Another Car Show Weekend

We're off again, this time to one of the largest Mopar shows in this end of the country, the All-Chrylser Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This time we are exhibiting Michael's work, as opposed to just having fun! Although I must admit, I generally have fun at a car show .... rain or shine, it's always an adventure. Plus, both Michael and I enjoy meeting our clientele face to face and there's never a shortage of "car stories" to share.

For those of you that came by to see us last year (our first time at the Nationals), please note that we have moved up, so to speak. We are now located at J93-95. It'll be the first time we show Michael's stunning new Cuda painting, "Feeding Frenzy." And stunning it is. Even after all these years (we've been together for almost 2 decades) I am still amazed by his talent and commitment to his craft. He's continually pushing himself to make each piece more challenging than it's predecessors.

What I'm sure will soon be coined the "perfect E-body Cuda painting," the colors in "Feeding Frenzy" are a true tribute to those wild Mopar/Plymouth colors of the 70s. As far as reflections go, well Michael's really outdone himself this time. Check out the chrome tanker truck! Fittingly, this is the 4th painting in his 'Reflections of Mopower Series.' (The series includes: Six Pack Salute, Opens At Eight, B-Movie Night).

If you're in the Carlisle, stop by and see us. In the mean time, here's a quote I came across ... I'd only add "and there's a car show within driving distance!" LOL.  Have a wonderful weekend. - Linda

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.  ~James Dent

First Car Show of the Summer

Michael's work will be on display by us and our dealers at a number of classic car shows and meets this summer, including  All-Chrysler Carlisle, the Pontiac & GTO Nationals, Mopar Nationals, Moparfest, Ford, Mustang and GM shows, as well as the Truck show in Las Vegas! But this weekend, our first trip to the car show field is just for fun.

June just blew past us, summer's here and the kids are out of school! Michael's latest creation, "Feeding Frenzy" is almost complete, so July will busy with the new release of this stunning Cuda piece. So we thought now would be the best time to take off for the weekend. And you've probably figured out by now, that we're kinda gear heads, or at least really, really into cars! In true car guy fashion, we're off to a car show for the weekend ... GM Carlisle, none-the-less!  It's our first time, and we can't wait to check out the Chevelles, Camaros, Novas and more! It'll be like stepping into a scene like the one in "Always Room For One More" (above).

I'm really looking forward to spending time with the kids, just relaxing ... okay, maybe "relaxing" is the wrong word ... we will, after all, be walking all day, searching for parts for the Firebird, looking to cool off or dry off (depending on the Pennsylvania weather), shopping for Hotwheels for our son, or looking for any girlie stuff for our daughter. But we'll be away. At a car show. Outdoors. And together. It just does't get any better.

Here's to a safe and happy summer and to lots of trips to the show. - Linda

Mustang and All Ford Weekend

For all you Ford lover's in the Jeffersonville, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky area, there's a show scheduled just before Father's Day. The "Mustang and All Ford Weekend," sponsored by the Falls City Mustang Club, will be held on Saturday, June 20th. Attending a car show is a great way to spend part of your Father's Day weekend. And you never know what Dad's Day goodies you may come across!

Show details:
8 A.M. on Saturday June 20th
Located at Quartermaster Station, Hwy. 62 (E. 10th St.), Jeffersonville, IN. Exit #1 off I -65 just across the bridge from Louisville, KY.
There is also a Pony Trail to Salem Speedway on Friday for show participants. Contact info: Steve Merritt 812-944-5271.

Stop by and check out the expected 200 or so cars, and say hi to Jim. He'll have a few of Michael's Mustang prints framed (available for purchase) on display as well as will be accepting orders for, amongst other things, Michael's much anticipated, "Marauders of Woodward" print, due to be released later this year.

Jim is authorized to accept orders for the EXCLUSIVE PRE-RELEASE OFFER of "Marauders of Woodward", which expires June 30th, 2009. This is a unique opportunity to prepurchase a limited piece of artwork, at an incredible price. As an added bonus, all Limited Edition Prints, Artist Proofs and Gallery Edition Canvases ordered before the June 30th deadline will be co-signed by Steve Babcock (Production Manager of the Maruauder) and will be accompanied by a reproduction of Michael's original sketch. This is a historic, first time ever, exclusive opportunity!

