The inspiration for my car portraits started in 2005, with the first painting made for my favorite uncle. Suffering from Alzheimer's and non-communicative for weeks, he saw a '49 Ford coming at us on the road, and it stimulated a 3-hour conversation and lots of memories. It was a powerful experience.

At that time, I was living in Indianapolis and had worked three years for an Indycar team. An opportunity to participate in an exhibition at the Hickory (NC) Museum of Art got the wheels turning, so to speak. The show was titled NASCAR Inspired, and with the help of my motorsports colleagues, I created a concept piece integrating some of the same materials and processes used in producing racecars. The piece was titled Ode to Columbus and was a tribute to my hometown racer, Tony Stewart. For more info on the NASCAR piece...

The style and method of my work is related to the silkscreen process. Having studied printmaking at Indiana University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, it feels natural to paint in this manner.

Generally the car portraits focus on the front, or 'face' of the automobile. These images are really a hybrid. There is a whisper of 'folk art' in the simplicity of process and the symbols sometimes used in the head-lamps or background. And the influences of 'pop art' are evident in the style and composition.

While continuing to explore the carbon fiber painting process, I am now focusing on the Pop Art Orchids Series.

The car portraits will continue to be available by commission only. A wide variety of sizes and prices are offered for these projects, starting at $250. For more info on car portraits...