Art & Inspiration Saturday Art Show, Prints,various Artwork, Automotive Related

"Richard Alden (Rick) Griffin (June 18, 1944 – August 18, 1991) was an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters in the 1960s."

"Rick Griffin (1944-1991) is widely known in the surfing world as one of the original ‘surf artists’ — cited as a great influence by many artists. Surfing fans may recognize his iconic poster for John Severson’s surfing film, Pacific Vibrations, or his comic strip about a surfer named “Murphy”, pictured below on the cover of ‘The Surfer’. Outside of the surfing world, he rose to fame through his psychedelic posters in the 1960s, creating art for the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead."

Hello,

As soon as we got our current issue of Surfer Magazine, the artwork of Rick Griffin popped into view. His art work was pretty cool and made everyone look at surfing in a better light. Having fun and enjoying being a surfer. No radical stuff, gang affiliates or localism back then, it was search for waves and having fun while cruising all over So Cal. With a character like Murphy, how could anyone not like surfing?

We met Rick Griffin at Trestles one day. For some reason, we had just crawled out of our hide-away vans camouflaged back in the jungle, on the other side of the railroad tracks. It was around 1-2pm. The Marines had just cleared the beach with their once-a-day sweep. Surfers that were there, ran for their lives and made the beach pristine again. Great waves and no one on the sand. It was like we were on the moon’s surface, it was so empty.

But, as we came back out onto the beach, we were not surprised that it was so empty. We knew what was going on from before lunch time and we were well tucked away to ride it out. Also, to take a well deserved nap, getting ready for the afternoon “glass off” conditions.

Here were two guys standing on the berm looking out at the pristine empty waves. They were both from the South Bay region of Palos Verdes/Torrance/Redondo/Hermosa/Manhattan Beaches. One was a photographer and the other was as we found out, Rick Griffin.

Jnaki

Rick Griffin’s notoriety was just starting and those two were down South for some photos and art ideas. We all talked for a while as there was no one else on the empty beach. The waves were excellent and when our afternoon talk session was winding down, we went out to challenge those great waves. No worries about another raid by the Marines, they were done for the day.

So, it was classic Trestles waves, only 4 guys out laughing and hooting on every wave. Hopefully the artist and photographer got some ideas about surfing and what kids did to get to the pristine beaches and waves at any cost.

As his talents and art world merged with other ideas, it became more intricate and developed.

Art school influence

By 1966, he and the famous photographer did a piece of how they took over the offices of Surfer Magazine. It was a classic, including a nice truck with cool mag style wheels.

(AUTOMOTIVE RELATED)

RICK GRIFFIN / RON STONER ARTIST / PHOTOGRAPHER

Griffin-Stoner Adventures “Guess Who’s Minding the Store” Surfer 1966 by Rick Griffin

 

This picture taken by my wife driving her 51 Buick following me/51 Merc to a car showing the early AM some years back.

 

Saturday here in Aussie

 

Artist Hoon Auto Gear

 

found on defunk web site

 

All artwork given credit, signed and noted by the artist...



Hello,

In the hot rod/custom car world, there are plenty of good artists who put their touches on various hot rods and custom cars. One such artist and custom car/hot rod builder is Rod Powell. There have been plenty of artists featured in the hot rod/custom car magazines, but delving into the history and other art work makes one think that there is a lot of creativity going on in the design work.
1961
Plenty of articles have shown a lot of different phases of his art skills. What impressed me most was the design in the flames coming out of various things and of course, put on the sides of custom cars and hot rods. As a person who loves flames, but is not a painter or artist for hot rod applications or builds, one can stand back and admire the talent that is presented here.


Jnaki

I could fill pages with the art of Rod Powell, but you can search and find the talents of the artist and creator of some pretty fancy hot rods and custom cars. It was one of my wife’s favorite captures when we were once walking around in a hot, inland valley in Northern California for one of the SF Bay Area’s most famous hot rod gatherings from those early days.

A very nicely done custom, 1939 Chevrolet Two Door Sedan

 

Valley Custom Shop, Joe Brenner 4 Merc in the driveway - ART

 

Artist Hoon Auto Gear

 

Some cool art of Bob McCOY !

 

All artwork given credit, signed and noted by the artist...



Hello,

Artist, extraordinaire, Steve Stanford, has plenty of unusual skills that could be computer driven art. But as noted above, it is the eye that captures the design, draws, details and finishes them with accessories that take tons of skill and practice. He is one artist that is to be envied in the art world. The fact that he likes hot rods and customs, as well as creating his own designs is a miracle.

Having owned a 1958 Impala, saw the original scalloped 58 Impala in local car shows by Mox Miller, any drawing of a 58 Impala is scrutinized for the skill and designs. The green/white 58 Impala below is one great example of “life reflects art” (or vice versa) in design and build.

Jnaki

There is something to be said of the one of a kind 1958 Impala. When steps are taken to modify the original, in this exercise, it becomes a work of art.