Jim will also be showing a Gallery Edition Canvas of the sold out print, "Kings of the Road." At twice the size of the original painting, it's really cool!

If you haven't had the opportunity to see Michael's work up close and personal, you are in for a treat ... his use of high impact color and incredible attention to detail is second to none. And can only truly be appreciated when you see his art in person.

Whatever you choose to do this upcoming weekend, have fun doing it! Happy Father's Day. - Linda & Michael

Father's Day - Sweeet & Sugar Free Dessert!

We were at the Fleetwood Country Cruizin (a sweeeet car show with over 3000 cars, including 1500 Ford Mustangs, a real 1970 orange Plymouth Superbird, countless Oldsmobiles, Chevys, Pontiacs, Mopars, race cars, motorbikes, firetrucks, Amphicars, you name it) in London, Ontario on June 5th, and a new client was purchasing Michael's GTO painting, "The Goat Farmer" (shown above), for his dad for Father's Day. Good thing too, because I had forgotten Father's Day is just around the corner! Although I talk a lot about Michael's automotive art, muscle cars and the car shows and events we attend, I thought this time I'd share a recipe instead.

My father is a diabetic, has been for over 25 years. And for the most part, until recently, has managed the whole time with diet alone. Events like Christmas, birthdays and Father's Day, have become a personal challenge for me .... to create an amazing dessert, using no sugar. Like many people afflicted with Diabetes, my father has a huge sweet tooth. Managing the disease without drugs, he has all but removed sugar from his diet, so my desserts are a real treat.

It's taken me a while, but I've managed to fine tune a couple of desserts that, by my dad's tough standards, are real winners ... and are completely sugar, glucose, fructose, etc. free! Here's one of my latest creations (by the way, this one even received the stamp of approval by my brother, a Chef of 20 years!):

SUGAR FREE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (makes 6 servings)
Cake
1 - 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup Splenda granulated
1 - 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten for 2-3 minutes on high
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 1 loaf pan (I use a pyrex one).
2. Combine flour, Spenda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a fork or a pastry blender until crumbly. (This procedure may be done with a mixer at the lowest speed).
3. Stir together eggs, milk and vanilla in a small mixing bowl; add 1/3 of the egg mixture to flour mixture. Beat at low speed of an electric mixer until blended. Beat at medium speed for 30 seconds or until batter is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl. Repeat procedure 2 times. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into 12 equal slices. If cake happens to "fall" or "compress", don't worry, it still works very well in the dessert.

Strawberries
2 lbs fresh strawberries
1/4 cup Splenda granulated
6 tblsp balsamic vinegar

1. Slice strawberries.
2. Toss with Splenda and balsamic vinegar.
3. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours (a bit longer is better - makes more "syrup").
   

Topping
2 cups whipping cream
2 tblsp Spenda

1. Stir Splenda into whipping cream, whip until stiff.
2. Place 2 slices of cake, side by side, in 6 individual serving dishes.
3. Top with strawberries, distributing evenly.
4. Top each with generous dolop of whip cream.
5. Serve it up ... guilt free!!

Whether you treat your father to gifts like automotive fine art, a trip to a car show, a nice meal, or just some quiet time (without being pestered to do yard work), we hope that both you and dad enjoy it. I know Michael will. Dessert aside, I overheard him talking to our son about working on one of our cars - the 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula (it's the gold one on the right, behind the cactus)! Have a Happy Father's Day. - Linda

Cool Mustang Police Chase

We receive emails daily from our clients, that include photos of their cars (of course - everyone hopes to see their car appear in one of Michael's automotive fine art paintings!), photos of car shows and other automotive events, family album stuff, and then, just cool things that they, themselves, have come across.

The video below is just that. And trust me, even if you're not a fan of Ford's Shelby Mustang, you'll have to admit that this ad for one of America's top modern muscle cars is just really, really cool! And face it, we all like cool stuff!

"Ask anybody over 50 this question, "What's the coolest thing you've ever owned?" Without missing a beat, most people will mention a favorite car or truck. It's been this way for generations. Cars are cool. Americans love them, what they stand for, their technology, and the freedom they provide."- by Rex Roy | AOL Autos

I don't usually forward emails, or share the jokes, etc that we receive. But this was just too neat to pass up on passing on. And although there are muscle cars used in almost every type of tv ad these days, including most recently Cialis and Nivea, this ad is all about the car, for the car lover! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. - Linda

Inspiring Car Art

As an automotive artist, one of the questions Michael gets asked most often is, "What motivates or inspires you in your car art?" There is no one answer. Sometimes it's being at the right place at the right time. Or at the right car show at the right time, as was the case for the painting, "From Showroom to Showfield" (shown above).

