TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA (April 21, 2009) – Automotive Fine Arts Society members are offering a select group of paintings and sculptures for purchase in time for Father’s Day on June 21, 2009. The artwork includes original pieces and limited edition prints that appeal to the male automotive enthusiast and are available exclusively through the artists. The AFAS is comprised of automotive artists from across the globe who create subjects in a variety of mediums including watercolors, acrylics, oils, wood and various metals.
“Automotive art is a fantastic alternative for dads who are tired of getting ugly ties and coffee mugs for Father’s Day,” said Ken Eberts, president of the AFAS. “Our world-class artists offer an amazing selection of paintings and sculptures, from exclusive originals to affordable prints. And the most appealing aspect of the art is its versatility. These pieces can be featured in any room of the home or office, including the garage.”
Father’s Day prints available from Eberts include “Wow! What a Car!,” an 8” x 10” limited edition giclee ($100) featuring an elegant 1957 Chrysler 300C, and a touching family piece titled “Generations of Care” ($145). In “Generations of Care,” a 20” x 26” limited edition print, Eberts paints a beautiful snapshot of a large family tending to a collection of cars in their yard. The cars span decades of American motoring and include a 1960 Chevy Corvette convertible, a Plymouth Road Runner and a Ford hot rod.
AFAS artist, Tom Fritz, is offering a collection of award winning paintings in small, medium and large ($250, $600 and $800) giclee on canvas prints. Highlighting the group is “A Little Ahead of Schedule,” which depicts a 1932 Ford hot rod at speed challenging a 4-8-4 Baldwin locomotive as it powers eastward along the tracks. The 46” x 25” original painting won the prestigious “Peter Helck Award” at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Additional hot rod prints available from Fritz include “Hot Stuff, Sho’ Nuff” and “The Race Poster.”
“‘A Little Ahead of Schedule’ was inspired by a cross-country drive with my parents when I was about four or five years old,” explained Fritz. “We were somewhere in the flats of the Midwest during a sweltering July afternoon, when our 1950 Ford woodie station wagon rolled alongside an east-bound train. I recall my pop was mashing the pedal into the floorboard, making the flathead engine scream. The race was really on.”
Bill Neale, a founding member of AFAS and part of the original Terlingua Racing Team with Carroll Shelby, is offering “Titus/Terlingua Mustang” in a 22” x 26” print ($85). The painting features Jerry Titus behind the wheel of a 1967 Terlingua Mustang with the West Texas mountains and glowing sunset in the background.
“If you look closely at the painting, you can see Shelby in the background on the Chisos Saloon porch with his buddies,” noted Neale. “The trips to Terlingua during the ‘60s and ‘70s were the ultimate getaways for a bunch of racers and roughnecks that liked to drive hard and party even harder. It’s the perfect gift to remind dad of the good ole’ days.”
Racing fans will enjoy “Porsches at Daytona” by Charles Maher. The panoramic painting captures a pack of Porsche 911 GT2 racecars maneuvering through a turn at the famous raceway. Maher is offering the piece as a 12” x 40” limited edition giclee on paper print ($525 framed, $375 unframed) and a 18” x 60” canvas print ($550).
Available from Nicola Wood are prints of her admired Porsche painting “J.D.’s Porsche.” The 22” x 27” limited edition prints ($190) feature a stunning Porsche 550 Spyder in the desert and a figure that resembles James Dean standing behind the car. According to Wood, “I painted ‘J.D.’s Porsche’ early in my career. I included only the legs and a portion of the torso of the man in order to challenge the viewer as to whether or not it was James Dean in the painting.”
For jeep lovers and off-road dads, celebrated automotive and military artist, James Dietz, is offering 15” x 25” prints of “We Happy Few,” which features a Willys Jeep front and center. The painting depicts the World War II linkup of the U.S. National Guard’s famed 29th Division, which was supported by the 2nd Armored Division’s “Hell on Wheels,” with airborne troops from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and the U.S. Army Rangers in France. A few French civilians can also be seen welcoming the soldiers. Dietz, who is known for capturing the American soldier in the best and worst of times, masterfully portrays the joyous scene which passed much too quickly for the brave fighters.