STEVE STANFORD AND PETE SANTINI ART DESIGN

“Pete Santini who applied Green ‘flake to the roof, and Candy Green and Pearl Mint Green accents, scallops, and panel paint over a Pearl Vanilla White base, using House of Kolor hues, all to a Steve Stanford design…”

 

An acrylic job I did many years ago. Two hot rods draggin' it out on a rural two lane not seeing the motor patrolman taking a leak behind the billboard. The patrolman peeing on his boot as he's anxiously trying to finish his business and hop on his knucklehead and give pursuit.

 

Artist Hoon Auto Gear

 

C.R. Stecyk Art

Hello,

C.R. Stecyk was responsible for one of the most interesting art shows in So Cal dating back a decade or so. The Laguna Beach Art Museum often shows, quite the off mainstreamed art shows, despite being located in the coastal art world. A ton of beach paintings are found all over Laguna Beach, CA and that is ok, for most. But, the streaming attendees of the 1993 art show at the museum was one of the best in recent history. Then to follow it up 10 years later with another similar show was pretty cool.


“Kustom Kulture” was a unusual art show in the ordinary art world of Laguna Beach. It was geared for the “young and restless.” Tons of weird art from several well-known hot rod artists displayed their work. It was a show for mostly young people and older hot rod folks. Until the word of mouth spread as to the intensity of the art inside of the museum, mainstream newspapers would not touch it. But, once it became well known and word spread, the local and national newspapers went all out, including some TV shows.

Jnaki

C.R. Stecyk’s art is not for everyone. For those that loved the connection to the surf world, skateboarding and hot rods, it was a fun exercise in expression.

“CR Stecyk III’s combinations of letterpress printing, serigraphy, photography, airbrushing, printing, and relief painting based on architectural fragments from Bunker Hill provide the mental vehicle to the strains, heartache, triumph, corruption and modalities of life Los Angeles circa 1925! Faith,Hope,Charity. Not just a your average streets, CRSIII not just your average artist.”

“For work, his father painted cars at an auto assembly plant and became both a friend and business associate of legendary car chopper George Barris. Stecyk talks about when his dad drove one of the very first ’55 Thunderbirds from the assembly line.”

“His first impulse was to drive the thing over to George’s, which was a couple blocks [from the plant] in Lynwood, and they customized it before day one,” says Stecyk. “The attitude was, “You can’t drive this stock thing.’ It had a continental kit, different trim, fender extensions.”

“Before long, Craig was a regular in Barris’ shop, apprenticing under the likes of Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, both of whom fathered the custom car culture craze in the ’50s and ’60s by reviving the pin-striping tradition long after manufacturers had ceased putting such fanciful touches on stock cars. The work of Von Dutch and Big Daddy in turn bled into the lowbrow art phenomenon of R. Crumb, Robert Williams and Zap Comix, a style of art that has been brought back to prominence in part by Juxtapoz magazine.”

 

Our own Jeff Norwell. One of my all time favorites!!!

 

McCoy Roadster

 

[A piece inspired by my dad's '57 Fairlane from back in the day, and a retro motel sign.

 

Artist Hoon Auto Gear

 

poster in C.W.Moss shop Orange County

 

An Aland Stamper cartoon.

 

Yvonne Mecialis – Artist Muralist

"The Lions Drag Strip Museum brought together three talented artist, Kenny Youngblood, Yvonne Mecialis and Keith Moreland, to paint over 5300 sq ft of hand painted wall murals surrounding an incredible reproduction of the famous Lions starting line." https://thelionsdragstrip.com/about/


Hello,

In visiting the rebuilding of the Lions Dragstrip Museum, during the pre opening set up days, I was introduced to several artists that play a big part of creating this fabulous display. Yvonne Mecialis makes race cars look like they will pop off of the wall and fire up the loud motor, right in front of you. Those paintings are as close to photography as detailing can make them. You are an artist, Yvonne…

The Albertson Olds FED was instrumental in making 12 straight win at Lions in the 1960 era. On the night of August 6, the streak was interrupted by the early closing of Lions Dragstrip due to an explosion, resulting fire, and crash of a C/Gas Willys Coupe. The next race was supposed to be the Albertson Olds FED going for win number 13 at the staging area.

This time the Lions Museum will showcase different eras to appease all of the drag racing fans that poured through the gate over the years. The early days will be well represented and so will the other eras, up to the sad closing. So, everyone can associate with their own time period of activity at Lions Dragstrip and not one is more powerful than the others. Each period of drag racing activity brought out the best of the best during those early days of drag racing.

Jnaki



“Yvonne began drawing as soon as she could hold a crayon, and her mother enrolled her in private oil painting classes at age 10. Yvonne went on to earn her BFA in Illustration from CSU Long Beach, and continued to create her own style. She used various media, including oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, charcoal, and pen and ink, but she began to focus on airbrush as her primary tool of choice.”

“In 2018, Yvonne was asked to lend her painting skills to create full-scale murals, to adorn the walls of the Lions Drag Strip Museum, in Rancho Dominguez, CA. The museum is designed to resemble the famous drag strip in every detail, including cars lined up at the starting line. It is the largest project she has ever worked on."

"Yvonne has contributed her artistic talents to the world of custom painting as well, and has painted motorcycles, cars, boats, helmets and guitars, and has designed her own set of freehand airbrush templates, called “Metropolis,” for Artool Company.”