negative.  And, can’t have a derogatory presence without dignity.  It has to be uplifting to carry the spirit of the viewer to a higher state; as in inspirational music or thought.  Does not have to be religious, but must be spiritual and visually excite the senses.  That way I can have a passion for and accept the commission as my own.

That’s why I typically create my own ideas.  Although I do love the challenge of making a commission my own.  I am inspired to create through Music, Poetry, Literature, History, extraordinary feats by ordinary people and inspiration from unusual beauty.  Also, ideas and concepts that transcend myself and need to be out there to inspire others, now and in perpetuity; giving purpose and beauty to life.  Hopefully I’ll be able to leave the world a better and more interesting place than prior to my life here.

Tw-throughbreads by Stanley Wanlass

Over the last eight years I have been participating with and creating for Utah Fast Pass, eight paintings over eight years.  Each summer we have from forty to sixty super-cars come from all over the world.  We start out with a day at Miller Motor-sports track, then take a thousand mile run through the Red Rock country of Utah culminating in a Concours d’Non Elegance (exhibit of all cars with dirt & bugs) at the Grand America where we have a Gala Dinner & Auction. 100% of the funds go to 16 charities such as crippled children, Navajo Christmas, fallen Highway Patrolman’s families, etc. I donate a painting each year that is used for the route book covers, posters, advertisements and eventually, sold at auction to help fund the charities mentioned. There is much inspiration not only of speed and sound but the shapes and colors of the cars and the beautiful surrounding are beyond an artist’s dreams. Also, my love of history got me involved in creating four major Heroic Lewis & Clark Monuments on the Oregon and Washington Coast for the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial from 1982 through 2002.

What does your studio look like?

Oscar Wilde would say that it looks a lot like a “Picture of Dorian Gray”. A mess!  But an organized mess.  Yes, I do file many things, but I need specific items all in one place at one time when I’m creating.  My biggest frustration is to not be able to find a specific item when I need it.  If I file it, I might as well throw it in the trash.  It needs to be in a stack that I’m familiar with.

What are you most proud of?

My best creations are my children; which I couldn’t have produced or been successful (as well as my career) without my lovely & talented wife Joy!  Actually, she does most of the work and I take the credit. Being a part of the “rebirth of Automotive Art” The resurgence of the art that formed around the invention of the automobile in 1885; only with a difference........

Sculpture by Stanley Wanlass

There was no “Car Art” when I was growing up; to my knowledge I was the only one doing it.  There were no automotive fine artists except those involved in automobile advertising or automotive designers.  There were a couple of exceptions to this such as Peter Helck (born in 1893) & Walter Gotschke (born in 1912) who were products of the birth of the automobile and its exciting freshness.  And, a few automotive designers who were looking for a way to break away from the car companies and start painting for themselves.  Many of these fine artists became the bulk of what was to become the Automotive Fine Arts Society who solidified and legitimized this important movement.

In the late seventies or very early eighties Charlie Schalebaum (who was a New York Agent) saw one of my ads showing some of my automotive sculptures that I had put in a national magazine.  He called and asked to represent me; which started a 40 year relationship as my agent. Ten years earlier Joy & I had lived in New York City where Joy was modeling for Francis Gill Agency.  Too bad I hadn’t met Charlie then while in New York.  Maybe Automotive Art would have been launched ten or so years earlier. I owe so very much to Charlie as he had an established world-wide clientele which helped me immeasurably.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on several projects. Automotive Art: “Horse Play” (early automotive toys) on the automotive design I am continuing with the Wanlass Windshield (1932 Ford Roadster), (1934 Ford Roadster), I am currently in the planning stages of a 40 foot "SEAFARERS MEMORIAL" that will be placed at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River near the tip of the Astoria, Oregon Peninsula:  www.seafarersmemorial.com  simply click and scroll down for photos and information.

Seafarers Memorial by Stanley Wanlass

Seafarers Memorial by Stanley Wanlass

The City of Astoria and the Port of Astoria, plus the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are working in concert to make this monument a reality.  They are currently in the planning stages of building an island with pilings and structures to hold the finished memorial.  The Riverfront Trolley will have a 'trolley stop' at the walkway (land-bridge) leading to the island and monument which is adjacent to the West-end Mooring Basin Marina and the docks where the Corps of Engineers dredge the shipping channel.  The channel allows all incoming and outgoing ships (the maritime commerce of the world) to come within a few yards of the monument; including huge cruise ships from various parts of the world which dock within a few feet of the memorial.

What is your advice for people who want to become an automotive artist?

I would ask, “Where were you when I needed you back when I was trying to put together a market for Automotive Art.” I had to recruit my artist friends and convert them to automotive art (just to make a market). Then, not too much time passed until the Automotive Fine Arts Society (AFAS) got started; which really helped to legitimize the Automotive Art scene. Unfortunately, for a while it seemed as though we had been too successful in recruiting and it attracted some mediocre talent.  But the market soon separated the serious and talented from the opportunist.  There is however, always a prominent place for genius when it comes to the ever changing face and excitement of new innovations and different avenues of artistic statements.

Another suggestion to the prospective Automotive Artist:  Your second thousand drawings, paintings or sculpture will be better than the first thousand.  And, to always being sensitive, observant and aware.  Michelangelo said, “Some people are nothing more than passages for food; producers of excretions”.

I would say to any artist: Plan, Simplify & Be Strong!  Simplicity is Power. Our dignity lies not in who we are or what we do, but in what we understand. Understanding usually only comes in retrospect.  An artist asks the world questions and the world replies, “I hear you and I answer that I cannot answer; you must find out for yourself.”  Then as the artist creatively expresses understanding, the resulting message becomes art.

Dream Machines by Stanley Wanlass

It is unfortunate that all too frequently the most gifted never do much to develop their talents to excellence.  It comes too easily, so they just slide along, unconcerned.  It is the B student that tries and works unceasingly harder that ultimately become the creative heroes of this world.  Monet said, “Things that come too easily disgust me”.  Hemingway said of F. Scott Fitzgerald, “His talent was as natural as the pattern that was made by the dust on a butterfly’s wings.  At one time he understood it no more than the butterfly did and he did not know when it was brushed or marred.  Later he became conscious of his damaged wings and of their construction and he learned to think and could not fly anymore because the love of flight was gone and he could only remember when it had been effortless. So, not all great artists are strong & sure of themselves.  How do you judge the most fragile among us?  It is the finest blades that are most easily blunted, bent or broken.  Some artists are too fragile & vulnerable to be judged openly.