It was back in 1997 (I can't believe it's been 12 years!). We were attending the All-Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Not only an amazing swap meet for anyone looking to restore a car, but also a pretty good car show. Over the years we've seen incredible collections of Cougars, Fairlanes, Torinos, Galaxies, Thunderbirds, to name a few. And of course, Mustangs.

In 1997, however, Michael noticed that more and more new cars were showing up on the field. Literally, it seemed, driving (or being trailered) from the Ford showroom or car lot, right to the showfield. New classes were created and these cars became instant classics. This inspired Michael to paint, "From Showroom to Showfield" - paying tribute to the Mystic and Saleen Mustangs, with a nod and a glimpse at the other classics in the reflections of these incredible cars.

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." - Lee Iacocca

Recently, something else has helped to influence Michael - let's call it collective enthusiasm! Michael is known internationally for his paintings of "modern muscle" with paintings like, "New to the Chase", "The Chase Lives On" and "Shakin' Up the Street", so a Marauder painting was on the list of future projects. But it is David Popovich and the Motor City Marauders that are making it really happen. A group of owners/ enthusiasts, they have gotten together to commission Michael to create one of his high impact color, stunning watercolor paintings, this time featuring the powerful Mercury Marauder.


As a special thanks to this great group, Michael has decided to release a reproduction of the original sketch to those collectors that preorder "Marauders of Woodward" before May 17th, 2009. This is a one time, free offer - additional sketches will NOT be available. This is also the first time, ever, that Michael has released a pencil sketch, making this even more special, unique and collectible. Plus, all prints ordered before June 30th, 2009 will be co-signed by Steve Babcock, "The Father of the Marauder", Mercury Marauder Production Manager!

As part of the deal with the Motor City Marauders, for Michael to start painting, 100 orders need to be prepaid. The sooner that goal is reached, the sooner he'll start and the sooner the prints and sketches will be released. Now that's motivational! - Linda

Immortalizing Collector Cars

Why is the 1968 Shelby GT 500 ("Kings of the Road" shown above) so collectible, while, say the 1976 Chevrolet Chevette is not. Okay, admittedly, that's an extreme example and the reasons are beyond obvious, but my point is, what makes one car soar in collectibility and value in the eyes of collectors and enthusiasts, while others are seemingly passed over? And what, if anything, can change a car's status?

Of course there are several factors that contribute to the popularity of an automobile; production numbers, horsepower, performance, aesthetics ... the list goes on. Once a car is immortalized, in movies, television shows, die cast replicas and art, however, it's status and value as a true collector car increases. I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie that didn't have a Ford Mustang in it. Or a Chevy Corvette. Or a Dodge Charger. Arguably, these are some of the most iconic and highly valued classics on the market today.

That brings me to the Mercury Marauder - specifically the 2003-2004 limited production models, designed by Steve Babcock. Many owners of this car are die hard enthusiasts. Many started with the Ford Mustang, and have since moved to the roomier Marauder. It may appear to some to be a luxury sedan, but make no mistake, like many "sleepers," this is a powerful muscle car!

So far, these cars are revered by the people that own them, but have not yet reached the collector values that some of their counterparts have. But that may be about to change. Working with the Motor City Marauders, Michael has started on a painting, entitled "Marauders of Woodward." It features all four colors of Mercury's sinister 300 hp 4.6 V8, racing down the famous Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan during the annual Dreamcruise. With plans to have it completed this summer, fans of the Marauder are in for a treat. This is the first time the car has been immortalized in this way.


Dave Popovich of the Motor City Marauders, having been a long time fan and owner of some of Michael's work, including "Shakin' Up The Street," (shown above) was instrumental in making this happen. It's his devotion to the car, the website, forum and its members, that helped inspire Michael. As always, Michael strives to be as technically accurate as possible, so a big thanks to Steve Babcock for his help in that area.

Limited Edition Prints, Artist Proofs with Remarque and Gallery Editon Canvases of "Marauders of Woodward" are slated to be released by fall 2009. I'll keep you posted. - Linda