Beautiful Decay!

Old Buicks

2011-08-12T02:04:00.000-07:00

There's just something about old Buicks. Each time I see a photograph of one of these old girls lying around a field someplace I really want to buy it - and rescue it. The problem is I'm on the other side of the Atlantic ocean from these cars, so there they sit.

I have no idea when the attraction to such cars began, or where. Born and raised in England I have never so much as driven in a Buick let alone owned one, and yet the fascination continues.

How many farmers back in the US have one of these things sitting out on their land? Or perhaps stored in a barn? They built their cars from much heavier gauge steel back then which means these cars are still pretty solid and worth restoring.

Perhaps it is because I don't live in America that I see them in a different light? If I were to see them regularly and looked upon them as simply obsolete scrap metal I would be more in tune with those that have grown up around these classics, but here in the UK they are still seen as exotic, mysterious, and very desirable.

Carl Spitzweg

2011-07-17T03:11:00.001-07:00

Spitzweg was a German painter from the biedermeier period (which coincides with our early Victorian) He painted small pictures of everyday life, observing people going about their daily business. Spitzweg painted his characters with fondness and humour, and I came to realise that the artist certainly fits into the category of beautiful decay, in that his settings are always those of worn out buildings with crumbling plaster. The clothes his characters wear are often threadbare and patched, and yet they go about their work with quiet dignity.

The painting above is entitled 'Der besuch' (The visit) and shows a typical Spitzweg character hard at work when momentarily interrupted by a bird that has landed on his window ledge. Just for an instant two worlds come face to face, human drudgery and bird-like freedom. The bird is curious, unafraid, while the human, who despite the evidence of hard work strewn all around him occupies a shabby garret.

Clicking on the painting above will bring it up life-size, and Spitzweg paintings - small as they are sell for many thousands so it is very unlikely that I will ever own one. But I now own the next best thing - for the painting above measuring 10 x 12 inches isn't by Spitzweg at all, but by me - I painted it last week, so finally I have a 'Spitzweg' of my own.

Garage find.

2011-06-03T13:36:00.001-07:00

Having painted the painting entitled 'Barn find' earlier I decided to do another one, this time motorcycle related. Here in the UK we don't tend to have barns full of old vehicles as so many of us live crammed into this small island. What we do have are lock-up garages in which we store our old junk.

The above painting shows a 'Garage find' Kawasaki motorcycle. It is a 1972 model that appears to have been standing undisturbed for many years - wish I could find one just like it!

Junkyard blues

2011-02-27T11:05:00.001-08:00

Old brickwork.

2010-09-30T01:55:00.001-07:00

I often wonder why it is that I'm attracted to old things? Having thought about it I have come to the conclusion that I happened to be born in an era that was a turning point in Britain, where much of the old was swept away and replaced by the new.

During the 1960's we had what was known as the 'Slum clearances', where many of the old streets were demolished to be replaced by high rise concrete blocks. An unfortunate by product of this was that entire community's where shattered and dispersed, friends and long time neighbours separated and lost.

The new high rise blocks also had no human scale, no charm, or character. Just as with new automobiles they were manufactured cheaply, efficiently, and with an eye on the cost. As a child in the early 1960's I had shared the homes, streets, and sense of community that had been familiar to my father, and my fathers father before him, yet all of that was taken away.

In the painting above I have depicted a typical British 'slum' dwelling of the pre-1960's period. The term 'slum' is a derogatory term for poor housing, but many such houses were kept immaculately clean and tidy by the women of the house who were very house-proud.

The exterior gas pipes shown were often removed as electricity was installed in these housed by the 1940's, and even the old gas lamps were latterly converted to electric bulbs. The houses themselves were typically small, heated by coal fires, and had no interior bathroom, just an exterior toilet in the back yard.

To a child though they were a cosy haven, imparting a sense of stability and continuity that we just don't have any more, and I for one have many happy memories of such a home.

As with many of my paintings I have recreated a scene just as I remember it, which then asks of the viewer to decipher just what it is that is going on within it. Careful study of the painting would then reveal that there are some makeshift 'wickets' drawn in chalk on the wall, and there is a cricket ball on the ground telling us that a game of cricket was in previously progress. You can even see the marks on the wall that the hard cricket ball made when it hit, notice also that one mark is a little too high and wide.

One might then notice the small window in the corner is broken, and the score chalked up is thirteen...unlucky for some maybe? Well it was certainly unlucky for the boy that broke the window as he has been brought in by his mother and 'grounded' as punishment, which gave me the painting's title - "Not out!"

Barn find!

2010-08-21T14:25:00.001-07:00

Here's a little oil painting that I did last week as an online painting demonstration.

Imagine the scene, it's 'somewhere in France', and the old barn door opens with a creak. As your eyes become accustomed to the light you begin to make out the old Citroen 2cv car. The sunlight streams in from the open window striking various objects in the room, there are cobwebs...and even a mouse!

Once again the blue and orange theme works well together to provide some interesting rust texture to the car. Also included in this painting are the depiction of textures such as glass, water, hay or straw, rubber, galvanised metal, flaky paint and rust, tin, a wicker basket, brass candlestick and copper!

It was lots of fun to paint.

Patina.

2010-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Now here's a strange thing.
For years now I have been amazed at the way many Americans allow so many fine examples their automotive heritage to sit out rotting in fields. I have remarked upon the solid condition of many cars that have been abandoned to the Californian sun, those 'dry state' cars may be rusty, but they sure are worth saving.

Now here's where I'm a little confused. I know that among the VW bus and bug crowd there is a definite rat look vibe going on, and I can live with that because there are certain cars, (VW bugs included) that carry the distressed look off real well. Other products however don't.

Case in point the 1950 Buick fastback shown here. When I first saw it I was happy that this car had been saved, 'finally' I thought, someone has begun to appreciate those old heavy metal monsters enough to rescue them. But there was something about this car that just wasn't right.

I studied it before noticing that the chrome was new, and then I noticed the wheels. So okay the wheels are personal choice, but the chrome-work stands out as too new for the car. Rusty paint needs rusty chrome surely?

It was only after seeing this shot of the interior that I knew that the owner had blown it in my opinion. The car had been beautifully and carefully restored and re-trimmed - with the exception of the paint!

So that's why I have mixed emotions about this car. First of all I'd rather see it as it is now than sitting in a field someplace so that's good. I don't even mind original rust patina on those cars that can carry off the look either, but I think this car deserves better. No doubt the owner has spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours restoring this car, and the standard of work looks to be high, I just wish that on this occasion the car might have been returned to it's former glory, or left original but running.

Modern art in metal.

2010-06-28T02:38:00.000-07:00

I've never really cared much for what is usually known as 'Modern art', preferring to admire the skills and quality of work from the representational artists who more accurately depict their subjects. On the few occasions when a modern painting has appealed to me it has been purely down to the arrangement of shapes and colours on canvas that simply have pleased the eye.

I spent some time thinking about this as by recognising that shapes and colour alone are able to please us without the element of drawing or structure, then surely using those shapes and colour combinations, with the extra dimensions of design and texture, would create a work that bridges the gap between representational art and the so called 'Modern art'.

The elements that are often missing in modern paintings, such as composition or light and shade are still present in my 'rust art' because we are dealing with the depiction of solid objects - and yet, the abstract shapes of colour and texture also play a part in the whole.

In the photo above we can see the bold yet faded turquoise of the roof contrasts perfectly against the flat grey/brown background. The rust textured paintwork gives scope for invention, as no two cars will ever rust the same, yet the firm bright-work of stainless steel lends a definite structure to the composition by rigidly locking those areas of abstract colours together.

I think the image above works beautifully, but there can also be changes made in the balance of the composition by removing even more of the detail, and changing the format. Often painting less has more impact, so it's fun to play around with the images until you find the one that 'speaks' to you.

And again!

2010-06-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Another image that hits you like a punch! Pow!

Like the last picture I featured it's the bold simplicity of this image that captivates the eye, before alluring it into exploring the colourful details. The composition here is so finely balanced adding apparent tension to the rusty chain. The deep blue placed next to the reddish orange of the metal seems to set the metal aflame, it looks hot to touch!

Rust art at it's finest, and truly worthy of the title 'beautiful decay'.

Art!

2010-05-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

Bam! That one hits you doesn't it? Simple, clear, and effective. Perfect rust art!

Amazing skill.

2010-04-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts back I mentioned some really nice highly detailed model cars. Well I'm returning to that theme once more to share a truly fascinating discovery with you. The photo's shown here are diorama's created using those models, aren't they amazing?
They are photographed in such a way as to include elements of 'real' background in the far distance which, when combined with the super-detailed sets, and the cars themselves create images of a time period now long since past.

The creator of these dioramas has done quite a lot of them, and each one is hyper real, there is very convincing detail work added to all his work. to see a slide show of the artists work click on the link ...and prepare to be amazed! SLIDESHOW.

Patina

2010-04-11T03:02:00.000-07:00

I'm spending so much time restoring my old Citroen car recently (see my other blog) that I don't get to post on this one too often. Having spent hundreds of hours bringing an old rusty car back to life, it's a little ironic that here I post a similar car in the sort of condition mine started out as!

Is this car patinated, or is it just plain rusty? There are certain types of cars that can carry this look well, the Citroen above, or a beat up VW Beetle (Bug) can look quite cool in this natural, weather worn state of preservation. Unfortunately my car had rusted through in several places of the structure, so it no was longer safe enough to leave it as it was, the result is that I've rebuilt it and it's almost finished. (below)

In just a few more weeks I'll be using her as my daily driver, but then I'll be looking for another rusty and forlorn car to rescue. It's at times like these when I wish that I lived in the U.S. There are so many old cars out there in good solid condition just begging to be brought back to life! I agonise over some of that stuff, and when I see a car like the Buick below I don't see a rusty hulk, I see a gleaming two tone and chrome prize winner. All it takes is a little work, those things should be saved.

High quality model cars.

2010-03-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Those that have read this blog before will know that I'm a BIG GM fan, especially the products produced between the late 1940's to the early 1950's. Living in the UK means that I'll most likely never own my own late 40's Buick, or Olds 88, but there is a way.

I came across these fantastically detailed models while surfing the net the other day. They look amazing! With opening doors, detailed dash panels, real steering wheels and chrome trim they really do look the part.

Even the two colour paint job looks like a real professional finish, these cars are beautiful. Just take a look at these photos.

So maybe I'll never get to own my own full sized car, but I could sure develop an interest in collecting a few of those miniature beauties.

The paintings of Mike Jeffries.

2010-02-28T02:44:00.000-08:00

Regular readers of this blog will know that from time to time I like to feature an artist that has captured something special on canvas. Such an artist is Mike Jeffries. Quite often my posts feature old vehicles, and other objects of the past shown in a ruinous state, in other words in a state of decay brought about by years of abandonment.
This post is different in that it features Mikes paintings, and they are able to show us those old vehicles back in their heyday, almost like peering through a window in time. Those of us old enough to remember back when what are now called 'classic' vehicles were on our streets in their thousands, or when a train ride meant the experience of lots of steam, pervaded with the smell of hot oil and grease, or, for those who can still remember the haunting sound of that high pitched steam whistle from the engine, will love Mike's work as I do.

Known as 'The transport artist', Mike's subject matter covers (as would be expected) many areas of bygone transport. From these beautifully nostalgic depictions of steam engines, which are truly masterful in their use of fine detail and perspective, to subjects that once upon a time would have been considered the everyday, but to today's eyes reveal a treat, a veritable feast of nostalgia!

What is truly astounding about these paintings is not only the amount of true to life detail that is incorporated in them, but the unseen amount of research behind each one that ensures for example, that the correct type of beacons, road signs and road marking are incorporated in the scene.

The paintings vary from the panoramic view of a workplace in full swing as shown above, to a more intimate portrayal of a particular type of vehicle in use as in the scene below. Whatever the subject matter however, you can be sure that the incidental elements of the painting will be well thought out also, so there will be period advertising hoardings, and of course men wearing hats or carrying overcoats just as they did back then!

Another thing that sets these paintings apart from others is the feeling of seeing a vehicle in use. These are not merely 'portraits' of a certain type of vehicle, but living snapshots. we are given a glimpse at a certain moment in the daily life of that vehicle, and we see it totally unprepared for our attention, so wearing the dust, dirt, and oil stains that would have been there in actual use.