Eagles don’t chase butterflies.  Follow your Bliss

Do you have any advice for people who want to buy automotive art or start a car art collection?

Yes, give me a call! [laughs]. Collect only what speaks to you spiritually, it must feed your soul.  Don’t buy for investment, you may own it for a long time.

If thou of fortune be bereft, and in thy store there be but left two loaves, sell one, and with the dole, buy hyacinths to feed thy soul. John Greenleaf Whittier.

To see more of Stanley Wanlass's work, please visit his website.

The post Stanley Wanlass Automotive Vision of Beauty appeared first on CarArtSpot.

David Chapple Auto Art

David, in your work ‘Majestic Glory’, I notice you have the word Jesus on the number plate of the car.

I wanted to do something with the licence plates to honour God and open the conversational doors with people and a lot of people do enquire about it. The licence plate on the actual truck that I drive reads the same thing ‘J3ZU5’and it’s just my way of thanking God for blessing me with this talent.  If you zoom in on the 1960 Empower, it says Lord. It has actually really opened the doors for me. I had a book published with a wonderful Christian writer named Ken Owen, who used to be the Head Chapel for the Raiders for Christ and he would bless all the dragster racers before they went down the quarter mile drag.

How did you get started painting cars?

I started sitting in front of the tv drawing sports figures when I was a little boy.  My father always loved VW’s and he bought a 1969 VW beetle for my grandfather and that just opened the doors for me. I was 14 years old when I started drawing cars and they quickly became my passion. When I was at senior high school, I won the Congressional Award for the State of Michigan with one of my paintings. I then received a scholarship to go to the Hope College in Holland Michigan and then in my junior year in college, I was commissioned by the Hope College to paint three large paintings for the student commission. It was a natural fit and it’s just been a life long journey with the automobile. After I graduated, I started doing certain car events and I haven’t looked back.

One of your paintings is titled ‘Love Bugs’. What is behind the name?

My wife and I have recently moved back to my home town and bought a house across the street from my Mum and Dad. We love being with family. My Dad actually loves that painting. The first paintings that I did were of his cars and he still actually has them in his collection, along with his expanded car collection. He has a ‘68 Karmann convertible, a beautiful 1958 VW Beetle convertible which is flawless, and I actually still have my original 1969 Beetle which was the first one that he purchased. We have a lot of fun with them.

Love Bugs by automotive artist David Chapple

I notice you are using the same kind of colour schemes throughout all your works. Is the choice of colours your signature style and how did you develop that?

Being an artist is finding your own path and I am someone who has always tried to create my own pallet, my own cultural work and something which no-one has ever seen. So it just came out and was a natural progression. I think as you get older as an artist, your colour choices become more complex. You try to experiment and come out with different colours which appeal to your eye.

Your ‘Love Bugs’ painting is quite unique and I notice quite a difference in your work between your commissions and your freestyle, which is much more artistic. Do you see that yourself?

Oh yes, the best clients are the ones who let you create exactly what you want to create and don’t give you parameters or tell you how to do your work. That’s when I do my best work. Back to the Love Bug, that was the first in a series of paintings. I don’t use a computer at all. Everything you see is from my mind’s eye and how I want to convey colours and the overlay. That style was very difficult for me to create. Sometimes it took me months upon months to finish a couple of pieces.

Ford GT40 by automotive artist David Chapple

I can imagine. They are kind of abstract, yet showing the iconic design of the cars itself. You did that with some non automotive work, like the coca cola bottles.

Yes and those were a lot of fun to do. Kind of a pop art style. I really enjoyed painting those.

Coca cola bottle by David Chapple

Your painting ‘Thrust’ has such a different perceptive than what you normally see in a car painting. How do you choose that. Does it take a lof of time to find the right angle?

It really does. When I am doing a layout for a painting, I will agonize over it because I want it to be a journey for the person looking at my painting. I don’t want the eye to just go to one section. I want it to have movement. In a lot of my paintings which have many cars, you will be looking down at the first car and then your eye will have to move through the painting to see the other cars. I like extreme angles when creating paintings with multiple cars. I work tediously at getting that perfect angle and I’ll work further to get it to that point and if it’s not the right angle, I don’t do the painting.

So which techniques did you use in your ‘Thrust’ painting David?

I had a lot of fun painting that. I like the extreme angle that no-one has seen before. I am on the ground, pretty much at pavement level looking at the thrust of the side pipe coming out. I like to paint sometimes from a ground level as if the car is coming right by you. How you would feel with that car inches away from you at that level?  It’s an extreme mean look.

Thrust by David Chapple

The rear tyre is wider than the car itself and it’s really a dominant kind of appeal. Which techniques do you use? Is it water colour?

Everything I do is hand painted acrylic and all done by paint brush on canvas, or on wood or substrate  I think the strongest point of my work is my blending. I love to blend a perfect graduation and I sometimes spend hours achieving the perfect blend. Someone who is not educated in art might think my work is air brushed but it’s all hand painted.

Sn8ke by automotive artist David Chapple

How do you select the car that you want to paint? When does it appeal so much to you that you have to paint it?

Being a lifelong artist, I’ve gone through the classics, the ‘30s Duesenbergs to the 50s Bel Air Chevy’s, the ‘59 Cadillacs and beyond. It’s a progression and I always have to paint something I like. I don’t want to create a painting that would just sell. I paint from the heart and I think that’s important.  Being an artist, you have to paint something that you can get really excited about and that’s when you do your best work. I’m really into the Ferrari’s now because I had never painted them and when your eyes are open to something new, you feel the excitement. I just love to paint them and I am all excited about it and can’t hide it. When it comes down to all my artwork, I like a clean, ultra refined, rich look. Everything that I do, I do to the best of my ability.

Times by automotive artist David Chapple

Do you consider cars to be art?

Yes, yes, yes.

Is your art being respected outside of the automotive world?

It’s mainly in the automotive world right now but I think that will change. Automotive art is a genre that the art museum world needs to take notice of. There are a lot of fine artists out there who are creating incredible automotive art and it needs to have its’ place. I think every automotive artist battles with that. I love my clientele and the position I am in. About two years ago, I became a member of the AFAS group and that is the pinnacle of every automotive artist. I also think the part of what makes automotive art so special is the people you work with and the people who come to these events. They are many of the nicest people you will ever meet. You can look at the grass being greener on the other side or you can make the most of what you have; that’s what I do, I make the most of what life gives to me. I love going to Pebble Beach and the Concourse in the USA and hopefully I can make it over to Europe soon and introduce my work there.

