David
P. Stephens
Painter
of Maritime Life
Art Car
Odyssey Journal 2000 - 2001
Well, here
it is, the "raw canvas" in all it's naked, unadorned
glory.
Yes, that's right folks,
after an exhaustive search for just the right vehicle to serve
as art car canvas, I was fortunate to purchase this 1984 Chevrolet
Camaro Z28. My initial intention was to purchase a van, something
with a bit of character, perhaps a late sixties, early seventies
Chevy, Dodge, or Econoline. However, such vehicles I did stumble
across were either in sorry shape, both mechanically and physically,
or, were far too expensive for my limited budget.
Now, I know that it
is a far reach from a classic van to a Z28, however, these are
my reasons for purchasing the Camaro: 1/. it is mechanically sound,
with less than 10,000 km. on a rebuilt 305 H.O. engine, new tires,
recent brakes, front-end, and suspension repairs, and it has a
solid, clean body; 2/. if you notice the shaded area just below
the beltline, this will be painted to represent ocean, while the
area above, will represent sky. The beltline thus serves as a
natural horizon line so essential in creating the illusion of
perspective in a seascape. As a matter of fact, if you look at
the scene beyond the car, this concept is presented before you
in nature. A quick look at most of my paintings will also explain
my sense of intrigue with this beltline; 3/. the car has an expansive
hood and a neat little trunk area upon which to paint more scenes,
and; 4/. the price was right!
So, without further
ado, here is the Camaro transformed from "raw canvas"
to the somewhat provocative artcar now known as "Seaflower".
Thus far Seaflower has proudly attended the following art and
art car related venues, namely, the12th and 13th Annual Nova Scotia
Folk Art Festivals, Lunenburg, N.S.; Paint the Town 2000, Annapolis
Royal, N.S.; the first Rhode Rally 2000, Wheel d'Art Parade, part
of the Convergence 2000 International Arts Festival in Providence
Rhode Island; opening night of the Marion McCain Atlantic Art
Exhibition,"Artists In A Floating World" at the Beaverbrook
Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick; opening night of "Joe
Norris: Painted Visions of Nova Scotia" at the Art Gallery
of Nova Scotia and, the fabulous, fantastic and outlandish Houston
Art Car Weekend titled, "2001: A Space Auto-See", as
presented by The Orange Show Foundation, Houston, Texas, April
2001.
Simply click the "continue"
link below to view evolution of Seaflower slide show. Here are
a few pics of Seaflower in her most recent state (Cabot Trail,
September 2002). More to follow.