There are some that may have though a haulage lorry less than ideal as subject matter for a beautiful painting, but here again Mike shows them in such a way as to make them appear almost heroic, and as always depicts them in the most visually appealing settings.

For those who would like to see more of Mike's art please visit the following links.

Mike jeffries art

Transportartist.co.uk

Hi Definition vs Pre-Raphaelites.

2010-02-01T02:18:00.000-08:00

While searching the web for new examples of 'rust-art' I'm increasingly finding photographs that have been manipulated by imaging software. These high definition images give extra sharpness to the image which is in some ways unrealistic, but in other ways better. This manipulation gives them a strange look, at first there doesn't appear to be much difference, but the more one looks the more one sees.

In 19th Century England there was a group of artists that called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Their paintings were distinct because of their depiction in a painting of each and every tiny detail, details which the naked eye would normally dismiss. The finished effect of this attention to detail in their paintings was similar to today's Hi definition photographs, the paintings look to be somehow 'frozen' in time.

I find that HD images have that same quality, so maybe we should call this Pre-Raphaelite photography?

When is a door not a door?

2010-01-22T05:15:00.001-08:00

If you're old enough to remember the old joke that I used as a title for this post then you may know the answer to the identity of this striking piece of rust-art. In purely abstract terms the shapes, lines, and colours present a bold image, but look closer and you'll find the textures of worn faded paint, cracked dried out rubber, and hard chrome trim, and the realisation that you are viewing part of an old car on its side. Have you got it yet?

So when is a door not a door? The answer is - "when it's ajar'" of course!

More snow!

2010-01-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has bought himself a little Standard Ten, or Triumph ten as they were known for export. These little cars were produced between 1954 -59 and were of a very basic but robust manufacture.

As we are currentlyin the midst of a severe winter here in the uk I decided to paint this little painting which features a Standard ten in winter. The painting is set in the winter of the early 1960's, when these cars were quite common and were often found abandoned at the roadside! I like my paintings to tell a story so in this one as there are clearly parts missing from the car it raises the question - "Were they removed by the owner, or have they been stripped for spares by passing motorists?"

The car is lit from the right hand side by the cool moonlight, which exposes the bitter cold atmosphere and reveals ice on the metal surface of the car's panels. That metal is so cold that if you were to touch it without gloves then chances are your hand would stick to the frost.

There is also a lantern burning brightly in the foreground which has melted the frost and ice on the open door that is bathed with warm light. The snow is deep and crisp, and no doubt the footprints that lead away from the car must have made a crunching sound underfoot. Do they belong to the owner of the lantern I wonder? Is he coming back?

I always enjoy leaving questions unanswered like this, and in that way each person who looks at the painting can perhaps invent his own story to fit the clues that I have left.

Winter snows.

2009-12-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm sometimes asked how I go about my paintings. I remember one gallery owner that used to sell my work was always intrigued by the technical side of them, and it was only when I was leaving his gallery that he finally admitted to me that he had studied them over and over and couldn't figure out how they were painted!

There's no real secret to the technique, the paintings you see here are small preliminary sketches measuring around five by seven inches each. These are the stage between the initial pencil sketches and the final Oil painting. For speed these are done in Acrylic on canvas panels, and their purpose is to work out colour and composition, and to see what 'works' before committing to a larger, more finished painting.

The small size, and rough treatment of these sketches reminds me a little of those Christmas card scenes that are so plentiful at this time of year, except mine always contain old vehicles and motoring themes. If the sketch looks OK when it's done then it's in with a chance of becoming a larger finished painting.

Some people are keen to buy the actual sketches themselves, after all they are original paintings in their own right. I have always preferred to work out a painting rather than just 'busk it' on a blank canvas, there are those of course who frown on this approach as not being 'spontaneous' enough, but I'm too old to argue, so I'll just do my own thing and let others do theirs!

Reflections.

2009-11-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

It's not often that a car appears on this blog that doesn't have any rust on it, but today's post in an exception. When I first saw this photo I couldn't stop looking and the shape, curves, and best of all the glossy finish of this old Jaguar. Not only a Classic, but also a classy car!

2009-11-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

I came across this painting while browsing the net recently. I have no idea who painted it, but it made me smile as it proves there's others out there that find our rusty old cars and trucks beautiful enough to paint!

Peregrine Heathcote

2009-11-21T12:51:00.001-08:00

As regular readers will know, every now and again I come across an artist who's work I mention here. Such an artist is found in the unlikely name of Peregrine Heathcote.

Now don't get me wrong I like the images, after all they feature old cars, classic aviation, and ocean liners reminiscent of the deco style, the trouble is they are also reminiscent of another artist!

Sadly I find Heathcote's paintings contrived, the oh so vacant look of the female model conjures up an impression of gormless beauty rather than the wistfulness that I'm sure the artist intended.

Having said that I do like the images, but I guess that's down to the subject matter as opposed to the originality, or artistic merit of the work. there's a certain Deja Voux about them all, as I'm sure a certain Jack Vettriano might agree!

2009-11-01T03:09:00.000-08:00

How about this for a seasonal image of beautiful decay. The Autumnal colours echo those outside in my garden at the moment, although I'm not lucky enough to find 1950's American cars amongst my leaves!

An old sketch.

2009-10-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will know that from time to time I mention my favourite colour combination of blue and orange, or rather blue and rust.
Many times I have found this combination to create some striking images found in nature, and for me never more so than when seen on an old car. For those of you that have visited my other blog this vehicle might need no introduction, it is a variant of the Citroen 2cv, the restoration of which that blog was set up to chronicle.

Old Citroen 2cv's rust - spectacularly! Yet for all that they seem to settle into a patina of rust and wear that appears perfectly acceptable. Why I don't know, but the rust just seems to add character.
I painted the sketch above a few years ago, it is a painting of a vehicle that was actually still in regular use, and I just couldn't resist recording the details!

Corroded mainline 57

2009-10-24T03:48:00.001-07:00

corroded mainline 57
Originally uploaded by movitz

Once again a 'pretty as a picture' scene of dereliction!
I love the way the sweeping chrome strip on this Ford has stayed a sharp as the day it was made, while all around it crumbles.

The fall of light.

2009-10-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

I may have posted the image above before, I don't remember, but the reason I post it now is to describe how powerful a thing light and shade can be.
Imagine the old car that this 'nose' belongs to. It has been sitting outside for many years, uncared for, perhaps forgotten, and yet what striking beauty it has if only one takes the time to see it! The strength of the sunlight makes the shadows deep and the highlights sparkle, where sometimes it is the patterns of rust on the actual metal that can attract, here the beauty of the curved form is complemented by the fall of light.

The car above displays elements of all the things that attract me to old cars as art. The stylish original design incorporating those fantastically 'over the top' rear light units blends into the wraparound chrome. The original colour is changed, mottled into interesting shapes by the fall of light, the blue sky turned light purple by the old chrome.

Here again, this old Caddy could easily have been just a mouldy piece of junk in the woods, but look how that sunlight brings it to life! On a dull day you could walk right by this scene without hardly a glance, but with the correct lighting conditions - Boom!

Even without colour, the light, and the way that it falls can make an impact. The old truck above is so weather worn there isn't even any paint on it, just the dull red/brown of the rusty metal.
Set simply against a blue sky this could have easily been a real boring picture...until the light play came in to create a dramatic scene!

I love the play of light on an object, the way it hides some things yet reveals others, adds so much interest to a subject. And when that subject is a rusty old car that already has beautiful curves and lines, and a fine patina of age then it's a winning combination.

Well folks I'm back!

2009-10-18T03:13:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been over three months since I last posted on here...where does the time go?
For those of you that have followed this blog for a while now please accept my apologies for the lack of recent postings, the explanation for which is the time I have devoted to restoring my own old rusty heap!
I have opened another blog in order to continue documenting that process, so in addition to posting those finds of interesting yet rusty cars on here, I'll be updating the resto blog too...be sure to take a look!

I'll end today with these two images that have something of an 'On Safari' feel about them. The vehicle below looks almost camouflaged sitting low as it does in the undergrowth, it's striped roof enabling it to blend into its surroundings!

Rusty and crusty.

2009-06-29T02:40:00.000-07:00

A single image today that I must have stared at for what seemed like an age!

This photo has everything from the variations in tone and texture, the interesting shapes, to the worn patina of the paint and metal - beautiful :-) The best in rust-art!

Snapshot!

2009-06-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Not too many posts of late I know as I'm busy with my Citroen 2cv project car, some photo's of progress soon. meanwhile, I couldn't resist posting this fantastic photograph of a couple of owners and their new Oldsmobile car!

Eye-popping!

2009-06-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

Rust-art at it's best with this fish eye lens view of a Fairlane wing - wow!

Five simple images.

2009-06-07T00:12:00.000-07:00

The seductive colours of rust!

2009-05-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

I know that some of the following images have been enhanced in Photoshop to bring out the colour strength, but just look at the pure light and deep colour in the photo above...fantastic!

The backlight in this shot did it for me, that and the noble Indian head.

This old guy looks like he caught a cold with that big old red nose!

Stylish lines in abstact rust!

In my imagination I can see this car swooping by, factory fresh and glittering in the twilight of a warm summer evening. Those red tail lights would be all lit up, looking like the after burners of a jet plane.

VW Bus.

2009-05-23T10:53:00.001-07:00

I just had to post these two great shots of the old VW bus! The first is a moody atmospheric pic' that puts me in mind of the movie 'Christine', I can just imagine the thing starting up on its own!

This lower one would make an excellent painting! Those folds in the cloth catch the light beautifully.

The British Government.

2009-05-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

British readers may well get a chuckle from this short video.
For or non UK readers I have to explain that our country has been overtaken by events this week whereupon revelations from a document leaked to the newspapers has exposed the huge scale corruption of our entire political class. Put frankly, MP's have been committing fraud on an unimaginable scale to fill their own bank accounts from public funds!

In true British style, however serious we make a joke about it, but really we're angry.... but you wouldn't like us when we're angry!

Van Gogh?

2009-05-13T23:55:00.001-07:00

There has been some speculation in the news just recently that Vincent Van Gogh didn't actually cut off his own ear, that was done by his friend Paul Gauguin using a sword!
When I saw the rusty panel above I was immediately reminded of a Van Gogh painting. The cornfield, blue sky, and 'cyprus tree' are all motifs that he used

Vincents thickly encrusted canvases not only resemble naturally occuring rust art visually, but also texturally. I wonder if we'll ever see rusty panels hung in auction houses and selling for millions!

Beauty contest!

2009-05-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

Above we have Miss France 1948 - 1989 and below Miss Germany 1936 - 2007, both these gal's have won over millions of hearts.

Next up a typically 'English rose', but quite a fast lady and quite often topless!

Speaking of England, and thus British weather here's something that few people know. Old British bikers never die, they just rust solid!

There's nothing can touch an old battered Citroen 2cv for pure class! Lol.

Not so beautiful decay!

2009-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Those regular visitors to this blog will know that I have a degree of affection for the little French Citroen 2cv. I have owned several, and have one to this day.
The painting above is from a series of 'rusty wrecks' that I have painted from time to time, and for those who aren't familiar with the Citroen 2cv I might add that the rusty state that you see above is quite normal....these things rust!

Here's a shot of my 1986 model which, despite looking reasonably sound is absolutely shot! The bodywork of these cars is made of very thin metal which earned them the nickname of the 'tin frog' or 'tin snail', it's so thin that it can rust out very quickly.
Luckily mine has been fitted with an aftermarket replacement galvanised chassis, the original item on these cars never seeming to last more than three or four years from new!

These small Citroens have one advantage, and that is they can be completely dismantled down to component parts, and most of those parts are still available. If you take a closer look at the one above you will see that it has a white bonnet or hood, a green drivers door, and a blue body! This is because over the years bits have been taken from other cars to replace the rotted out stuff, the car has ended up looking like a patchwork vehicle :-)

She looks to have an expression of trepidation as she stands outside the garage here, maybe she 'knows' what I have in store for her? lol. Basically, as the chassis is galvanised and sound, and the engine is good without work i have decided to strip her down and replace the rotten parts (of which there are a lot)

A couple of hours later this was the scene. The body tub has been released from the chassis and I am preparing to lift it off and place it in the yard behind. The large fan of the air-cooled motor can now be seen.
I have no room for lifting gear, but the thin steel enables me to lift the body off the chassis physically by using the top strip of metal along the roof as a yoke across my shoulders! See how the weight of the car has bent the steel over my shoulder?...Don't try this at home kiddies! :-)

One more heave and a couple of swear words later and the old shell is off the tin-snail. the seperate running gear can be seen inside the garage, and on this occasion I don't find the decay beautiful. I'll post an update from time to time to show the how I progress (if at all) so it's back indoors now for a hot bath and a nice glass of wine.