1959 Chevy Custom Bench by David Chapple

Besides paintings, you are also doing sculptures. How did that get started?

It actually started with my benches. I was given a raw flat bench for charity work. I got paid to paint on the bench. They told me to do whatever I wanted. So I painted a ‘57 Chevy on the side of it and it sold very well with their charity. So I thought ‘wow maybe I can offer this to my clientele’ and they responded well to it. Being an artist, when you go into a totally different genre or you work in a different medium, your mind gets tweaked and you become intrigued with it. If you look at the bench lines and the wood that is used, you can see that it was a natural progression into my sculpture work. My wall sculptures have the same line configuration. That was transferred from the bench to the wall sculptures and now I am doing custom furniture in the same exact lines as the bench and wall sculptures. It’s opened a whole new avenue for me creatively. I feel as if I am doing the most exploratory work of my career and I feel alive as an artist now. It’s very exciting for me.

Your sculptures look as if they can be hung on the wall or placed on a table top.

Yes, you can use them for both. I love creating that stuff. It’s very difficult but nothing that is good in life is easy. When you create something which has never been created before, there’s no set way of doing it. You have to explore with trial and error.

GT40 by automotive artist and sculptor David Chapple

Is working in 3D a lot different from working with flat paintings?

I took sculpting classes in college and knew that I wanted to get back to it someday. I just didn’t know quite how but it all fell into place. My current work has set me aside from other artists, so it’s very fulfilling.

The shapes and elements of your Porsche sculptures seem to follow the cockpit and the airflow of the car. Is that also the kind of involvement in your work?

Yeah, it depends on the subject that I am painting. Like ‘Ribbon Candy’, that is something I was designing in my mind and it turned out wonderful. I love that piece. That was the first piece I actually sold at Pebble Beach. I love the 917 and Porsches; there is something about the flow and movement of those cars. Pictures don’t do the sculptures justice because when you move around the sculptures, they move with you and shift to the image that show speed in a wonderful way. It’s fun when I see clients who see my sculptures for real and see first hand how they come to life.

Ribbon Candy Porsche auto art by David Chapple

There are a couple of AFAS members who also do sculptures. Do you share ideas and encourage each other?

I think we all encourage each other. The nice part about it is that we all have different techniques and styles. I am a painter and when I do a form, I have to think how a painting will balance on the sculpture. There are two different elements. It’s not just about creating a sculpture, I have to find a way to paint a car onto that form to convey the speed and the two work together. So it’s kind of a double edged sword when it comes to what I do. I paint on top of it and incorporate both mediums of sculpting and painting. So it’s a difficult process. At AFAS, we want the betterment of the fine art of the automobile and I think that’s the common ground for all of us. 

If you would like to see more of David Chapples’ work, please visit his website.

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Benoit de Clercq

Today cars are convenient consumer goods to get us from A to B, mainly designed by marketing offices and rapidly becoming banned from large cities for pollution objects. As a young boy, born in the fifties, cars were a constant stirring of admiration symbolizing freedom, adventure, speed, pleasure, oil smells and beautiful body lines.

I fell in love with automobiles in my fourth year when I received a small French racing blue Talbot-Lago Grand Prix toy model for a Christmas present and when my father drove me in his new and futuristic DS Citroen. I knew then that cars would be one of my life’s passions.

Coupé noir by Benoit de Clercq

Although my parents offered me the best studies to become a diplomat or such other important person, I chose to become a mechanic. After my studies, I soon opened a motorcyle workshop in an old barn in the country. I tuned motorcyles for racing and reached an international level, building bikes for races such as the 24 hour Bol d’Or race in Le Mans. My racing modifications became more and more technical and drove me to learn the foundry practice, to be able to produce my own engine crankcases.

Oneday, I brought my foundry pattern of a technical item to an Italian industrial foundry. It was sculptured in wood as was then the practice. The foundry owner told me “with the care and attention you pay to detail and with such a finish, you should make art sculptures instead of mechanical parts”. I took his advice and to this day, my creations are a mix of art and technology. Although I didn’t study art, I have spent most of my life in Paris surrounded by wonderful monuments and museums and my background also helped mould my passion. My grandmother, who admired Pablo Picasso, helped me to open up my mind to modern art and my mechanic teacher at school had given me the basic knowledge to work on metals, using files and proper tools and many handcraft secrets.

My experience has been built upon many years of mutiple trials, success and errors, meeting other artists and foundry men, my curiosity and observations of museums and exhibitions such as Brancusi’s work in Centre Pompidou and reading many books.

DS green by Benoit de Clercq

I in no way wanted to stay confined in one box. Only to be a sculptor, an artist or a mechanic. I admire the 15^th and 16^th century when a man such as Leonardo da Vinci could be an engineer AND a painter!

After different occupations in motorcycles, planes and cars, I became a manager of Carrosserie Lecoq in the 80’s. It was then a famous coachwork company, founded in the 60’s and the first in France to be involved in very high level classic car restorations. There I had the fortune to work on the most fabulous cars of automobile history. Our customers were the most important collectors and museums in Europe and we had the opportunity to rebuild cars such as one of the three Bugatti Atlantic and the invaluable Bugatti Royale Esders Roadster. True sculptures! At that time, I also realized one of my dreams; building my own sportscar. A narrow bridge has always existed in my studio between creating sophisticated machines, real cars, different scale models and pure sculpture.

BRG roadster by Benoit de Clercq

My first sculptures were bought by private collectors. I was displaying them at classical motor shows and events, then permanently in art galleries in Paris, such as Galerie Vitesse and Galerie Marina de Bourbon on the Champs Elysees. For years my work has been represented in many car publications and national newspapers and magazines. Major companies and international organizations began to order my sculptures and trophies and I was very proud to make them for the FIA (Federation International Automobile) World Championships and Formula One Grand Prix. Watching Michael Schumacher brandish my work with joy at the end of his races filled me with pride and pleasure. Equally so for my more modest trophies for historical races and rallies which are always connected to happy moments. Giving happiness is the most pleasant reward for an artist.

During the years, some of my pieces have appeared in auction sales in prestigious places such as Christie’s in London, Artcurial in Paris, the Ferraris Museum in Maranello and the British National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. The arrival of internet, opened horizons worldwide and allowed me to offer my work and share my passion and emotions with collectors ordering from the USA, Australia, Russia, Asia, New Zealand and many other countries.

