Wrought Iron VW Art Car

Joe Gomez of San Antonio, Texas, relates that "One day when I was in bed, I dreamt that I was building a wrought iron car. I woke up, ran to the kitchen and got some paper, and started sketching. My wife thought I was crazy . . . . Everything on this car is handmade, nothing is factory. It took me a little bit better than nine months. The reason I chose the Volkswagen is because the motor's in back -- otherwise I'd have all the fumes in front." The car brought more customers to Gomez's wrought-iron company than he could handle, and he soon retired. He later found out that two other people have made wrought-iron Volkswagens!

Stink Bug - Art Car Covered in Cigarette Butts

The Stink Bug
Carolyn Stapleton
Orlando, Florida

What do you get when you mix; a classic VW Beetle, thousands of used cigarette butts, dozens of tubes of silicon caulk, gallons of clear sealant with a desire to "make a difference"? The "Stink-Bug" that's what! This funky 2000 lb. Mosaic of art, aversion therapy and tribute employs the most insidious form of "litter" around-- cigarette butts. Stretching the definitions of "Art" and "Artist Materials" Carolyn Stapleton has resurrected her previous artcar "Litter Bug" into a rolling, stinking, coughing memoriam to Smokers and non-Smokers alike. Yes, it really coughs! You can read the Stinkbug's whole story at www.thestinkbug.com

Hamburger Harley Art Bike by Harry Sperl

Hamburger Harley
by Harry Sperl
Daytona Beach, Florida

This is Harry's hamburger motorcycle. It is complete with mustard and ketchup bottle shock covers, fries, shake, and steam coming off the stack of meat and cheese. Originally from Germany, Harry feels the hamburger is Americana and an icon of the United States. He also loves to eat hamburgers one of his favorite meals. You can get better acquainted with Harry at his website at www.burgerweb.com

O My Gawd art car by Harrod Blank

Harrod Blank's 1965 VW bug is called O My Gawd after people's reaction to it. (courtesy of Harrod Blank)

Mad Cad Art Car by Larry Fuente

Larry Fuente of California converted his 1960 Cadillac into a Mad Cad car by gluing jewels, beads, female mannequins and plastic ducks on it. (courtesy of Harrod Blank)

Lamborghini Art Car

I found this beauty at Top Speed, a Lamborghini Art Car. First of all its probably the fastest art car out there and second it has the most incredible art work done to it. A bold car made more so with fantastic tribal looking art, almost primitive and savage, in a good way. The only problem is that it's too fast for most parades, most art cars out there have an average top speed of 55mph and a 0-60 in about 15 minutes with all the stuff glued on and sticking off the roof rack, the rest off us would be left in the dust as you took off.Overall a very nice and sweet ride!!!!

THE SMOKE FROM KRAZY KAT'S CHIMNEY

We have chatted in the past about artists who delight in drawing subjects such as hair or folds or water, that allow them to take liberties with abstract design.

The great George Herriman rarely passed up an opportunity to draw smoke coming from a chimney. He seemed to place smoke in a picture the way a hat designer would place a feather in a lady's chapeau.



For art's sake, every fireplace in Coconino County must have been roaring all summer long.



Each example is different-- fluid, intuitive and beautiful.



You can look at each of these little abstract designs as a miniature rorschach test:











For comparison, here is a drawing by famed artist Ellsworth Kelly from the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York :

I think the smoke from Krazy Kat's chimney is far superior as abstract art.