Beyond the obvious.

2009-05-02T00:31:00.001-07:00

As an artist, and lover of old things in general, (but of old cars in particular) I find it interesting to note how the two passions combine.
Aesthetics aren't just the province of the artist, but also of the designers of yesteryear who created those beautiful curves and sweeping lines that describe the cars of the age. Above I return to a theme I've mentioned before - the combination of blue and orange, when combined with graceful curves is a sure fire winner as beautiful decay.

Another dimension used in art since the beginning of man's understanding was allegory. In the 17th century the Dutch painters relied heavily on allegorical scenes to instruct and inform the viewer. Paintings often represented themes other than the obvious, such as a lone woman playing a violin, which would represent hearing - one of the five senses, and so on.

There were also works called 'Vanitas' paintings, usually showing a book, a candle, and a skull on a tabletop of some kind. These were to remind us that all human life is transient, and we, just like the candle have limited time.

When I came across the photograph of the old Jaguar shown above I was struck by the symbolism of the scene. The photo has been photoshopped a little to adjust the colours but it was the title that made me stop and contemplate the scene a little longer.

The photo was entitled "The end of prosperity", which seemed pretty apt for these straightened times. I began to 'read' it as I would a Dutch allegorical painting, and the more I did the more I discovered.
The Jaguar in the foreground, always an expensive/exclusive brand represents those privileged folk for whom such things are made, the boat in the background as yet another symbol of wealth. In this composition it's as if these things have been cast away, they remain as rotting monuments to society's folly. The tyre in front of the car is worn out, again a symbol of a finite lifespan, while tucked away in the background, very subtly, is the scrapyard...which must surely represent both the car and our final destination, the grave!
Death, 'the great leveller' as they say. My conclusion is that far from being just another photo of an old car, this picture is a superb modern day Vanitas painting!

Now I go from reading something into the picture to just thinking what it reminds me of. The 1950 Buick again, but who can look at this scene without recalling seeing the fossilised bones of a T-Rex or other dinosaur as a kid? I still remember how impressed I was as a child when taken to the local museum to see a dinosaur skeleton, while looking at those teeth simultaneously I thanked heaven they didn't exist anymore!
Not so with the Buick, the teeth may remind me of that fossilised dino' but i sure wish these old Buicks still existed!

This final picture made me smile, if only in a mischievous way! I liked the composition and the colour, I liked the blue-ish chrome and the abstract shapes it makes against the orangey red of the metal. When looked at as an example of 'beautiful decay' it works quite well, and here's what made me smile... I never thought i'd say an Edsel could be beautiful! :-)

Three images

2009-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

Three images of beautiful decay... who said shabby can't be attractive!

Have you ever wondered...

2009-04-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

I often wonder just how some of these old junk beauties ended up where they are? I mean some of these cars are to be found in the remotest places! I then get to thinking just why were they abandoned there? I mean - how come?

It's obvious that this Dodge C0ronet was just taken out and shot! :-)

With a working vehicle or a truck I guess sometimes they are left right where they broke down many years previously. If that happened to be in a remote location then that would explain it, but how about the vehicle below?
The panel van looks to be on a small intersection, even the grass has been mown around it!

This Kaiser was possibly parked here before there were any trees at all! I love the way the light falls in this picture, I can almost hear the birdsong in the background.

here's an unusual find. The car on the right looks to have been used as a crash test vehicle of some sort. A strange bedfellow for the old Buick but a great photo.

This one is a typical scene for many old cars that I have seen in England. the two cars are Ford Populars (known as Anglia's in the US) and are 'Popular' (groan!) with the Hot-rod community. Unfortunately this is how most end up. They are bought as a project that never quite gets the time and attention needed, and they end up quietly rotting away.

Which brings me to the next phenomena that seems to haunt the british classic car world. I refer to vehicles that were once sound, but are now increasingly in danger of becoming beyond saving like the Austin Devon shown above.
On occasion cars like these are discovered having apparently sat for many years untouched. One of the most frustrating things about these cars is that should you ask the owner to sell, your offer is declines as he is "Going to restore it someday". So there it remains, until one day when passing you notice it has gone...the scrap man took it!

Barn finds like the old Mercedes above are different in that they have been partially hidden from both the public and the elements. Often they have been totally forgotten about, only coming to light after the death of an elderly relative. There are certainly some beautiful old cars still out there looking to be found.

When taking a walk in the woods who would expect to come across something like this? Perhaps from a distance, if the light was fading, and at the end of a long day you could be forgiven for thinking that you had just seen the ghost of a '38 Buick!

Anthropomorphism!

2009-04-28T01:37:00.001-07:00

I know that I really shouldn't attribute feelings to inanimate lumps of metal but sometimes I come across a photo that seems to suggest just that.
You know that feeling you get when walking through a dog pound? When all the dogs are looking out of their cages, some jump around to greet you, while others quietly observe you with those big 'Please take me home' eyes.
Well that's exactly how I felt when I saw the photograph above!

The 1950 Buick is one of my all time favourite cars, when I see them neglected like this I almost want to set up a jalopy sanctuary to give them a home! LOL!

Or how about this older Buick? She sits there after who knows how many years of neglect, yet to me she still displays a haughty air of grandeur. The 'pose' is that of a grand old dame that quietly longs to be young and beautiful again.

Here's a rare and interesting view from the inside out!

The combination of light and deep blue shadow reflected in the green and orange (rust) colours of this old Olds is a winning combination. She looks to be complete, down to and includind a period sunvisor. This one really would have to come home with me!

Britain in the 1950's

2009-04-25T01:31:00.001-07:00

I was looking on Flikr for interesting photographs when I came across one mans collection of colour photo's from the 1950's and 60's.
They were taken in Britain, and unusually for this era using colour film which was rare and expensive back then. On seeing this collection I was immediately transported back to the England of my childhood!

Contained within the collection there are also photographs captioned 'Americans stationed in England' which show presumably US service personel and their vehicles, they all seem to be enjoying life in England too!
The next few pictures are of US personel and/or their vehicles taken in a snowy winter of the 1950's.

Take a look at the beautiful Buick roadmaster on the right of this photo', to British eyes in the 1950's any American car would appear unbelievably luxurious! The effect these service personel had on sleepy English towns in their Buicks and chevy's would have been similar to a spacecraft landing in your downtown mall today!

Below is a typical English scene of the 50's, quiet town scenes like this are no longer found as today these little towns are packed solid with modern traffic.

I just had to include this one! (below) These 'country pubs', that have been the image many associate with Britain for years still exist, although sadly none are as busy as once they were.

Finally here's a shot of London in the 1950's. The relaxed pace, and the uncongested roads are in strong contrast to the London of today!
The collection of photographs that this small selection came from provided hours of nostalgic viewing. They are much more than photographs, they are a record and social documentation of the changing face of Britain. The fact that they are in full colour adds an extra dimension to them. Truly a fascinating glimpse into the past!

To see Mr. Doveson's complete collection of Britain in colour take this link.

The latest trend.

2009-04-18T03:13:00.001-07:00

The news headlines in the UK are currently full of the governments latest big idea - the introduction of electric vehicles.

Now the more cynical amongst us may well conclude that it is actually a ruse to distract our attention from the usual fare of astoundingly corrupt politicians, the failed economy, and the bankers continued huge bonuses.
The electric vehicle bandwagon was eagerly seized upon by the politician Peter Mandelson (himself previously twice removed from office in disgrace ) who has announced that the government is considering offering a cash sum of £5,000 against anyone willing to go electric.

Now is it just me, or are the current crop of electric vehicles such as the Nissan above rather unappealing? It's not often that I concern myself with modern cars as I much prefer the character and style of a classic, but on occasion I have also looked at a classic and wondered "What were they thinking?"

Case in point would be this 1950 Martin Stationette. For curiosity value alone it has to be preserved but who could honestly imagine wanting to own and drive one back in 1950 when there were so many fabulous makes and models out there?

There followed the charming (but equally ridiculous) Peel Trident (below) which came into being for reasons of fuel economy. Cars such as these speak of an era where the gullible public succumbed to the tax breaks and incentives offered by the government to drive such things, but frankly, thank god there were still the Buick, Pontiac, Chevy etc. drivers back in those days that chose to stay mainstream!

So I guess what I'm saying in this post is that on the odd occasion that I have seen a peculiar looking vehicle in a museum, and have wondered to myself "Who would have wanted such a thing?"
The answer is the same sort of people who would trade in their car today for something like the electric Nissan in the first photo!
If electric cars are the future, then I think they need to advance considerably in design before being touted to the general public as a viable alternative, which is happening in Britain currently. Failing that I have a plan....

Many of the cars from the classic era had a frontal arrangement that gave a happy 'smile', just like the cute little Panhard below.
In fact the Panhard looks like a childs pedal car made large. Perhaps if the British government want to hoodwink the public with their electric car stunt they should make electric cars look like overgrown, smiling pedal cars? At least that way if our politicians do insist on treating us like children, we would then be able to act like them!

Long term parking!

2009-04-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

I came across these pictures on the web and couldn't resist posting them.
This looks like the car park that time forgot...I only wish it was local. I believe it to be in Canada, but how and why they are still there is a mystery?

The road to restoration.

2009-04-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

I've been a little lax on posting just recently due in part to moving home and secondly, well - we have had a spell of reasonable spring weather here in the UK and that has had me outdoors a lot making space for the restoration of my old Citroen 2cv.
Shown above, (in her fetching scrapyard bought white bonnet) my old 2cv has repeatedly, and reliably travelled the length and breadth of the country. She is undaunted by sub zero temperatures, floods, or imperfect road surfaces, and we have grown so fond of this little 'ugly duckling' that it has now become part of the family. She is 22 years old now and in need of a major refit.

Here in Europe the 2cv was a common sight for over four decades. Providing no frills cheap yet reliable transport, and being great fun to drive charming the little Citroen became equally popular with all social groups.
As anyone who has ever owned on will tell you, the main downside is rust,. 2cv's are made of very thin steel and when rust takes hold they are prone to disolve before your very eyes!

Unfortunately my car has also rusted out beyond reasonable repair but I have been lucky enough to find a complete replacement bodyshell that is pretty sound apart from some minor fire damage to the interior (shown below).
The plan is to strip my old bodyshell off, repair or replace various tired components of the running gear, and finally repaint and rebuild the car in time for next summer.

I have never attempted anything like this before, although I have tinkered around with old cars now and then in the past. The work will take around a year, mainly due to costs as I can't affort to go out and buy everything needed for the rebuild at one time.

I have discovered a classic car blogsite that enables me to follow the progress of other classic fans as they rebuild their own cars and post the results, this gives me great encouragement as I love to see old cars saved and restored stage by stage.
The pictures below are of a Triumph sports car currently under restoration by the owner, these are photo's from his own blog.

Check out the other resto-blogs here at 'my classic car restoration'

I'm back!... with more rust-art!

2009-04-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well after the enforced break due to moving home I am now back posting rusty items! Today my post is about rust art with a difference... as I came across a German old car fan that makes these great dioramas in miniature.
Check out the old woody in the photographs above, the rust, the worn and faded patina of the paint, and the attention to detail are fantastic. In fact such is this guys attention to detail that he even includes the little bits of trash that often gathers around old wrecks, old maps or magazines are left inside on the cab floor...even mice droppings!
I also like the way he drapes the cars in old tarpaulin sheeting, as if they were once intended for restoration but never quite made it.

The BMW boxer twin above is great - just like several that I have owned... notice the beer bottle! I also like how in the next pictures he has created a scrap heap by piling the bike up against this 'Bubblecar' of the 1950's.

Each individual diorama stands on it's own wooden plinth which is then strewn with anything from engine blocks to beer crates, all in scale. The time and effort spent weathering and texturing these cars really gives them a realistic appearance, so now that I'm settled into my new home I can see myself becoming a regular buyer of this work, maybe I'll build up a whole junkyard of the things lol!

