A few weeks ago, working with the non-profit Artworks Cincinnati I led a group of apprentices in transforming a 1998 Buick LeSabre from an old boring car into a driveable work of art! We painted the car over the course of a weekend during Midpoint Music Festival, working alongside several other teams and cars. The car was stripped and primed at John Hall Body shop in Northside.
The client was my own mother. Oddly enough I did not know that she had submitted her car and she did not know that I was a project manager for ArtCars! After learning that she entered her car it seemed only fitting that I work with her. I created three designs from which my mom would select a favorite. She wanted something that would evoke some flower child hippie magic. I knew I wanted something bright, relatively simple, and non-representational and didn’t want to use flowers. So I thought about ways to do happy and celebratory without being too obviously retro or derivative. So instead of the 60’s I started out by looking at 1950’s magazine ads, and added some intense contemporary tetradic color. Like my mother, I think it’s pretty unique, adventurous, and lovable! She is thrilled.
Thanks to David Heyburn for organizing Artcars this year, Artworks for inviting me back as a lead artist and project manager, and the amazing and talented apprentices Dontriel Nuckols, Alex Sunderman, Previn Beal, Taylor Helms, and Paige Roberts!
Check out some in-progress photos and the results below, and if you’re in the Trenton Ohio area, keep an eye out for Mrs. Hedges.