I like to present my studio as a ‘Dream Factory’. Some people are able to resolve very complicated mathematical equations, while others are very efficient businessmen or have talents which I do not possess. Differences and sharing give wealth to humanity. With my hands and my experience, I have the luck to help people realize their dreams. I am open to many projects and my curiosity and passion extend to automotives and the transportation world but also to other fields such as architecture and furniture. Whichever the field, I work with the same style, streamlined lines and a mix of artistic and mechanic past infuences which have driven me. It is of course, extremely interesting to create a real car from start to finish but pure sculpture has a special place in my activities. When you study and build a car, you have to adhere to many regulations which disturbs your creative freedom. With a pure sculpture, you are totally free.

P38 Aero by Benoit de Clercq

Some of my car sculptures are inspired by my own dreams. I call them simply ‘car studies’ or ‘mobile sculptures’ and they remain in that stage until I eventually find the opportunity to build them in full size. I would really love to drive my latest sculpture (the P38 Aero) in daily traffic. I just imagine the car; something of a plane with its’ narrow wheels and polished raw aluminium body with no plastics, as few electronics as possible, not by nostalgia but to try to give it a soul. If you compare a basic electronic watch costing around 30 or 40 euro to a mechanical luxury piece such as a Jaeger-Lecoultre costing a thousand times more, you will find that both give the exact time but the mechanical one is a wonderful craftsmanship masterpiecce, reflecting passion and human nature. Its’ mechanism may remind you of planets orbiting in the solar system. It has a real life which seems to go on forever.

In my studio, I look at my sculptures and dream and take pleasure in thinking about all the collectors worldwide who are sharing my dream.

Coupé noir by Benoit de Clercq

Black coupe by Benoit de Clercq

Other sculptures, such as my recent work on the XK Jaguar from the fifties, pay tribute to past masterpieces. My aim is to ‘distill’ the rough model and keep only the pure essence of the car and reflect the very first sketch done by the original designer on a simple sheet of paper. To do this, I try to become absorbed in the atmosphere of that period. Like an actor playing in a period movie. Reading or watching movies help, as does listening to the right music. Jazz, blues and rock were perfect to work on these Jaguar sculptures. I use only the traditional sculpture techniques. To obtain a bronze, aluminium or even modern resin sculpture, I need first to create a shape from wood, plaster, clay or any soft material. I obtain this first model, called ‘master’ by adding or removing matter. I may also work the same way as old wooden boat hulls are made; doing a shape with frame and rib bands covered by a thin skin and then shaping for hours before doing a mould. By using these old techniques which Romans and Greeks used thousands of years ago, you really feel the matter under your fingers and can work and refine curves until you reach your dreams. The result always has something very human, maybe by its’ imperfections which you never find in a ‘too perfect’ computerized creation.

Make Light Not War by Benoit de Clercq

By circumstance, some sculptures inspired from the automotive or aeroplane world may be serious. Such as ‘Make Light, Not War’; my contribution to remind us of the essential role of art. That is ‘enlightenment wins over obscurantism’. A concept art piece made from a missile, metamorphosed in a lamp. Serious for sure but colourful and optimistic.

To see more of Benoit de Clercq's work, please visit his website.

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MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

Milestones of Motorsports - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car

Recently I have had quite some conversations with artists and car designers as to whether cars are art? Each car starts with a drawing and a clay model and while most artworks, like paintings, are the result of one person, the creation of a car requires a whole team. A team who all share a vision and a dream to create something new, faster and better.

This book describes the making of a sculpture named the 300 SL.  A car which is being treated as art today and which is a valued piece in many car collections.

The Mercedes designers and management by no means had the intent to create a collection item. Working hard to rebuild the company after WWII, they initially did not have the available resources to work on sports car. However, the desire was there and plans were made to create a representative sports car, as early as 1948. Ideas and visions were discussed and shared and Mercedes initiated a dedicated department to start working on a car that could win the important races and put Mercedes on the map.

From management discussions to the technical decisions, each step in the design processes are outlined in this book. Technical drawings, unique photos, letters and documents illustrate the history.

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

Maybe the most characteristic element of the 300 SL is its gullwing doors. Since the 300 SL measured only 1225 mm in height and had a high-sided design space frame, the designers had to come up with a solution on how to get into the car. The Gullwing doors were the answer! Not unique to Mercedes being as others had tried and used it before, but it became the signature element of the 300 SL. A design which stirred some legal discussions about it's compliance with the International Motor sport regulations.

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

Milestones of Motorsports - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car

So what can you expect from this book?

It starts with a beautiful photo series of all the famous races, printed on 100 pages of black paper, emphasizing the rough pixels of photo technology in those days. Perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the race. Names of drivers and designers are stated, which is explained much later in the book. I found this intriguing; who are these fine men and women celebrating the victories of these races, working on fixing the cars to keep them running during Le Mans.

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

What follows is the history of the designs, the technical iterations and the races. As to be expected from such a detailed book, each chassis number is referred to, including all the technical details and where and when it raced.

Any owner of a 300 SL, be it the original version or a later model, should have this magnificant book which is housed in a hardback cover. A wonderful possession for all Mercedes lovers.

This book is published by Hatje Canz and available here.

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Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Veronique GT

Richard Pietruska grew up on the East Coast of Connecticut. He was drawn into automotive design at an early age when his brother-in-law bought a 1950 Impala which totally impressed Richard. He entered the Fisher Body Craftsman Guild competition held by General Motors in the early 50’s and 60’s and won the Top National scholarship for the Junior Division at the age of 15 which was quite a lot of money back then. Richard submitted a model of a car which he had designed. The competition had entrants from all over the country and was an amazing chance for young people to get into motor design.  He then went to the Art Centre and is still there today, 41 years later, teaching students.

Today Richard teaches automotive design at the Art Centre and says that after 40 years, he is ‘one of the old timers’.  Some of his students are now famous car designers and it makes him proud to see how well they are doing. It’s a unique experience.

Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Mercedes SSK

Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Veronique XGT

‘No more ugly cars’ is the motto Richard uses to teach his students and says it is hard to stay open minded but there are certain proportions and designs which he needs to keep in mind when judging the students designs. At the moment, Richard and his students are doing a new project for 2030 trying to design a new Cadillac while envisioning what the brands will be like in that era. Will the cars look like they do now? Not just autonomously but from a design language form?  When Richard was at school, he and fellow students idolised unobtainable cars like the Ferrari but now it’s not quite the same. It’s a difficult challenge and as an artist, he is trying to push his students to look into the future while learning something about the history of old cars.