If you would like to see more of this artists work take a look at his ebay site HERE, it's in German but an English translation is provided lower down the page. His prices are very reasonable too considering the amount of work and the uniqueness of these items.
Amazing work.

Short break, back soon.

2009-03-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

I'll be unable to post after today for around a week or so due to moving home. As soon as I get moved into the new place and my internet connection is established I'll be adding new posts as usual. For now I'll leave you with another example of beautiful decay (above) and something that made me smile from way back in 1949! (Below)

See you again very soon!

Messerschmitt Micro cars.

2009-03-13T08:17:00.001-07:00

I touched upon the subject of the fuel crisis that hit Europe in the 1950's in an earlier post on this blog, and, well here is a car that was born perhaps as a result of that crisis.
The painting above is a watercolour sketch that I did of one of the most unusual cars of the period, The Messerschmitt. As the name suggests this vehicle was made by the same company that a decade earlier had been producing the fighter aircraft that roamed the skies of Europe. Once hostilities ceased however, both the Messerschmitt and Heinkel aircraft factories turned to producing small fuel efficient micro cars.

As can be seen from the brochure the Germans - as always approached the task of design with the utmost ingenuity, the cabin of the KR200 (Kabinroller 200cc) had a front and back in line seating design in which the passenger climbs in behind the driver...exactly as in an aircraft!
Note too the design of the steering wheel, although I'd hesitate to call that a wheel!

Again echoing its fighter plane heritage the Messerschmitt's plexiglass canopy was hinged sideways and opened to allow the 'pilots' to enter and exit. A small 200cc two stroke power unit drove the little fighter along briskly enough, and most importantly delivered astronomical MPG figures which were a real selling point to post war fuel starved Europe.

Oops! Painting causes controversy!

2009-03-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Over the centuries it has been standard practice for artists to study other artists work, and the practice of copying paintings has long been accepted as part of the artistic process. A painting that is painted 'after' someone simply means that it is a copy, and not intended to represent the real thing...which would of course be forgery!

The painting above is by a Scottish painter by the name of Peter Howson, an artist I greatly admire and would dearly love to own one of his works. His subject matter and technique are dark, and brooding which as a painter myself this fascinates me... so much so that I decided to paint a copy after Howson in order to investigate his technique.
First of all I began with a smaller blank canvas than the original so that there could be no chance of it ever being passed of as an original, I used a cotton canvas where Howson uses linen, and merrily painted away for a day or two to achieve the finished painting. (Below) It was a technical exercise, nothing more.

Well my wife hated it! She wanted to know why I or anyone else would want to own such an 'ugly' painting! (How do you argue with a woman's logic?) After a time defending it, I eventually gave in and she decided to put the canvas on her ebay to 'get rid of it'.

It was listed unambiguously as a copy, and priced for just about the cost of the materials used to paint it. I even included a link to the art gallery that sold the original painting (which sold for 100+ times my asking price!) thus generating them additional web traffic.
Imagine my surprise then when I was contacted by the owner of the gallery that sold the original who objected to my selling the canvas! Not only did (she?) object, but threatened legal action if I didn't remove the work immediately!

"i own the original of this painting and i am a director of the Art Company Scotland that you have provided a link to in your listing. You are infringing copyrite laws and unless the listing comes off with immediate effect we will instruct legal action.

- nicola-mac"

See this link and read the comments in full below the listing.

It seems to me that the Art Gallery Scotland or whatever it is they are called need to take a little time to think how pathetic they have made themselves appear with this, after all my intent was merely to offer the painting to someone else who might appreciate it, but it seems that no amount of money and profit are enough for this gallery.

Of course if I have unwittingly infringed copyright, or 'Copyrite' as this big time art dealer spells it, I should apologise and remove the item, which I would then sell by other means so what's the difference I wonder?

Mood and lighting

2009-03-08T15:10:00.001-07:00

Continuing the theme of beautiful decay today I'd like to add another dimension.
I've spoken before about seeing beauty in the unlikely forms of rusting old vehicles, and about looking at the shapes and colours in an abstract way.
The V.W. above makes an excellent 'Rust canvas' and includes that winning colour combination of blue and rust. When you add to that a little worn texture in the flaking paint for me it's a winner both as a photograph or as the inspiration for a painting.

So we've established the VW photo would make a good painting, but the 'head on' composition, combined with the even lighting tends to flatten out the appearance of what is actually a very curvy car.
To add a little depth and mystery to our rust art we need to employ some visual tricks using shadow, this will then enable us to create several effects that add interest to a painting.
In the image above the chrome on this old beauty sparkles in the sunlight, and the dark background enhances that sparkle making it appear brighter and more dramatic.

In the example above shadow has been used to even greater advantage, the strong light and shade of the picture describe the 'pattern' of the composition, while the hot colours of orange and yellow tell us that the sun is strong. The foil to all this heat is, once again our old friend the blue which describes the patterns of reflected light in the headlamp.

This next one I like a lot. It's very difficult to achieve a sense of heat and dryness in a painting using a very restricted warm palette, almost always there has to be some cool colour in there to balance out the warmth.
In painting terms 'warm' colours are broadly speaking those we associate with the sun, so reds, oranges and yellows, while 'cool' colours are those of blue, green, and purple hues.

In the picture above the photographer has managed to include all of my 'Holy grail' requirements for good rust art. There is the close up composition that has been cropped down to remove the extraneous detail, the interesting shapes made by the fall of light, the deep, dark shadows which add a sense of depth and mystery, and last but not least the texture of the worn metal and paint.
Notice how there is a subtle hint of cool green/blue in the burnished steel of the repair, added to which an almost imperceptible blue in the lens of the headlight, these are the 'cool' colours needed to bring a little relief from all that hot, stuffy orange!

This final picture has some fantastic elements, the eye starts out at left captured at once by the strong colour and contrast, it's almost as if your eye has to adjust to the light as it would in real life before it can then explore the shadow.
The cool colours in the shadow consist of the green of the trucks original paintwork, some purple along the wing (fender) and once again the tiniest touch of blue on top of the headlamp bezel and in the lens. The more practice that you have at actually looking for these juxtapositions of light and shade, and warm and cool in a picture the more easily it becomes to know what would make an attractive, lively, and 'beautiful decay' painting!

Let's meet the owners!

2009-03-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

I've not been posting as much as usual because I'm packing up ready to move house at the moment. But while I have a little time free I decided to include some photographs not only of those classy old cars of yesteryear but also their owners.

In previous posts I have mentioned that upon seeing any abandoned old jalopies my mind always wanders who once owned it and what might they have looked like? The cars histories are also the story of the lives, trials and tribulations of ordinary folk. They were real lives, that were lived in more innocent, simpler times.

I don't know any of the people in these shots, they are photographs widely available on the internet that just happen to give us a window in time, a picture of the faces of those who once owned the jalopies of today! The note that came with the above photo tells us that this was 'Minnie', from Fort Stockton Texas. The car is a Nash Metropolitan.

This dashing young fella' resplendent in his riding boots was photographed in the snows of Victor Colorado, date unknown.

The couple above have a 55 Chevy and pose with a much older (Ford?) car, the horn rimmed spectacles worn by the woman are typical 1950's!

I have no details on this one, possibly during the 1940's when these two ladies were frozen for all time on the front of their convertible.
The little girl below will now be approaching retirement! I love the combination of old cars and sunshine!

A European flavour to this photograph, (above) the car is a French Renault 4cv complete with fashionable-on-the-continent white-wall tyres. I don't recognise the registration as French so maybe this is an export model.

The car in the photo above is a Holden, which means Australia. The two occupants are posed in study of what seems to be a bottle of beer each!

Not many owners faces in this shot but I included it because it was taken in New York, I have written earlier about the brilliant NY painter Miro Sinovcic
So how cool would it be to see a vintage New York scene such as this painted in Miro's unique and fascinating style. I hope one day that he tries something along these lines for those of us with nostalgia in our veins!

Once again no names to put to the faces, but the 49 Buick is one of my favourite cars and here one is shown 'back in the day' with it's proud owner.
The couple below are a curious pair, I'm not sure where or when this was taken but it sure is an interesting shot.

The caption on the pic' above read "Another victim of the Petrol pill scam". It refers to a con where people were sold a pill that supposedly turned water into petrol. Obviously it didn't work!

That pill may just be a tall tale, which leads me nicely into another bunch of guys famed for their tall tales...Fishermen! LOL. No such tales of the 'one that got away' here though as their trusty old car is used as a backdrop to display the days catch.

A burst of colour now as a group of soldiers embark on a road trip, the year is 1956.
Below, a British Norton motorcycle.

I'll end this post as I began, with the ladies. For every man that owned, drove and maintained the family car there was a woman that often added a homely touch. I have seen home made cushions in the back seat, small vases containing flowers attached to the dash, rugs and blankets to keep the kids warm on long winter journeys, all were the province of the lady of the house, these last two photographs show the faces of those unsung heroes god bless 'em!

Rust art in Situ.

2009-03-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

GREEN DOOR
Those of you that have followed my blog thus far will know that in previous posts I have championed the aesthetic qualities of rusty old cars. I'm not alone in this of course, and there are plenty of artists out there using similar subject matter to create art, what I want to do however is make 'Rustart' mainstream!

My vision for this idea has developed to a point that I can now illustrate exactly what I mean using a series of digital pictures of my 'paintings' here in situ.
When I paint those small images of rusty old cars on modest little canvases, they are done more or less on a whim as I enjoy painting the small, intimate scenes. I take great pleasure in fondly recreating the days of old, or the abandoned wrecks of today, yet such paintings are only really of interest to the old car buff, or automotive collector, which is a pretty specialised market that already has many artists that supply excellent work.

The new stuff that I am proposing is different, it is as attractive to the modern, minimalist home owner as it is to the dyed-in-the-wool enthusiast, it's larger, and it can add a splash of colour to a subtly shaded area to bring that space to life
Often on this blog I have mentioned that should an image of a rusty old car door be hung in a London or New York gallery it would (in my humble opinion) easily equal some of the paintings that they currently stock. As 'modern art' goes I'm not that keen, preferring naturalistic painting, but I do appreciate the juxtaposition of colours that can create a stunning visual impact.

These new paintings will not only depart from my usual subject matter, but will also move away from the smooth surface that I usually achieve, to a more rough, and crusted paint application more in keeping to the subjects texture. The owner of one of these new paintings will not only see the rust in all its colourful wonder, but actually see the ridges and ruts of the painted surface that echo the form of the image.

I notice today that many folks like to adorn their homes with great colourful splashes on canvas, this creates a focal point, and often (as below) sets the mood for the interior decor rather than matching it. My aim therefore is to offer a similar type of work with one exception... each and every one will be painted from a genuine part of an old jalopy!

The painting below is shown reproduced as a print, thus bringing 'rustart' to the masses! lol.

So there we are. Regular readers may be able to track my progress with these new paintings, although there are quite a few technical issues that I will have to confront and overcome during the production of them.
What do you guys think? Is there a future for bits of rusty wrecks as art? Would old cars become popular again? Am I totally crazy?... all opinions and comments welcome!

Built to last.

2009-02-28T10:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a funny thing. I don't know if it's just me, but sometimes I have a chain of thought that works it's way backwards... Ok here I'll give you an example.

I originally intended to do today's post on cars made in 1949 to mark their 60th anniversary, and of course because many of my favourite models were introduced in '49! What happened next set that reverse chain of thought in action to bring forth this post that is the result.

So here's how it works. On my last post on the old Ford that had been stored for many years I said that I'd rather have an original car than a restored example, mainly due to the authenticity and 'honesty' of a nicely patinated vehicle.
I then got to thinking of the oldies that I have owned and the stories they could tell if only they could talk. I've mentioned before how I tend to wonder who owned them, and what their stories were? I look at the curves of the bodywork and chrome finishings and can easily imagine the original owner back in the 1940/50's running a polishing cloth along them.

I get to wonder where those cars have visited in their long lifetimes? When I take a trip in an old car to a different city I find myself wondering "has this car been here before perhaps?...maybe back in the 1950's?"

As the thinking regresses further, (and here's the thing about 'all original' rather than restored cars) when dismantling some part for maintenance I feel a direct connection with the last guy to turn that nut over half a century ago...which then gets me wondering who he was too!

Well below are a set of great photographs that go some way to answering that question by showing the faces of who built those old 'Jellymould Jalopies'.
This first photograph shows a fella working on a Buick Eight, it may just be my eyes but the guy in the background looks like his brother!

