Jasmine's Gallery: "Brandi's Art Car"
StarChaser has gone
to car heaven. She was rusting shut and bees were nesting in her
nooks and crannies. I had my mechanic take her away.
I miss
the fun we had driving her, but NO ... I am not planning on painting
my "new" car <g> ... at least not yet.
I used ordinary acrylic craft
paint coated with spray varnish, and it seemed to last for a season
or so. There were some
spots where it was flaking off, I think because I didn't prepare
the surface well, I forgot to varnish it, or because the weather
was too cold when I painted it. So I scrapped the flaky paint
away and over-painted it with new designs. With no upkeep, many
sections lasted well over 4 years.
This is a painted tribute to my
spirit-cats,
Minou and Punkin.
My best friend
D'arcy had the idea for this
rainbow butterfly design.
Children loved it.
I caught tourists taking pictures of it. Some guys seemed really distressed by it for some
reason. You should see the faces they made. I don't know what's up
with that - I didn't paint on THEIR cars, heh heh ... but
sometimes I got really cool reactions from the people I would
least expect to appreciate it. Most people reacted quite well
to it. I remember one stereotypical biker guy looking up at it -
at first he was like a deer caught in headlights, but then he
smiled and bellowed "Yeah!" as we drove past.
Jupiter was the gas
tank cover!
I really did this because I was
bored, had a lot of paint I wasn't using, it was starting to have
a lot of chips and rust, and this car put me
through hell in 2003 (brake jobs, new tranny, she really set me
back). In a way, it was my way of expressing something positive
instead of staying frustrated. And it covered up a few rust spots.
The weird thing is I had a lot
less "car trouble" once I started painting. Coincidence
I am sure ;-)
This was the original hood
design ...
This was the final hood design. Much nicer!
Above the driver's side door it says
"Everyone is someone else's weirdo".
FAQs:
Who did the artwork?
Me, myself and I. Yes, really.
How long did it take to do
that much artwork on your car?
About a week, if I did nothing
else. But I did this over time, a little here, a little there.
Why did you do this?
For fun! And because it was rusting
up and I did not have money for a new paint job (or a new car for
that matter). Nobody in their right mind would ever steal THIS car.
It was easy to find in parking lots. I was hoping to get some
business to but that didn't really pan out.
Why the (expletive deleted)
did you do this?
Lighten up. It's my car, not
yours <g>.
Why didn't/don't you paint
the roof?
Who is gonna see it besides
birds, truckers, helicopter pilots and angels? And besides, it is
hard to get up there without a ladder.
Do you actually make money
from the web site?
Not so far. I got a little extra
traffic, and have made some contacts, but I wouldn't do this
strictly as an advertising effort, unless perhaps I was
advertising a local business or something.
What other sorts of things do
you paint?
What have you got? <g> ...
I have painted mailboxes, duvet covers, t-shirts, furniture ... I
love "non-traditional" media and surfaces. Yes, I have
done some fine art canvases too.
Can you paint my car?
Sure, if you got about $2,000 and
can live without your car for a week.
Do you do mural work? What
does that cost?
That depends on the complexity
and size of the project. I'd actually love to volunteer to paint for
children's hospitals or other charities at a low rate or for the
cost of the paint though. That would be fun, and it would be cool
to brighten someone's life ... if you know of a hospital or
community centre open to the idea
let me know!
How did you do it?
I used ordinary acrylic craft
paint coated with 3-4 coats of spray varnish. I primarily use a sponging
technique with some brushwork for detail.
How long does it last?
Well, I started this in 2003. I
found I had to do small touchups in the spring, but the painting
style (sponging) is very forgiving. And with acrylics, if you don't
like something, you just paint over it.
Would you do
this again?
In a heartbeat - if
the right vehicle comes along. One day I dream of finding a trailer,
on old Volkswagon Van or a camper van to play with! I don't know if
I will do it on my primary vehicle again. My current car is starting
to rust up and flake off 0 I just don't find the shape of the car
inspires me in the way the Taurus did.
Other Art Car Sites:
Other Canadian Art Cars
Leopard
Art Car - Very cool!
If you know of an
art car club in New York or Southern Ontario, or even if you have
your own art car and are anywhere in the Great Lakes area
... could you let me know?
Gawd
Bless Rectangle Auto Supply! ... if you live in the Niagara
region, and need an affordable, honest mechanic, drop by and tell
them I sent you.