Form follows fantasty

Form follows function is the established rule of thumb in design but for my sculptures I use 'form follows fantasy'. I teach my students a bit of both, otherwise they wouldn't get the opportunity to take risks and sometimes you need to take risks. This is sometimes hard for Richard to communicate to his students because they are often afraid to take risks in their automotive design. Students who do, are usually the ones who get offered a job because car companies are looking for unique individuals who don’t just follow the norm. An example would be Honda who typically always hired the same type of designer until two or three years ago when they did a complete switch. They picked the whackiest guy who had cowboy boots, long hair and a radical portfolio. They just got tired of everyone following in the same niche. So you can’t really predict what car companies are going to do. When you produce something which is truly creative in all the different aspects, it’s much more beneficial.

Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Flamboyant

Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Ferrari 250/599 GTO

As an artist, Richard has done paintings and even tapestries but prefers to express his artistic talents in sculptures and Pebble Beach has been a great venue to show off his latest creations. While a lot of people love his work because it is so unique, others may find it a bit unusual from a fine arts perspective. Whereas a lot of artists tend to stick to the same style of painting, Richard wants to do something truly different and get responses from people. He comes up with a concept and then tries to figure out which new materials he can use, while still keeping it in that automotive fine arts category. Richard loves Stanley Rose’s work which he finds so adventurous. They are good friends and have lots of conversations at Pebble Beach about the difficult road of automotive art being seen as Fine Art. Pebble Beach is a great experience, says Richard. He finds it very motivating being there with the other AFAS artists and the people who go there. It challenges him to do something different each year and he loves the responses he gets.

Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Man, Myth & Machine

Quite a few of Richards sculptures have an animal snake shape and others have female forms. Marcel was curious and asked Richard if he purposely uses these two elements in his artwork and why. Richard explained that so much of automotive design can be equated to the female form. If you look at the Ferrari GTO and old Delahey’s and other old cars, they have very sensual characters. This is the reason why Pietruska twists his automotive sculptures around, so that the similarities can be seen between the female form and the car styling. The animal form sculptures are basically because the car is a Cobra. Some of his sculptures are more Art Deco, while others deal more with the female form.  If you take his Alpha Romeo 2900B sculpture, you will see a nice looking Alpha turning around a rock but then if you look in the mirror at the other side, you will see there is a female body in there as well. These are the subtle things Richard likes to do in his sculptures. Most of which are limited editions or ‘one offs’. Although Richard does do commissions, he prefers to have the freedom to produce his own creations. Like his Veronique series, which he is very proud of and still considers his favourite because he tried to capture as much of automotive design in a figurative sense as possible. He is working on a piece right now for Pebble Beach this year which will really stand out. Something really unique which people will appreciate.

Richard Pietruska Motor Art Alpha Romeo 2900B

Note: do you notice the reflection?

Richard Pietruska Motor Art - Veronique GT Series II

What is the process for a new creation and does Richard have a long bucket list of new projects? Well he has a folder which he looks at every so often. Like the project he is doing at the moment which came from a sketch he did at Pebble Beach. He sometimes wakes up at night with a car in his mind which he knows he should do. Richard then starts working on that automotive. He likes to stretch the form out without losing the essence of the vehicle and in doing so, he has learned to appreciate all the subtleties which have gone into the actual automotive design. With his sculptures, there are so many processes involved which is very much like producing the real car itself.  It’s always a learning experience to see how the car was actually designed and its’ functions. It’s a good balance of stretching them and communicating the form and it’s also a learning curve finding the right materials and techniques. Like for instance, water edge cutting which is a good area for Richard because it allows him to use many materials such as bronze casting, fibreglass, paint etc. Finding the right materials is a process and has meant that Richard has had to start over a number of times.  He spends hours, days, weeks on one piece trying to get it right but when it is right, he knows it.

To see more of Richard Pietruska’s work, visit his website

The post Form Follows Fantasy appeared first on CarArtSpot.

Are you in the US for an exhibition Jamie?

Well I live in L.A. but I’m actually from Australia. I moved here about a year ago after being offered a job as an industrial designer with General Motors. My full time job is as a clay sculpture/automotive designer and I do my artwork on the side which is my hobby.  I built a web shop and started showcasing my work here in the US and have done four exhibitions in the last year;  Pebble Beach, Las Vegas, Beverley Hills and a small exhibition at a Hollywood event. It’s doing pretty well and I am getting regular commissions.

Jamie Schena sculptures

Did you study automotive design back home?

Yes, I studied industrial design back in Australia. My passion has always been for cars. So even though I studied product and industrial design, I majored in transportation design and I’ve been working for General Motors for the past 5 years. I worked for them for over 3.5 years in Australia but quit because I wanted to travel. I came here to the US for a vacation and was heading for Germany to go to work there but this job came up and I decided to take it.

What are the differences between your own art and modelling clay in your day job?

I sculpt in the day with clay and in the evenings I sculpt with metal. It’s very much the same process. I’ve been clay sculpting for about seven years and metal sculpting for about 15 years.

Which gives you the most flexibility?

Well my clay modelling allows me to travel and is my core income but I am limited by the boundaries of the project. Whereas with my metal sculpting, I can do whatever I want.

Material wise, clay seems a lot easier to shape than metal. Is it?

Yes, clay definitely in a sense gives more freedom. The advantage of metal over wood (because I do timber work as well) is that if you make a mistake, you can just cut it, grind it and reweld it. Which is much the same as clay. If I want to take a bit off here, or put a bit on there, I can. But with metal, I do have to think ahead. For example when I’m making undercut surfaces, I have to clean them up before I can put another layer on top.  Clay is a bit more forgiving.

Jamie Schena sculptures

Jamie Schena sculptures

There are a couple of artists who use clay to make bronze sculptures, so they can make a limited edition. That is not the route you are exploring, I understand.

No, both my clay and metal sculptures are all a ‘one off’.  I guess that’s what sort of separates my work from bronze or other automotive sculptures. It’s all done by hand and can’t be replicated.

Where do you get your inspiration from for making these models?

I used to collect dye cast models when I was younger and have a wide range of all different makes and models of cars. My Dad eventually told me to build the ones I want myself. So I started building the cars I love. I go to car shows and see cars that I really want but obviously can’t afford because they are a couple of million dollars. So I go away and build them myself. About ten months ago, there was a 60^th Ferrari anniversary in California and Beverly Hills and they had about 1000 Ferraris on display. I saw the 1957 Testarossa. It’s such a beautiful car with a beautiful form and obviously stands out from all the other Ferraris. It’s such an icon. I was reading the history and there were only 18 ever made and that inspired me to build one and showcase it at Pebble Beach.