These next ones show the production line in full flow, the year is 1950 as the cars wear that wonderful 'Chrome waterfall' grille.

Here we have three more shots of those beautiful old cars on their way to completion and then on to the GM showroom windows!

Of course every factory has its managers, ensuring good quality control and consistent output, then, like today they had offices that overlooked the factory shop floor from where they kept an eye on things.

And finally, the guys that made it all possible! The next time I ponder who it was that turned the nut tight that I am about to undo, maybe I can picture these old timers faces and give a little nod of appreciation for the work they did. Notice the sign 'Don't run to the clock' LOL...some things never change!

Well so long all you old timers, you did a great job back then, and as testimony to the craftsmanship you put into your cars there are examples still around despite many years of neglect.

1946 Ford

2009-02-27T16:49:00.001-08:00

When it comes down to originality there's a lot to be said for buying a car that hasn't been used that much. Personally I would rather own an original car than a restored one, which is why todays post features this lovely old '46 Ford Coupe.

Now here's a cute old girl that has just seen light of day after many a year in storage. In fact, this car has spent so much time in storage that despite the faded paint job it's practically new.
Take a look at the speedo' below...now that's a rare find!

Yep, you guessed it I've been looking on ebay motors again lol! I have decided to prolong my agony by watching how much this one eventually sells for, as a good solid base for some light restoration they don't come much better.

The photo's show a good straight car from any angle, and this car is rock solid...I mean amazingly solid as the photo's of the underside show.

This is just one of several good underbody shots of this car, the interior is also complete and in good shape including the period accessories such as this heater! It all seems hardly worn, just the surface rust from condensation during those long years in storage.

I know that the US has a large custom and hot rod fraternity and they do make some great stuff out of old wrecks, but I hope that this one goes to a new owner that will clean her up, maybe a have paint job and put her back to original stock appearance.

However tempting it might be to customise this one I think it would be a shame as it's rare to find anything this good and complete. For more photo's see the auction listing here.

If I could buy it I'd be tempted to have a top class repaint and let the old girl settle into light use on sunny Sundays and for show days. This would be just about the oldest 'new' car around!

Portraits in rust and colour!

2009-02-26T05:05:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic image this is! The capture of light, the colour, and of course the subject matter (I may be a little biased here lol) all combine to make a photograph that describes perfectly the title of this blog...Beautiful Decay!
And here below is proof positive that others see these things that way too. I'm afraid I don't know the name of artist but I love what he's done with this old Pontiac, how cool is that? My wife thinks I'm crazy, but for me I could put a painting like this up right there in my living room - no problem.

Here's another that would pass as a large canvas. I can't name the make or model of car but it looks to be from the Mopar fold, sure makes nice rust-art!

Next up is an old truck that has rusted into that great combination of colour, texture, and interesting shapes. I mentioned in an earlier post the colour vibrations that occur when orange (rust) and blue are juxtaposed in a canvas, well here the blue has been pushed to a darker shade and the rust becomes almost brown...but still the effect works!

Of course even on a white car there are still many possibilities to include colour. Obviously the first thing to notice is that the white paint has aged and rust has come through giving both additional colour and texture.
White is an amazing 'colour' in that there is no colour to white! Therefore it takes its hues from its surrounding objects, this gives us a wide scope to include almost any colour combination that appeals when painting a white object. Look closely at the car below and in addition to the orange/brown of the rust, it's possible to make out the cool blue of the shadows and even a greenish hue around the lights and fittings. This latter green may be the result of the white picking up colour from the grass that the vehicle most likely sits on.

When looking at highly reflective objects such as the chrome, well here again just like white paint chrome also takes its colour from surrounding objects. The chrome here looks to be a deep blue, and that's because it is reflecting, and therefore taking its colour from the sky above it.

This old split screen VW makes another interesting shot. I often say that such things could be put on canvas as is and look great, but for this one I think if I were painting it then it would need a little red in there, maybe some red flowers? The reason for the red is that artists use certain principles to create colourful paintings, as I have already described by the action of blue and orange a painting creates a certain harmony, so it is true of green and red. They are actually opposites on the 'colour wheel' and need to be handled carefully in the same painting, but I feel a splash of red would enliven the old bug above.

Sometimes in order to see the beauty in something it's better no to look at the whole.
Take the photo above which is the usual type of photo that I've been posting here. The Pontiac sits in undergrowth surrounded by leaves and brush and it's obvious that it has been there for quite a while.
Although this image attracts me because of both the subject matter and the decay, if I were to make a painting of this scene then I would take out some of the image to leave what is seen below.

The reason for doing this is that it focuses, and concentrates the eye on the most interesting part of the image. Here you have all the colours, curves, rust, and texture of the bigger picture in a more concentrated form. The viewer will still see that the subject matter is a 1950's Pontiac that is in some 'distress', and that the image contains all the colours and textures that existed in the large version.
Even this image could be cropped further. Imagine a horizontal line that starts just above what we Brits call the 'overider' (fitted on the bumper to the right of the picture) going right across the canvas it would nicely dovetail into the top curve of the rear fender at left.

What you're left with here is just the essence of the larger image we started with, all unnecessary detail has been removed to create something a little stronger in both composition and impact! Now -compare this last incarnation of the Pontiac to the tall image that we began with and see if you can notice how much there was in the original that we didn't really need. This smaller, more compressed image still tells us everything that we need to know and feel about this car!

This last image may have been posted before, I get so exited when I find them that I forget when and where they were last used! LOL.

Now I like this picture as it is, I like the colour, I love the texture of the painted metal, and the abstract shapes of the strong light and shadow. With the advent of home computers todays artists have an absolute treasure store of image making or manipulating equipment. Where once I would have to laboriously draw and colour sketch several compositions and colour schemes to find one that I was happy with, now I can cut, crop, rotate and adjust at will in a matter of moments so that when I finally get the image I'm looking for I'm all set to paint!

Miro Sinovcic

2009-02-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while while surfing the net I come across an artist that was previously unknown to me but instantly makes an impression. This is what happened when I discovered the work of Miro Sinovcic.

Miro's paintings of New York are so evocative of the atmosphere of the place, using amazingly beautiful bold colours, combined with an impressionistic technique, his street scenes look how I would imagine they would if you were to squint your eyes!

There are many more examples on his website, just click on the small row of images to enlarge them. Taxi's, or 'Yellow Cabs' feature in many paintings as above, and Miro captures the movement of the vehicles perfectly.

The atmospheric twilight world in which many of the paintings are set are also occasionally balanced out by superb daytime scenes where wintry sunlight sparkles, you can almost feel the cold!

I am always happy to find 'new' artists as they each give a unique perspective on how they view the world, I am particularly pleased to find Miro's website as he is the only living artist that I know of that comes close to matching one of my favourite artists Edouard Cortes. Click the link to Cortes work to compare and see what I mean.

Period photo's

2009-02-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about the internet is the willingness of people to share photographs.
The one above was taken in Lincoln Nebraska in 1942, the line up of wonderful old cars shown is really something.
Quite often family owned photo's that would never otherwise have come to light are found also. I have no knowledge of who those folks are in the photo's below other than the first one was taken in Chicago of the 1950's.

I'm a huge Buick fan so the one above caught my eye immediately! I think it's fantastic to see those old cars as they were 'back in the day' like this, as today we are more accustomed to seeing them as forgotten, rusting hulks.

Not sure where this dealership was but oh how I'd like to be able to walk right in there now! Even the Chevy parked outside looks new.

It's hard to imagine that the lady above would perhaps be in her 90's now, and the kid's playing in the snow below will now have grandchildren!
Old photo's, especially those in colour tend to bring home how quickly time passes, and how all too soon we too will be just a memory on someone's photograph. It must be part of the wisdom that comes with age, but I find that the older I get the less time I tend to waste...be happy!

More beautiful decay!

2009-02-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

A few more great examples of how old vehicles can corrode into works of art.
The patchwork quality of the car above reminds me of an old Bedspread quilt that I used to have as a kid!
The truck in the photograph below is shown in the searing heat of summer, it's really strange that the composition bears some resemblance to a painting that I did some years back. I have the feeling that this is one of those examples of life imitating art.

I was attracted to paint the old Dodge below because of the variety of different colours which had shown themselves as the paint became worn away by the weather. I did the sky an unusually deep blue to try and give the impression of the hot, dry summer, perhaps in the mid west.

The next four pic's are artfully taken photographs that use the rust and texture of the metal as the subject matter. Notice how the orange of rust seems to burn when set against the deep blue sky, always a good combination for creating drama in a painting or photograph.

The car below is more modern than I usually feature, (it's a Volkswagen from the 1970's) but I couldn't resist posting the photo as another example of how rust and blue combine to look attractive.

The old door above fits my category of it 'Could be a canvas', makes me think that maybe I'm going to paint a couple like this and see how they turn out.
The door below has absolutely no decay whatsoever, but what a beautiful image! Notice again how the cool blue of the car makes the orangey red reflected in the chrome burn like fire - Superb!

Finally for today, I came across this newspaper article on the net and can truly understand where that guy is coming from. Like me he has a passion for those old wrecks from the past and thinks that they should be preserved...we'll miss 'em when they're gone! Click on the images to get them large enough to read the article (hopefully).

A moment of weakness.

2009-02-18T11:19:00.001-08:00

I have a confession to make. It happened today and it's the usual thing, my wife was out and I was alone surfing the net. One time a couple of years back she came home early and caught me viewing this particular website, I was at the time biting my knuckles with pleasure at the sight of so much beauty, and reaching for my credit card...she came in just in time to save me a lot of money!

Well my confession is that today I weakened, I went right back to that site and drooled over the curvy shapes on offer.... and the site?... well it's ebay motors of course! :-)
I found this '51 Chevy deluxe, a California car very straight and with no rust at only $4000. I didn't buy it of course as it's several thousand miles and two oceans away from the UK, but I can dream!

There was also this '50/51 I forget which Pontiac on offer, I'm not keen on brown cars but I could be tempted into brown ownership by this beauty.

Then there was this 1950 Ford, this was top notch condition wise and cleaner than a factory fresh example. I don't recall the asking price but even in these 'credit crunch' times cars such as this must command a good price.

This 51 Caddy series 61 looks sooo classy! With a low genuine mileage and in superb order I could picture myself cruising around in this one quite easily. I don't know the correct name for the colour but I like it, suits the car well.

There's also a '54 Bel-air for sale that is absolutely drop dead gorgeous, I've taken just a couple of snippets here to tantalise you with LOL!

But for the last car I'm about to mention I have posted no picture. This car should come with a health warning, something like ' Viewers are likely to gnaw their knuckles' (again) so only click on the link if:-

A/ You are a fan of 50's American metal
B/ You are not currently drinking coffee at your monitor
C/ Your wife has your credit card 'kept safe' ... don't say I didn't warn you! :-)

Magazine cover art.

2009-02-18T01:40:00.000-08:00

In addition to the old cars of the mid 20th century I also like to collect the work of the illustrators of the period. Take a look at the cover art painting above - how cool is that!

The term 'Illustrator' often has the attached stigma of commercialism, therefore the view has been that illustrators are not 'true' artists - well that's bunk! Before the advent of today's computer graphics, even before photography became the norm for use in ads, we had a range of talented artists working on a range of magazines.

I collect any type of cover art from those times, anything from the old pulp fiction detective genre, up to, and especially the motoring related topics. Here are a few covers that contain old vehicles of one type or another!

Great 'Shoebox' Ford below.

Although this last one (below) is on a a back cover it still features the kind of artwork that I like to collect, that open car door looks so inviting! LOL!

More beautiful decay!

2009-02-16T14:21:00.001-08:00

The original caption on this photo remarks that this truck is quite a way from the nearest town, how it got there, and where the rest of it went is something that isn't easily explained!

This old Buick seems to wear a defiant grimace. Over half a century of weather and neglect have certainly taken their toll, but the old girl isn't gonna' give up just yet.

This one could be one of a number of curvy makes or models of the 'jellymould' period, looks good as 'rust art' too!

Wow!

Imagine these two rusty panels hung as large canvases in a New York or London gallery, the artist would be hailed as a genius and sell for tens of thousands!

NASH - Then and now.