1957 Ferrari Testarossa by Jamie Schena

1957 Ferrari Testarossa by Jamie Schena

When you build a car it’s a kind of a replica but on the other hand it isn’t. Where is the balance for you?

I guess they are more my own interpretation of the car. I’m using all raw and recycled materials. Everything I make is out of scrap metal and is a sculpture, a piece of art, but I do try to capture as much as I can. It’s my own scale and if I am using bearings for the wheels that generally determines my scale. If I’m doing a piece for a client, we work to a budget or I build it to the dimensions of where they want to put it.

So if you start with a wheel or other dimensions, how does that work?  Do you use a  “calibrated eyeball “to get it right?

Pretty much. All the cars and motorbikes I make, start with the wheels and that determines the scale. Although I work to my own scale most times which is a good size to build, in terms of capturing the details but also to have on your mantel piece or put on display.

Ferrari 330 by Jamie Schena

Ferrari 330 by Jamie Schena

What is it that you are trying to capture in your sculptures to make it an original Jamie Schena?

I see a car and I recreate it from my interpretation. Whether I am trying to generate speed or more aggression in the car; it’s not supposed to be a precision model.  I try to exaggerate certain things and may make the car a little bit wider or lower and try to emphasize the elements and characteristics of the car.

Is the process of translating your thoughts about the car into your sculptures something you go through as an artist to develop your skills?

I guess I apply the same processes as I do at work. We have inspirational images or sketches given to us by designers or our leadership group and we have to create them as a clay model.  I also look at images of cars when doing my metal sculptures. I try to keep it loose and free because if I try to be too precise, it takes away from what it is. I do as much as I can to capture the car without over polishing it or trying to perfect it. I think its rawness and roughness gives it more character than the original polished car, especially when I put colour on them. The moment I paint them, is the moment it highlights all the imperfections and you still see all the raw metal, the scratch and grind marks and imperfections under the paint. I’m trying to show off my craftsmanship while accentuating it with the translucent paint. The processes I use are the same as is used on a normal car.

I love the Iron Man you made. It’s totally different from your automotive art. The anatomy is very different from a race car, but is there any similarity? 

It’s the same process and finish but in a different form. The reason why I built the iron man is because a guy I worked with in Australia had a limited edition of an iron man in a similar stance to the one I built but it wasn’t very big and was very expensive. I really liked it and built one four times the size. It’s just over a meter high. I’ve got a transformer which is twice the size of that. Both of those are my featured pieces and I have them both here in America. The reaction is funny, it draws people over to view my smaller pieces. I wanted to push myself to do something different and those pieces give people the assurance that I have the skill and ability to build their car or do whatever they want me to do.

Iron Man by Jamie Schena

Where do you see yourself going with your art? What is your dream five or ten years from now?

If you see my earlier work versus my work now, you definitely see an improvement on detail. I want to take my art in a different direction and the next level and see what else I can build. I just want to keep on going. Every time I showcase my work, a new opportunity comes up.

Do you envision being a full time artist or will it always be a side activity?

I want it to remain my hobby. The minute it becomes a full time job, it takes away some of the fun. Now I can do it whenever I want. When I’m at work, I think of things or get inspired and motivated. Then I go build it. I want to concentrate on things I’m passionate about and haven’t done before. Next year I’ll be going to Comic-Con which will be my first sci-fi exhibition away from automotive type things. So I’ll be doing a lot of sc-fi characters and super hero’s which inspired me back at uni. I’m limited by my imagination really. That and time. My art work is very labour intensive. I’ve got goals and have a list of things I want to build and when that’s done, I’ll write a new list. I’m building the cars I hope will one day be my own car collection.

Which artist inspires you the most?

That’s a tricky one. I’m more inspired by pieces of work and not by one artist in particular. It’s like brands of cars, I love certain models of cars without liking all the cars of that particular brand. So I get my inspiration from various sources. But I do work in a very inspirational environment which pushes me creatively in the automotive field. I take that passion and creativity and apply it to my art work. My background also plays a big part in terms of my upbringing and my passions outside of art. My Dad ran his own business from home and I was taught at a very young age to weld. I raced go carts for 15 years professionally. At age 12 I had a personal sponsor. I built him a little go cart and that’s how it all took off in terms of commission work.

Did your racing help you with building race cars models?

Yes, I was a mechanic and rebuilt engines etc. I know what makes up an engine from pulling them apart and seeing all the internals. I was very fascinated by speed, the mechanics and how things work. My understanding for racing and being my own mechanic from a young age has given me a good insight. I look at a car and think about how I am going to reproduce it from an artistic point of view. It’s a scaled down version but I use all mechanical components like spark plugs and whatever I can get my hands on. I try to capture the exterior of the car, the bigger picture, the feeling of the car, the emotion and movement. Everything from my background has inspired me and led me to do what I am doing today. The attention to detail definitely comes from my racing background. It’s taken 15 years of experience and 1500 pieces to get my work to the level it is today. Every time I showcase my piece or build a sculpture, it’s all word and mouth. I never have to advertise.

See more of Jamies work on his website and Facebook.

Jamie will be exhibiting next year at the following events:

Arizona -Barrett Jackson Auction Scottsdale January 23-31

Florida -The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance March 11-13

San Diego -Comic-Con International July 21–24, 2016

The post From Raw Metal to Automotive Pieces of Art appeared first on CarArtSpot.

Is your Porsche 917 with the psychedelic colours, the only Porsche sculpture you have made Dennis?

No, over the years, I have done three or four Porsche pieces and in fact, my very first sculpture piece was a Porsche 911. After that I did a Porsche 956 and then a 917 and I’ve done a couple of others since. There are so many great designs and I have so many ideas but as fanatical as Porsche lovers are, a lot of them don’t seem to want to buy the artwork. Especially a large piece. But there are so many Porsches that are just classic, like the 906, 908 and the 956s. I could do so much with them and especially with this new style that I am developing. It could really be fun but it’s so difficult to sell them, so I have to be careful with my subject matter.

You do a lot of F1 and Ferrari. The Porsche 911 has the iconic design. Does having different designs, give you more flexibility as an artist?