2009-02-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

The above scene shows a used car lot specialising in Nash automobiles, just take a look at the hi-res version of the photo above by clicking on it...it's amazing!
During the course of this blog I have often used term 'Jellymould' to describe the shape of those old cars that attract me the most. I do believe that what we Brits refer to as 'Jelly' is known as 'jello' in the states, but I'm sure my American readers understand the reference.

This leads me nicely to the Nash range of the late 1940's and early 50's, no other car can quite so aptly be described as a 'jellymould' shape as these old Airflytes!

The cars were presented as modern and streamlined, true cars of the jet age!

Throughout the USA there were large well lit showrooms where the customer could browse the latest Nash range. The pictures below give an idea of the relaxed atmosphere as potential customers try before they buy. boot (trunk) lids are opened, driver and passenger doors are opened and closed again to hear that satisfying thud that a heavy door makes on closing, seats are sat upon and legroom tested.

Once the model had been decided upon the customer would then perhaps look through the accessories catalogue, choosing everything from the paint colour, interior trim style, or any of the many options available in the catalogue.

Once again I will compare and contrast those products of yesteryear with a glimpse of how they fare today. The shots below come from a variety of sources and locations, the cars have all been neglected in the extreme...some even given up for dead, but to me they are just as appealing today as they ever were.
Quite apart from the snowbound example lower down, I feel that every one of those curvy beauties could be recommissioned and brought back to life without breaking the bank. The quality of steel used to build them, combined with the over engineering of components on most cars from the 'jellymould' era sure make them weather and stand the test of time without crumbling to dust!

Sure the restoration would be hard work but I can't put a price of the feeling of owning something special, and that of rescuing a still serviceable vehicle to serve on, and to once more become an object of joy.

And what's more, these Nash cars have a happy friendly 'face'. Yes I know that most people would consider me nuts for saying something like that but go on take a look below!
There are few cars on the road today that can tempt me to glance back after just parking up, they don't have the same connection to the emotions as something like this does. And not only would I glance back if I owned and drove a Nash Airflyte, but I would smile one of those big easy smiles that only ever stem from contentment.

Cars of the stars.

2009-02-13T04:35:00.001-08:00

Ok, so we've all seen it at some time or other, that old jalopy rusting away in the undergrowth. But have you ever stopped to think about the history that could be attached to that sorry looking hulk? Well for me any old car from the 1930's through to the 1950's must have some stories to tell, if only they could talk!
I have said before that I consider that period to be the 'Golden age' of automotive design and I got to thinking that if, back in those days I happened to be rich and famous and therefore able to drive whatever I liked what would it be?

Well here's one answer from movie Rita Hayworth. Back in 1941, she chose to drive this superb Lincoln Continental in powder blue. There are a couple of shots around of her posing with the car, but the one below in colour shows how amazing that car looked back then...not to mention Ms. Hayworth!

Below we see Joan Crawford in her 1938 Lincoln model K, quite a site to see and a sure traffic stopper!

This next photo (above) shows Marlena Dietrich with Gary Cooper, the cars shown here weren't their own though as this is a movie still from 1936. Below is the 35 Cadillac that was personally owned by Dietrich at that time.

One must assume that the fabulously rich and famous inhabitants of Hollywood in it's heyday were just as apt to seek out the 'latest thing' as their modern day counterparts. This might mean that they changed their cars quite frequently, or possibly that they owned several different models at the same time. Whichever it was, given a thirty year period, the law of averages says that some of those rusting hulks out there were once owned by Movie stars!

Below, Gary Cooper with his beautiful 1950 Mercury, is this car a 'leadsled' perhaps today?

Now while the first photo of this post might have had the guys of the 1940's wolf whistling at Rita Haywarth, here's a couple of pic's of a guy that had the ladies swooning all over the world - Clark Gable.
In the photo above he is pictured in what I believe is a '35 Deusenberg, while below he poses with his 1933 ford V8 'Speedster'.

Another 'leading man', this time Cary Grant in what looks to be a 1930's Cord...where is it now I wonder!

Can anyone guess who the guy above is? The photo shows Johnny Weismuller with his 1932 Chevrolet. Younger readers might not recall that Weismuller was the original 'Tarzan', and if you've ever heard the 'Tarzan call' then this is the gentleman that originated that!

Finally, perhaps the most famous of the Hollywood lotharios, here's Errol Flynn aboard his beautiful '35 Auburn speedster.
Now you have to ask yourself this, did all those cars go to museums? - Not really likely, so they are (or were) out there somewhere. And it isn't just the exotic Cords and Deusenbergs that that we might happen across (if we were very lucky) because as the photo of Gary Cooper's Merc shows, 'ordinary' cars had famous owners too.

So next time you see an old or abandoned wreck from those far off days, just pause a little and picture the scene - the car is brand new, factory fresh and gleaming in the early evening sun, the driver in his natty suit and hat reaches in his pocket for the keys, and in the passenger seat may well have travelled a Hollywood starlet!

Original Artworks

2009-02-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

Before I begin today's blog I'd just like to offer my sympathy to the folks in Australia who are suffering the worst natural disaster in that nations history. At the last count the death toll was 131 people and rising, my thoughts are with them and may the worst be over.

I've been real busy today so I'll keep the post short by including four original period artworks. These are the actual paintings done for manufacturers to include in their brochures!

The Artist who did these all those years ago was Steven Pojanski 1923 - 1997 - hope you like 'em!

More French Barn finds!

2009-02-07T03:17:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the blog I wrote a little about the amount of old cars that seem to be populating the rural areas of France. Tucked away in barns, or quietly rusting in fields and hedges old cars are to be found almost anywhere when you are 'tuned in' to spot them.

The Citroen 2cv is of course the archetypal French car of the post war era, with a production run of several million that spanned forty years, it's no surprise that they still keep cropping up in farmers barns on a regular basis!

In recent years many Brit's have bought second homes in France, or indeed moved out there to live permanently, and I know of at least one person who 'inherited' an old 2cv this way, it simply came with the house!

When the 2cv was introduced in 1948 it was hailed as an 'Umbrella on wheels' which referred to its utilitarian nature as cars just didn't get more basic than the 2cv. Yet these little cars sold like hot cakes, there was a waiting list of over a year for the first model as farmers and lower income families gave up the horse and cart they used as daily transport in favour of these tough little cars.

I have one of these cars, and have owned several 2cv's over the past decade or so and I really can't stress enough what fun they are to own!
Their almost supernatural reliability is also something that never fails to amaze!
Recently I was out driving in my 2cv when a Taxi driver pulled alongside (blocking all traffic in doing so) he just had to tell me that he had one too - back home in Greece. He said that he hadn't been home for three years and the 2cv stood outside in his garden, but he fully expected the car to start right up on his return as it has done every two years or so when he visits home!

It's quite amazing that with the probable exception of the car in the very first photo, with nothing more than the addition of fresh petrol and a new battery the likelihood is that all of the cars shown here could be driven!
I have witnessed such finds being started up for the first time in years and the faces of the onlookers vary from total amazement and disbelief, to the wry knowing smile and nod of the head of the enthusiast.

The car above and below are typical of the type of find that are common. Mostly complete they are easily restorable, and thanks to a network of clubs and specialist dealers virtually every single replacement part is available for the Citroen 2cv.

A new fashion has also developed among the younger owners, and that is to drive the cars 'as is' meaning that once the mechanical and safety aspects have been checked and maintained the car is put right back into service with often an entire patina of surface rust!

The above car is an example of this, no shiny paint job here just good old 'honest' patina showing the life and times of the cars history. I quite like this approach, but only if steps are taken to prevent further deterioration of course.
Many of the photographs here were taken from the French site 'LeBoncoin' which is a little like a classified ads site, it's all in French naturally, so unfortunately I can't make out much of the wording in the ad's but I like to browse through those old Citroen 2cv's from time to time and check out the new discoveries!

A foggy day in London town.

2009-02-05T01:36:00.000-08:00

In addition to finding beauty in decay, I also find foggy days can render even the most ordinary sight into something appealing yet swathed in mystery.
The London fogs of the 1950's are legendary for their severity and here I show a more artistic and lesser appreciated side of the fog. These photo's are genuine colour footage of those days and the vehicles, here in daily use are now long gone.

Londoners used to call these fogs 'Pea-soupers'. The reason for this is that they were so thick and often had a greenish tint due to pollution in the air that they resembled a thick pea soup!

It may be hard to imagine in these pollution conscious days but most of these photographs were taken during daylight! I can clearly remember those days when daylight became darkness due to the mixture of fog and pollution, when venturing outdoors it was the usual thing to wrap a scarf around the mouth and nose to prevent ingestion of the thick, damp, yellow air.

Those that didn't protect themselves in this way would often end up with bronchial complaints due to breathing in the 'pea soup'.

In this photo and the one below you can clearly see the circular object to the top right of the picture...that is the sun not the moon!
Fogs like this lasted right through until the 1960's when the clean air bill was passed and many areas were forbidden to use coal as a fuel for their domestic heating. Combined with the growing use of gas fires to heat homes the 'pea soupers' were finally consigned to the past with great benefit to personal health - and road safety!

Note the guy above riding his motorcycle without a helmet, without lights and in fog, today's health and safety motoring measures would have a nervous breakdown at this! LOL
Notice too the old streetlamps, they were leftover from the Victorian period and were originally gas lights, by the 1950's however they had been converted to electricity and gave off a lovely soft glow when lit.

The overhead cables seen in this shot were for the 'Trolley-buses' which were similar to a big red London bus but ran on electricity from the overhead power supply. The black and white stripes on the traffic lights also served to make them more visible in poor conditions.

Despite the many health advantages of today's clean air part of me misses those old fogs. There was something truly magical, and quite romantic about those old streets swathed in thick fog where often the passenger in a vehicle had to get out and guide the driver along the road!

I'm not the first artist to find British fog and murky weather appealing of course, a century before the Victorian artist John Atkinson Grimshaw was painting similar scenes filled with beautiful gaslight.

Although one shouldn't lament the passing of those fogs purely on health or safety grounds, I have to admit to feeling a tinge of sadness at the loss of the visual poetry purveyed in soft edged in light and shade that was provided by them.

More snow!

2009-02-02T03:54:00.000-08:00

As Britain wakes up to find itself covered in a blanket of thick snow, and the news channels tell us that this is the heaviest snowfall for eighteen years I thought I'd post the painting above to remind us of times past. It's hard to imagine coping with sub zero temperatures back then with only single speed wipers and no heater!
I therefore dedicate this painting to those intrepid motorists of the 40's and 50's.

Next up here's a little something I came across on the web. Those of you that saw my recent Ted Polomis post are forgiven for thinking that this is another of his paintings - it isn't though this is the real deal. Just the sort of antique toy that I'd love to own.

The colours on this old caddy also caught my eye, they seem to stand out well against the monotone background beautiful decay indeed! Finally, below is a photo that could also become a desktop image, I really like the juxtaposition of light and rusty truck LOL.

New for 1955 Chevrolet.

2009-01-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

One of the great things I like about American auto ad's of the 40's and 50's is the names given to some of the different aspects of the cars.
For example we have already seen on these pages those beautiful 'Futuramic' Oldsmobiles fitted with 'Rocket' engines and 'Hydraglide' transmissions, I love the use of those names!

New for '55 this 'Motoramic' Chevy was fitted with the all new 'Turbofire' engine, while it's 'Glideride' and 'Outrigger' suspension took care of comfort, it also has something called 'Blueflame' but didn't quite catch what that does!

A trip to France.

2009-01-30T15:45:00.000-08:00

Just recently my partner and I have been house hunting in our nearest European neighbour-France.
There are many reasons behind the desire to leave England but relocating to France wasn't the obvious choice! Especially as neither of us speak the language, and due to this we have always found the French rather aloof!
On our many trips over there though, one of the things I did notice about France is that they certainly have their share their old cars, and after meeting many 'ordinary' French people we learned that it is simply necessary to forget any preconceptions of national traits and you will find a people as interested, and enthusiastic about old cars and life in general as any.

To a Brit used to the small dimensions of his own land the European continent appears huge, and the French have one of, if not the largest land mass in western Europe. The one thing that the visitor does notice (especially if he/she is an old car nut) is that in France they seem to put their old or disused vehicles out to grass - a little like old horses! LOL!

With a keen eye it's possible to find some very rare cars, trucks, buses, or just about anything out there... hidden in bushes or standing in fields it's a true classic fans paradise. The French seem to keep hold of their old vehicles so often they are to be seen lying around the grounds of the home, deteriorating slowly into patterns of rust.

These are some of the paintings that I did of vehicles found 'in the wild', I'm sorry for the poor quality of the photographs but the paintings were sold before I could get more than a snapshot each.

The Bond Minicar.

2009-01-29T00:45:00.000-08:00

During the mid 1950's Britain became involved in military action in the middle east (sound familiar?) in what became known as the 'Suez crisis'.
The upshot for the many motorists at home was a scarcity of fuel, with many garages running dry.
Since the end of WWII there had been a number of attempts to create small, fuel efficient cars in Europe and the UK, many seemed hopelessly inadequate even for the most cost cautious of motorists, and some were downright dangerous. One company that did thrive however was the Bond company

The mini-car came as a four seater, (though I would hate to be the one forced to sit in the rear) and was powered by a small single cylinder air-cooled two stroke motor. Originally there was no self starter, and the car had to be started by lifting the bonnet and with one leg inside the engine compartment the owner would then kick start the car!

Despite the glamorous photographs, the reality was that these glass fibre bodied 'three wheelers'
were basic in the extreme, the interior offering little more than the bare basics.

Despite this they were popular and I remember as a kid in the early 1960's seeing and hearing many on the roads as I walked to school (which was my main 'car spotting' time!) I could always tell when one was approaching by the distinctive 'Pop Popping' of the exhaust note, and as they passed by the air filled with the aroma of two stroke oil which was mixed with petrol to make the Villiers engine run!

Today these cars are highly prized by collectors and have many avid fans. There are special clubs and meetings to cater just for the Microcar genre. One of the great things about seeing something like this after all these years is that the moment I hear that two-stroke drone and the pop-pop on the over run I am transported back in time, I am six years old again, and I still feel that same excitement today that I did so long ago.

The painting at the top of the post is a departure from my usual depictions of rust and ruin, primarily as these cars were glass fibre they didn't rust! I did however manage to find a photo of a rather tired looking example!

Britain's 'Shoe Box' Fords.

2009-01-28T03:35:00.001-08:00

I believe it was in 1949 that Ford USA launched a radical new concept - the Ford Tudor sedan was first of a range of cars that would come to be known as the 'Shoe box' Fords.
The name 'shoe box' refers to the 'three box' design of the vehicle , as almost any automobile of the pre, or immediately post war period had a rather tall or upright profile by comparison.

As is always the way with these things we British had to wait until 1951 before Ford GB launched our very own version of the shoe box. The range came in three models, with each offering up to the minute improvements in comfort, ride, handling, and steering.
There were also hydraulic brakes, and new unit construction build rather than the old method of mounting the body on a separate frame (or chassis as we call them).
All three models, which were named Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac were outwardly similar, the differences being in specification and power levels.

The base model was the Consul, (above) which was distinguished by the vertical strip style radiator grille, this car was the only one to run on a four cylinder engine. As an economical family car it was an instant hit.

After the Consul came the Zephyr, or the 'Zephyr six' as it was known. Outwardly similar to the Consul except for the treatment of the radiator grille, the 'six' clue in the name told potential buyers that this car had a little more power!
The Zephyr six performed well and it's six cylinder in-line engine was quick enough for all but the most hardened speed freaks of the day!

Above - A rare survivor, the 'Zephyr Six' and Below - an even rarer model the Convertible option, given Britain's soggy climate not many of this type sold here making them ultra rare today.

The final model of the trio was the Zodiac, or Zephyr-Zodiac as it was officially called. This had everything option wise, it was the car that the boss drove to work.
The 'top of the range' features on the Zodiac meant that big six engine, two tone paint, leather interior, spotlights, they even included gold plating to the 'Zephyr-Zodiac' script applied to the bodywork!

I have always liked these MkI cars in preference to the models that followed, (there were four in the series) produced between 1951 and 1956 they represent a milestone in British motoring as for the first time a mass produced Ford could rival a more expensive vehicle in terms of speed and comfort. Added to which, the build quality of these early Fords was I believe superior to the later products.

The painting at the beginning of this post is one that I did as part of a series of old cars, although the car is a Zephyr, artistic licence allowed me to give it the two tone finish of the more expensive Zodiac! A similar car to the painting can be seen in the photograph below, this time in the correct single colour.
The final photograph shows once again how many of these ground breaking fords have ended their days.

A picture for its own sake!

2009-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

No words needed!

Showroom fresh!

2009-01-26T02:42:00.000-08:00

Above is an actual period photo from 1955 showing the shop window of an Oldsmobile dealership. The cars displayed are pristine, factory fresh models just waiting to be owned and enjoyed.
I can almost feel myself pressing my nose against the plate glass of that showroom! :-)

The ads for them were seductive, with those cute lines and two tone paint topped off by acres of chrome who wouldn't be tempted?

Once again the bright colours and 'futuristic' styling spoke of optimism, the look said of the owner 'Here's a man that's going places'. So as we look back on those far off days and wonder how what happened to that optimism, maybe a clue can be found in what happened to the cars!

I suppose it's kinda sad when you look at that way, both in terms of the lost optimism and the fate of those once glittering old beauties...but such is the passage of time I guess.
Not all those old cars have ended up like this of course, there are those few that have been carefully tended over the years, yet more that have been restored to their former glory thus giving us a taste of the sights, sounds, and feel of a bygone age.

1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 fastback sedanette

2009-01-24T02:13:00.000-08:00

1949 was the year the OHV V-8 changed the face of the American auto industry. Oldsmobile's new 303 (5.0L) Rocket Eight made it the darling of racers and speed demons everywhere.

I came across this very restorable and rare Oldsmobile Rocket 88 2 door fastback sedanette while looking through an American website dealing in all types of Collectable and restorable old cars. The most amazing thing about this car, and many of the others available is not only the excellent solid condition considering many years of neglect, but also the price -

This particular fastback 88 was priced at just $875. For a restorable motoring icon! That's around £400 in the UK... Man! If it wasn't for the Atlantic ocean between us I'd have a yard full of them!

The next car featured below is an an original survivor that is still in service after 60 years! the facts and photographs that follow are courtesy of a fellow classic fan, larger pictures available here.

With the Rocket V-8, lighter 88 coupes were popular with hot rodders, and became successful stock car racers. A Rocket 88 could do 0-60 in around 12.5 seconds, with a top speed of close to 100 mph. Note the ringed planet badge; the Oldsmobile lettering that should be under it is missing.

Under the hood is Oldsmobile's new 303 cu. in. (5.0L) OHV "Rocket" V-8, initially rated at 135 hp. Hydra-Matic -- a four-speed automatic that had been a world first in 1940 -- was standard on 1949 88s. The following year it became a $185 option.

About 5,800 Town Sedans were sold in '49, split roughly equally between standard and Deluxe trim. Base price was $2,254 for the standard, $2,385 for the Deluxe. This car does not have backup lights, which were still a $15 option in 1949.

The lettering on the trunk handle, nearly worn away, says "Hydra-Matic Drive," a reference to the 88's standard Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Deco-like Oldsmobile lettering is a classy touch.

Curvy flanks make it look smaller than it is -- this is a 202-inch car, weighing around 3,900 lb. Competitors spread rumours that the fastback was prone to lift its tail at high speeds. Small backlight did nothing for visibility.

Riding a 119.5-inch wheelbase, the four-door fastback was called a Town Sedan. It was dropped after 1950. Fastback styling was introduced across the GM line in 1941-1942, but having come out just before the war, by the end of the decade it was considered old hat.

Chrome-encrusted "Futuramic" styling was introduced in 1948 for the bigger Olds 88, this year extended to all Oldsmobile models.

Airplanes and rockets were very much in vogue in the late 40s and early 50s, and this Oldsmobile is covered with them. The sound barrier had just been broken, and new speed records were being set every few weeks.

The world of TED POLOMIS

2009-01-22T04:07:00.001-08:00

If, like me you are a fan of old cars then that enthusiasm often extends to other period items. I am always on the lookout for old stuff, be it vintage advertising, old magazines, toys, in fact anything that is Automobile or motoring related.

Some time ago I came across one or two folks on the web that were making up small scale diorama's of old classic cars, (seen above). Usually they are depicted as slightly battered through use, I'm not sure if they are made of plaster or metal but they are a fantastic way to collect a series of old cars without needing too much space.

Then, completely by chance I came across the work of Ted Polomis. (above and below)
I don't know where Ted finds those old toys but each and every one is a fantastically nostalgic image. Now get this.... the model in the first (top) picture is by a model artist, the rest are pictures of Teds work but here's the rub - Ted's aren't models they're paintings!

When I first saw Ted's work t took me a moment to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't looking at a nostalgic photographic image!

Many people in the art world these days pour scorn on truly representational art such as this, implying that the multi coloured splashes and scrawls on canvas are the real works of genius, but I beg to differ! We have already seen on these very pages that nature itself can create colourful works of art that far surpass the human efforts using only a 'canvas' of old car metal. No 'genius' involved there, just the result of time and the elements.

The ability of Ted's work to conjure up in the spectator a warm feeling of nostalgia, the evocation of childhood memories, of quiet moments spent in times and places now long gone is the true indicator of talent. His phenomenal attention to detail and beautiful rendering of tones, shapes and colours are for me the mark of a truly outstanding artist.

As you may guess from my comments I'm no real fan of 'Modern art' insofar as much of it requires very little talent to produce, something that can never be said for the works of Ted Polomis!

Still life with suitcase!

2009-01-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

How about this photograph of an old Opel car taken in Greece.
Who knows how long that old car has been sitting there! Those rocks on the front of it seem to have been dropped from of the top of the cliff face to indent so far, and the suitcase? I'm pleased that it still exists in that state, and that the authorities haven't yet moved it or sold it on for scrap metal as it makes a fantastic photo!

Below are some more examples of rusting metal from once beautiful old cars and trucks, none of which would look out of place in one of today's high end art galleries!
See if you can ID any of the vehicles that provided these 'artworks', only one isn't from a car.

And for chrome fans...

2009-01-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

Not a patch of rust in sight....but wow what an amazing picture! I must paint this!

Pic' of the day!

2009-01-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this picture all on its own, what a fantastic example of 'Beautiful decay'.

Speaking of car wrecks...

2009-01-20T05:07:00.000-08:00

You may by now be used to my posting pictures of forgotten old wrecks found in the undergrowth, but have you ever wondered what, (compared to these days of airbags, ABS and safety management systems) the automobile accidents of yesteryear were like exactly?

Well here's a few pic's I found on the subject, and it seems to me the cars held up pretty well. Each one looks to have been none fatal even with the amount of damage inflicted on the bodywork. just goes to show that 'They don't make 'em like they used to!' LOL!

Farewell to George

2009-01-20T00:42:00.000-08:00

It's rare that I will stray into politics on this blog, as we all have our own ideas and opinions. However I couldn't let this day go by without saying 'Farewell' to George Bush, who has for the last eight years entertained us with his malapropisms, or 'Bushisms' as they became known.

"And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it." --George W. Bush, interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007

"They misunderestimated me." --Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

"I'm not really the type to wander off and sit down and go through deep wrestling with my soul." --George W. Bush, as quoted in Vanity Fair, October 2000

So farewell George, looks like maybe Obama has been left holding the baby.

The Rover P4

2009-01-17T01:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a painting that I did a few years back. The car shown is a British Rover model P4.
The Rover P4 was designed post war as a comfortable, and some would say luxurious family saloon. The model range was designated 75 through to 110, those figures relating to the engine size and power.

The 75 models had an economical four cylinder engine while the larger 90's had an in-line six. The car had rear opening 'suicide' doors, a plush interior of walnut and sumptuous leather, and an engine so smooth and quiet that at standstill the driver could be forgiven for thinking that the car had stalled! On my one and only drive of this model I had to keep checking the gear lever when stopped at traffic lights, feeling for the slight tingle of movement to let me know the motor was still running!

Of course this luxury came at a price and the Rover was bought in the main by Professionals, Doctors, company managers or similar status. To have a Rover P4 was to know that you had done well in life!

As the 1960's dawned and some cars were now 10 years old or so, many filtered down into the hands of those that could never afford them new, and thus continued in daily service. These cars could still be seen unrestored, and in daily use well into the 1980's which is a testament to their toughness, reliability, and build quality.