Yeah it does but with the 911 you pretty much get locked into a format. The very first piece I did was the Porsche 911 Oblique. I got the idea to do this really abstract presentation of the Porsche 911. So I found an older porsche that I wanted and I layed down behind the rear wheel and photographed part of the rear tail light, the fender up towards the front of the car. I just did that section from a very low point of perspective. So when you look at the piece, it’s a very odd shape but a Porsche person looks at it and knows exactly what it is.

Porsche 911 Oblique by Dennis Hoyt

The third piece I did was the Porsche 956 at speed. I was depicting laminar flow over the top of the car. The car itself was white and the grooves that were carved into the background which the car was mounted on, were done in a dark wood. So you can see this laminar flow going over the top of the 956.  I would love to do some of the newer cars in my new abstract style and several of the Porsches would lend themselves nicely to the new direction I am going in.

Porsche 956 Laminar Flow by Dennis Hoyt

You did a really stunning Porsche 917. Most artists pick the blue and orange colours but you picked the other colour scheme. Was that for a reason?

Yes, it was a commission and my client just loved the pychodelic colour scheme on the 917 (which you call the hippie car) but he wanted it to look as if it was going 200 mph.  He asked me how I would do that. I looked at the paint scheme and said ‘to me it’s very simple. I would extrapulate the paint behind the car and just elongate it and exaggerate it’ and he said ‘great, just do it’. And that’s how it came to be. I made that sculpture from two separate pieces of wood and it was extremely intricate in the way that I intertwined all the pieces. I worked for months on it and it was a two month process just getting all the colours exactly right.

Porsche 917 by Dennis Hoyt

After putting so much time and effort into doing a piece like that, isn’t it hard to see it leave your studio.

By the time I had finished that piece, I just wanted to finish it and get it done. So I didn’t have a problem letting it go to the client. Then the piece was sent back to me to take to Bahrain last year and when I opened the crate and saw the piece after 10 years, I thought ‘wow, did I do this’? Then I did feel sorry I had sold the piece. Everyone who saw it in Bahrain was blown away by it. They couldn’t believe it was made out of two pieces of wood.

When you do a Porsche, how much study and research do you put into it?

With that particular piece, I did a lot of research and investigation and in particular to the colour because I couldn’t find the exact true colours anywhere on internet or in photos. I eventually found and ordered a book from Japan with a full page spread of the Porsche 917 when it was in the pitts during the race with it’s tail end up because they were doing some work on it. That showed me right there the true colours because I could see the correct florescent orange red emergency kill switch which all the cars have. It also showed me how the stripes over the body widened out at the rear. To this day, cars which have been repainted are correct in every way with the exception of the stripes. They paint them the same width going over the whole length of the car, when originally they should widen out at the rear. So if you don’t have that photo, you don’t know that because most people take photo’s from the front or side or back of the car and not overhead of the car.

What about the dimensions of the car. Do you have the technical drawings of the car then?

I go to a couple of good websites which have the blueprints of cars. They are not always the most accurate but I get the dimensions, take a copy of the blueprint, scale it out, make a paper template and continue my process to get the dimensions exactly right. A lot of sculptures that you see of that car are not as wide as the car should be and some are also shorter than the car really was. It was a long tailed car.

The car itself became quite an inconic car with Steve McQueen and the movie Le Mans. Did it have more meaning for you that just being a commission?

Oh yes because I think that car represents the battle between the Ferrari and the Porsche during the 1970’s and the long tailed cars which were only a couple of years like that. I think the high point in the Le Mans race was that the cars were extremely pretty because of their graceful  long silhouettes. That represents to me one of the hallmarks of the Le Mans type racing. There have since been other cars which have done equally as well and are nice but in the 70’s THAT was IT. THAT was the car! The car is currently owned by Dr. Simeone in Pennysylvania. He has done a really wonderful job in setting up a great museum, showing all these wonderful classic cars from all the premieres but he kind of stages them in the setting which is appropriate to when the cars were in the pitts at Le Mans. He goes after some really unusual and highly regarded Formula racing cars. He’s got Ferrari’s and Alphas and everything else but they are always the number 1. He’s a marvellous guy who raises a lot of money for childrens’ charities.

Read our other interview with Dennis Hoyt.

Visit Dennis Hoyts' website for more of his work.

The post Dennis Hoyt - The Early Bird appeared first on CarArtSpot.

The Porsche Design Studio had been thinking about how the 917 043 might be painted. On a model they studied the “hippie” layout which was used at the 1970 Le Mans.

The final paint job was applied on site in many steps (and with countless cans of spray paint) in the yard of Porsche’s garage in Telochè.

The Hippie model – photo from the Porsche 917 book by Delius Klasing

Porsche 917 book by Walter Näher published by Delius Klasing

Many automotive artist have been inspired by this livery and car. Here is a fine selection of Porsche 917 art.

Porsche 917 painting by Uli Hack

Porsche 917 painting by Uli Hack

Porsche 917 painting by Andrew McGeachy

Porsche 917 painting by Andrew McGeachy

Porsche 917 painting “Hippie” by Dan McCrary, done in watercolour

Porsche 917 painting “Hippie” by Dan McCrary in watercolour

Porsche 917 painting “Hippie” by David Purvis

Porsche 917 painting “Hippie” by David Purvis

Porsche 917 painting “PurplePanzer” by Roger Blanchard

Porsche 917 painting “PurplePanzer” by Roger Blanchard

Interpretation of the Porsche 917 by Tom Havlasek

Interpretation of the Porsche 917 by Tom Havlasek

And a view from the 917 cockpit by Juan Carlos Ferrigno

A view from the 917 cockpit by Juan Carlos Ferrigno

For this Porsche 917 illustration I could not find the artist. Please contact us at CarArtSpot if this is your work or if you know who made this.

Porsche 917

Photo of the Porsche 917 – name of photographer unknown – contact us if you made this. We would love to see more of these kind of photos.

Porsche 917

Porsche 917 painting by Yuriy Shevchuk

Porsche 917 painting by Yuriy Shevchuk

Porsche 917 by vsixdesign

Porsche 917 by vsixdesign

And last but not least…

The Porsche 917 sculpture by Dennis Hoyt

The Porsche 917 sculpture by Dennis Hoyt

The post PORSCHE 917 PAINTINGS appeared first on CarArtSpot.

Porsche 904 reflecting in Porsche 356 Fun Haus Mirror by Dan McCrary

#1 Dan McCrary – “Fun Haus Mirror” Porsche 356

Dan McCrary is the master of watercolour and car art. He enjoys doing reflections, like the nice 356 Coupe with the reflection of a 904 that happened to be “next door”….

356 reflections by David Purvis

#2 David Purvis    -  356 Reflections

David Purvis is a British automotive artist who loves to paint classic cars in contemporary scenes. Check the reflection of the Porsche in the lacquer.

Richard Lloyd Racing 956 at Le Mans in 1985 by Richard Wheatland

#3 Richard Wheatland  - Richard Lloyd Racing 956 at Le Mans in 1985

An oil on canvas painted back in 2007 by Richard Wheatland. He finds the inspiration for his work at automotive events.

Porsche 917 Blue Automotive Art by Juan Carlos Ferrigno

#4 Juan Carlos Ferrigno - Porsche 917 - Blue

This is such a masterpiece, the background and the body of the car melted into one. Less is more and in this case the artist left the body out of the painting. Our brain will just generate the body for us. Juan Carlos Ferrigno is developing a more abstract style and this a spectacular example.

Monza '71 Porsche Art by Klaus Wagger

#5 Klaus Wagger  - Monza ‘71

Klaus Wagger was voted into the prestigious Automotive Fine Arts Society in 2013. He says about his art “It’s not the idea of the car, it’s the movement, noise, being dynamic.”

Porsche 917 Le Mans 1970 Steve McQueen by Andrea Del Pesco

#6 Andrea Del Pesco Porsche 917 Le Mans 1970 Steve McQueen

Italian artist Andrea Del Pesco. His focus is on capturing the speed and the beauty of the aerodynamic lines.

Porsche 917 by Dennis Hoyt

Porsche 917 by Dennis Hoyt

Porsche 917 by Dennis Hoyt

#7 Dennis Hoyt – Porsche 917

Dennis Hoyt belongs to the top of automotive fine art. This stunning Porsche 917 is carved out of two pieces of wood. The carving, cutting and sanding took over 6 month.

Porsche 917 Steve McQueen tapestry by Keith Collins

#8 Keith Collins - tapestry

Something totally different; a Porsche tapestry made out of thousands of small parts. Keith Collins’ art is collected by people like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nicolas Cage and Jack Nicholson.

Porsche 356 by Martin Heukeshoven

Porsche 356 by Martin Heukeshoven top closed

#9 Martin Heukeshoven - Porsche 356

Martin Heukeshoven does not just make car models, his art tells a story to trigger your fantasy.

Porsche 917 by Michele Leonello

#10 Michele Leonello Porsche 917 Le Mans – Jo Siffert

Car designer and automotive artist Michele Leonello shows his passion in energetic paintings using the “dripping style”.  For the book “Tutte Le Porsche” he painted over 200 Porsches. Currently he is designing the livery of many Porsche race cars.

Porsche 911 by Mike Zeller

#11 Mike Zeller – Porsche 911 Poster for Euro Auto Festival

This Porsche painting was done for a large automotive event in the USA where Mike Zeller is famous for his watercolours and photos.

Porsche 550 JD s Porsche by Nicola Wood

#12 Nicola Wood - JD’s Porsche

The grand dame of automotive art Nicola Wood has a photo realistic style and often adds romantic elements like satin curtains and leopard prints.

Porsche 911 by Niels van Roij

#13 Niels van Roij – Porsche

Several designers also create art. Where car designs are always a compromise, art does not have these kind of boundaries. Niels van Roij is definitely a designer and artist to watch in the coming years.

Porsche Art by Patrick Brunet

Porsche Art by Patrick Brunet

Morrison Hotel Porsche by Patrick Brunet

#14 Patrick Brunet – Morrison Hotel

YEAH
Yeah, keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Yeah, we're goin' to the roadhouse
We're gonna have a real good time

Roadhouse Blues THE DOORS

Car Art inspired by lyrics, like this one by the doors. Patrick Brunet did a series on that with his unique style of drawing.

Porsche 911 Targa Florio 1973 Herbert Müller by Paul Chenard

#15 Paul Chenard – Porsche 911 Targa Florio 1973 Herbert Müller

Paul Chenard is a familiar face at British automotive events. He considers himself a historian who happens to tell his stories through his art.

Porsche 993 Targa by Tony Crampton

356 Porsche by Tony Crampton

911sc Porsche by Tony Crampton

#16 Tony Crampton – Porsche 993 Targa in Hong Kong

Hong Kong based Tony Crampton uses mixed media to create his art combining photography, computer editing and actual painting to achieve these kind of spectacular results.

Porsche Carrera 2 by Roger Blanchard

#17 Roger Blanchard – Porsche 356 Carrera 2

Roger Blanchard is a master in painting the reflections in the lacquer of cars like this Porsche 356 Carrera 2. See how the flagstone wall reflects on the side and the clouds in the headlights.

Porsche 97 1970 by Stefan Marjoram

#18 Stefan Marjoram – Porsche 917   1970

Stefan Marjoram has a fast style of sketching cars, highlighting only the characteristic parts of a car. Beside a talented artist, he is also a professional photographer and video specialist.

Porsche 911-Road-Trip by Miha Furlan

#19 Miha Furlan

Miha Furlan is an artist from Slovenia. He combines detailed cars with a more abstract background.

2 Porsche 356 by Stephane Dufour

#20 Stéphane Dufour – Porsche 356 Sculpture

The pure essence of the Porsche 356 captured in a handmade sculpture. Artist Stéphane created a range of Porsche sculptures including the 917 and the GT.

Porsche 917 Le Mans by Uli Ehret

#21 Uli Ehret

German artist Uli Ehret combines his passion for painting in watercolour with a passion for cars.

Porsche team Seattle by Timothy Raines

#22 Timothy Raines – Porsche Team Seattle

In a way the art by Timothy Raines looks like pointillism but at the same time it is a kind of action painting. The results are vibrant paintings bursting of the canvas.

Porsche 917 by Kelly Telfer

#23 Kelly Telfer - Porsche 917

Kelly Telfer is another artist with a very dynamic style. Here showing the Porsche 917 and the tail blurring with the background doing over 200km per hour.

Porsche Catch that Whale by Tim Layzell

#24 Tim Layzell – “Catch that Whale”

Layzell’s signature style is using strong strokes and lines to emphasize the speed of the cars.

Porsche Standing in the Shadows by Charles Maher

#25 Charles Maher – “Standing in the shadows”

It looks like this Porsche is making its appearance on stage with the black curtains dramatically opening. Great use of dark and light by Charles Maher.

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