The saddest time for me personally was perhaps the late 1970's when these cars were deemed 'old fashioned' and therefore unfashionable to the hip and trendy 70's man. So many good examples were sold for next to nothing as their value plummeted, and they were eagerly bought up by the 'Banger racing' crowd who happily destroyed them in their thousands. The very qualities that made them such a quality saloon car, the toughness, 'built like a tank' build quality, and reliability, were eventually to be the reason that so many were destroyed in Banger racing.

The photograph below has nothing at all to do with Rover P4's...I was just struck by the similarity of composition between it and my painting!

Robert laDuke

2009-01-16T03:02:00.000-08:00

This is the second in a series of posts in which I highlight some of my favourite living artists. Today I'm pleased to feature the work of Robert LaDuke.

I guess it's no surprise that anyone whose work so often features those old 'Jellymould' shaped cars would instantly appeal to me, after all I'm a sucker for the shape, style and pure nostalgia value of those old cars. But with Robert LaDukes work there is another element - the sense that 'Something's about to happen' permeates much of his output.

They also manage to convey man's spirit of adventure, something that is being increasingly stifled in today's world of 'health and safety'. In the painting below an aeroplane flies so dangerously close to the bridge...is he racing that car? Will he fly a loop under the bridge next? Will he crash?

So much of what Robert paints using his beautifully clear and bright colours has the ability to amuse, intrigue, and at the very least simply make us smile that it is hard not to like them.
The paintings also evoke a time when the world was a much simpler place, and the individual risking his all in pursuit of his goal was not something to be frowned upon as it would be today.

My interpretation of Roberts works is that they are a celebration of man's achievements, his quirks, and his folly's. Painted with never less than true affection, as seen through the eyes of an amused bystander in an idyllic past.

'Jam Handy' internet archive.

2009-01-14T01:13:00.001-08:00

For those of us that remember the 'B' movies that were shown with the main feature at cinemas right up until the eighties might like to take a look at the Internet film archive.

Back in the heyday of those old 'Jellymould jalopies' that so often feature on these pages there was a film company known as the 'Jam handy' organisation, producing public information films, car ads, and features aimed at the modern American consumer.
The public were invited to 'See the USA in your Chevrolet', or to experience the new automatic transmission in the Oldsmobile 'New for '49' Futuramic range.

These are a few still from some of the thousands of available short features, all of which contain glimpses into a world of 1950's optimism. One thing that does hit the viewer is how beautiful these cars were in their day, and it should certainly makes one reflect on the potential of the next old jalopy that you might see parked up and forgotten someplace!

The features are free to download, and in various qualities depending on the speed of your connection. I think that downloaded and transferred to DVD (there are no copyright issues the films are public domain) they would make excellent viewing one afternoon when Mrs Nail is out shopping!

More 'Cars in Snow'

2009-01-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here in the UK we have just experienced the coldest winter for ten years according to the newspapers. It certainly has been frosty, with mostly sub zero temperatures reminding me of they type of winters we used to have many years ago.

The paintings in this post show a collection of small 7" x 5" sketches that I did a while back on the subject of old cars in snow. They are mainly done from childhood memories and my intention was to work them up into fully finished paintings sometime later. The painting above shows a 'Standard Ten' model built by the Standard/Triumph factory between 1954-ish to 1959, I don't recall exactly.

In the painting the driver has had to pull over as the temperature gauge has rocketed skywards. This was a common thing in those days and happened as the bottom of the radiator froze and then prevented the proper circulation of the coolant. The cure (and something you never see today) was to blank off part of the grille using Aluminium foil thus reducing the flow of freezing air to the radiator. When walking to school on those cold foggy winter mornings in the early '60's I saw this scene many times.

The car above is the 1953 - 59 Ford Popular, seen in a typical street scene of the 1950's/60's.
I mentioned the popular in an earlier post but it's a car I'll come back to over and over again!

The car featured below is the upmarket Rover 3.5 V-8, not usually a car seen abandoned as this one was, but made for a good sketch.

Finally, here's a shot of four of the six small sketches in this series. Of them all only one was ever made into a fully worked up oil painting, the sketches themselves were sold on ebay for $20.00 each!

RUSTFEST! Do you recognise any of these?

2009-01-10T03:10:00.000-08:00

I though it time for an over exposure to rusty metal! :-)

Night, reflections, and snow.

2009-01-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

I am often asked as a painter "What is it that you like to paint?"

Well the answer to that question for me is easy - Light effects. Fleeting light effects, reflections on wet roads, or nocturnally lit scenes are my favourite subjects, and as my interest is primarily for old automobiles then they have to be included too!

The painting above is of the type of bus I used to catch on my way to school, the street, and the weather is typical of the area of Lancashire, England in which I grew up. When painting this one I could still remember how good it felt to climb aboard that bus and feel the warmth of the heater on a cold and rainy morning!

The bus fare in those days was 'tuppence' (two-pence) and was collected by a conductor on board, the driver sat in a separate cabin and just drove, less distractions for him that way. I recall the gearbox whine almost drowned out the conversation on board, and the engine had a familiar lazy thrum.
The bus lights, reflections on the wet cobbles, and hazy moon filtering through the drizzle are exactly as I remember the scene almost fifty years ago!

Another subject that I enjoy painting is snow. The variation of colours combined with the lights from those lovely old cars make this a genre I keep returning to. The above painting I did around three years ago as a sketch for a bigger, finished painting. It shows a 1959 Vauxhall Cresta waiting to turn right at a junction.
The '59 Cresta was chosen for this painting because it had those big oval tail lights and the indicators (turn signals) on the wing fin, very seductive to paint lit up!

How cool are these?

2009-01-07T11:12:00.001-08:00

I found this painting on the web somewhere but can't for the life of me remember where!
Done in the style of a Norman Rockwell cover for the Saturday Evening Post, the artist has created something that I can imagine as a large Oil painting hanging pride of place in my living room.

Another piece of fantastic artwork that I have on my hard drive is this one, New York, 1936 I believe. Automotive related artwork never fails to delight!

Now how about a work of art created by the vehicle itself? Well OK. Here is the Bulldog emblem from a Mack truck, made into art by beautiful decay!

Gratuitous BUICK shot..

2009-01-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

The car above is one of my all time favourites, the 1950 Buick sedanette.
There is something about old Buicks that really get to me, and the period between 1949 - 53 was for me the best stylistically. This one came up for auction in august last year, totally original and unmolested, the new owner must be very pleased.... I sure would be!

Whatever happened to....?

2009-01-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder what ever happened to the 'next big thing' of yesteryear? Like that swish new Caddy your neighbour had back in the 50's?
Well the picture above gives a clue to what happened to most of them, a real shame too!

But what about those other things? Vague memories from childhood, something that you once remember reading about but can't quite recall where?
If like me you are a fan of those old 50's magazines that used to predict the engineering or scientific advances likely to be around 'in the future', then you may be familiar with the theory of water powered cars.
Today more than ever we need to look at alternative sources of fuel for our vehicles, not only from the ecological point of view, but also to help lessen the dependence we have on the middle eastern nations for our energy.

There has been some sort of urban myth spread for many decades based around the supposed guy that invented a car that would run on water, only to have the big oil companies buy up the idea and bury it to keep the oil business booming. While looking through those old mags once more I came across the item above.... so what did happen to it?

Next up, from December 1930 was this, the largest Studebaker in the world! Now considering you would need more than the average garage to house this beauty, and it's not the type of thing that could be tucked away and forgotten about (unless you have a very large house!) then this thing should still be out there.... anyone seen it?

Some of the new ideas turned out to be a hit, the one above first appeared in November 1933, and the notion that cars should have warning devices when turning became standard fittings sometime later.

The item above I remember fondly - because I had that very cover in blue on my bed as a kid! I wonder where that went?
Looking back through those old magazines is like looking back on man's optimism, there are jet packs and flying cars, ingenious gadgets invented for virtually every purpose both in the home and in the car. I have to admit that many of these 'predictions' for the future never happened, perhaps because along came a world war which took away many of the designers of that hopeful future.
Y'know what? Not all those inventions would have caught on, maybe I'm being unkind but I just couldn't see these anti-glare glasses going down a storm! :-)

The death of steam.

2009-01-05T03:04:00.000-08:00

Prompted by recent posts on the excellent Viewliner blog, I decided to write a little about a subject that has until now avoided my interest -Railways!

In the period that immediately followed WWII much of Europe's rail network lay in ruins. Subject to heavy allied bombing, the rolling stock, marshalling yards, and bridges were all but destroyed which meant that mainland Europe had to begin again, but this time using diesel technology.

The railways of Britain suffered much less wartime damage than their European counterparts, and post war cash -strapped Britain decided to carry on with steam. This purely fiscal decision gave us a glorious period of anachronistic, yet endearing mode of transport.
There are few people who experienced those days that weren't moved by those big steam engines, they had a hissing, puffing, clanking presence unique to themselves, and the decision to replace them in the 1960's was a debatable one.

The task of modernising the British railways fell to a certain Dr. Beeching
who followed the mysterious logic that the best way to improve a service was in many cases to remove that service altogether! Consequently, by 1968 many thousands of miles of branch lines had been closed and those faithful old giants the steam engines were retired for ever.
What the Luftwaffe hadn't managed to destroy during six years of war Dr. Beeching managed with ease, although embarrassingly the new diesel locomotives suffered reliability problems and would often break down, leading to the reliance of an old steam engine to rescue it!

Nostalgia being what it is, those old engines are remembered in a multitude of paintings and Movie's appearing resplendent in their own particular liveries, puffing white clouds of smoke and steam as they traverse the land.
The reality was quite different however, these monsters were working vehicles and often as not were black with soot, and streaked with rust, oil, and other debris. To stand within a few yards of these magnificent machines was to become enchanted by them, the feel of the vibration as they bellowed, the smell of hot oil, the heat radiated from the steel boiler all create an unforgettable impression.

During 1968 these old giants were discarded in their thousands, 'Engine graveyards' developed, where rusting hulks stood for as far as the eye could see, awaiting the cutting torch. it is only now over forty years later, that I revisit those fine old men of steam and pay tribute to their beauty... in all their dirt streaked, soot stained grandeur!

There is a postscript to this sad tale however. Steam enthusiasts are a dedicated bunch, and the British love affair with steam has provided us with the first BRAND NEW steam engine to be constructed in 50 years! Named the TORNADO, she is set to bring the sensory experience of steam to a whole new generation of passengers!

RIP Steam?.... Not quite!

Raw colour.

2009-01-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

As an Artist I am continually aware of the amazing work achieved by my fellow painters. I look at all subject matter and styles and I can appreciate most types of work, but every now and again there is an artist that stands out by a country mile!

Tom Fritz, for me is just such an artist.

In subject matter Tom generally stays within the Hot-Rod era of the 1940's, and his paintings display a passion for his subject. It would be easy to say that this depiction of old cars and bikes, coupled with the sense of movement that Tom manages to put into his paintings would be an obvious hit with me as an old car nut myself, but it's the blaze of colour that Tom Fritz achieves which for me is the trademark of his work.

I remember reading somewhere the words of an artist that said:

"When I see the work of Frans Hals it makes me want to paint, but when I see the work of Rembrandt ...it makes me want to give up painting!"

.... and when I look at Tom's work I know that feeling!

Tom Fritz is to me the premier example of how light, colour, and subject matter can combine to make a painting exceptional, and each time I see his work spurs me on to raise my game!

More beautiful decay # 4

2009-01-02T03:11:00.000-08:00

Continuing the theme of 'Beautiful decay' here are a few shots gathered from the web. There are quite a few talented photographers out there that really have an eye for what elements combine to makes old things beautiful!

Light, colour, patina or texture, and the randomness of nature are often the greatest ingredients when each meet on old steel. The fact that the old steel itself was once a handsome creation too adds yet another dimension.

I find it amazing that there are still so many saveable cars out there that, with a little (or a lot of) work could once again sweep along the highway as they did half a century ago.

Looking back I guess the period between the 1930's and the 1960's will become known as the years that held the most innovation, design, and downright class - be it cars, Art Deco buildings, or the Fedora hat...bring back Fedora's I say!

And finally for today I include a photograph of something that has absolutely nothing to do with old cars, rust, decay, or any of the subjects of my usual ramblings. It came from the same great photographer that took the old vehicle pic's above and is included here simply because it's so darned beautiful!