Controlled Chaos

One of my favorite pastimes is shifter karting.

There are few things in this world more exhilarating than getting violently thrown around a kart track at up to 100 mph with your butt an inch off the ground. At times I'm not sure if I drive the shifter kart or if it drives me. This might be due to the fact that I'm not a skilled karter or it could have something to do with the mind numbing power to weight ratio. Let's just say it's the latter to save my ego the embarrassment of admitting I'm slow.

The karting experience transmits the sensation in the seat of your pants that you are on the verge of losing control at any moment. It is raw and primal in every way. I personally think it is so damn addicting because it gives you the illusion of being in control of an object that is inherently out of control.

Painting is similar in its' own regard.

Now I know it might seem like a stretch to compare painting to driving a 100 mph kart but they both offer the illusion of controlled chaos. This comparison is fresh on my mind because I've entered the final phase of my artwork and have been applying "paint" to my sculpture.

Applying paint in an abstract manner to any piece of artwork, whether it be a piece of canvas or an aluminum form, is a discipline much like that of driving a shifter kart. You know where you want to go, the question is does the kart want to go there? You apply the necessary inputs to achieve your line but in reality you are always on the edge of loosing control. Flowing paint reacts in much the same fashion. You know what you would like the paint to do but invariably you have to will it to follow your line. That is the beauty of it all.

Thankfully I'm a far better painter than shifter kart driver!

Although fun, it is intimidating to throw caution to the wind and begin painting something that has taken you a thousand hours to make. Just like karting, if you screw up you'll have a worthless twisted pile of scrap metal! Thank God I'm one week in and I haven't wrecked it.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted a finish as unique and gestural as the sculpture itself. I spent a great deal of time researching and testing finish and paint combinations until I felt I had the right look. I envisioned something that was very saturated in color and value yet translucent and fluid like a watercolor wash. I tried several different wash techniques to perfect the flowing water visual I desired.

This is where controlled chaos theory comes into play.

I have to position my sculpture in space and let loose with a Pollokesque technique of throwing paint and letting the different colors flow and run amuck. It is a difficult balancing act. Too much color at once and it all blends together into a muddy mess. Not enough color and it becomes opaque and looks like graffiti. If you don't have the sculpture at the right angle gravity pulls the finish in the wrong direction and it contradicts the flowing lines and forms of the sculpture. You have to also factor in preheating the sculpture so that the essential patina effect takes hold. If it isn't preheated to exactly 180 - 200 degrees the patinas won't do their job and you start back from square one.

Sound like fun? Yeah, that's what I thought too!

It's been a very stressful process but things are going well to this point. I am still building up the layers of finish and color but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have a long way to go before the final clear. Now is the most exciting time of the entire art process because I can really start to see things coming together. I've got my fingers crossed and I'm hoping things continue to go well.

I'll keep you posted!

Knowing When to Stop

It has been my experience through the years that the most difficult part of creating a piece of art is knowing when to stop.

I've often dreamed of being able to work at leisure and let each piece dictate it's own time frame. Who wouldn't want to be free of all time constraints and nuisances such as deadlines? It may sound liberating but I know things would spiral on for eternity and I would never get anything done. You can't show, let alone sell, a collection of unfinished art.

No matter what painting, sculpture, or design I've worked on I've always felt it could use just a "little bit more". I've always wanted just one more brush stroke. Just one more hour. Sooner or later you have to accept enough is enough and move on.

Today was my self imposed deadline for that moment. Ready or not, I had no say in the matter. "A man's got to know his limits." as Clint would say.

Today was circled in red on my project calendar as the point of no return months ago. It's been glaring at me from a distance like some crimson beacon of inevitability. If I hope to finish on schedule I need to leave the remaining time for finishing and refinement. Those are uncharted waters and I'm going to need some wiggle room just in case things go awry.

Time to cover the english wheel and put down my hammers and dollies.

For once I feel the timing is perfect. I am very comfortable with where I am today and I feel it's "there". I've spent the last few months adding a pinch and a dash here and there just like a pot of pasta sauce. The last taste today was just right. Time to move on.

This doesn't mean the pace will let up. Only the focus will change. I'll now have to spend hour upon hour grinding, sanding, and buffing the metal to get just the right look. I've got the finished image in my mind's eye, all I have to do is make it a reality. There is no room for error.

I'll get to have a lot of fun and be more loose at this stage so I'm excited and reenergized. Working six days a week has worn me down but the notion of playing with patina and wielding my paints has me enthused.

Time to fire up the Pink Floyd and fling some paint. Dark Side of the Moon anyone?

Tig and Turkey

The end of November is already upon us. How did that happen so quickly?

Thanksgiving brings sunny Florida a few chilly days when the occasional cold front pushes through. Being the Sunshine State those "chilly" days are in the low 60's with brisk nights in the high 40's. That's one of the reasons I don't miss Ohio this time of year!

Normally I like to take advantage of the long holiday week by heading up to Stuart to enjoy some of the incredible pompano fishing that heats up this time of year. If I can't find any pompano I know I can always shoot outside and have some fun with the spanish mackeral. It's a sure thing and is always fun.

This year things will be different. I'll be working.

With Cavallino looming even closer I'll be foregoing the turkey and fishing for some much needed extra time on my artwork. I still have a lot to do if I want to finish in time and I need every minute I can get. Too bad I have to sleep or I'd be done.

Things are progressing nicely but I'm at the stage where every little detail is tedious and time consuming. I need to be ready for paint (for lack of a better term) by December 1st to remain on schedule. That means this week will be spent fabricating every chance I get. How long does it take a Sync 200 to tig cook a 15 pound turkey?

Take a look at the second teaser image above and you'll get a glimpse of where I'm going. I can't show my hand until the event but it's made of aluminum. Lots of aluminum! Keep checking in for my weekly update and you'll see more each time. Until then...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't Call It a Comeback!

In case you haven't noticed, the Hot Shoe home page has been heralding January 22, 2009 as my triumphant return into the world of automotive art.

Well, at least I hope it will be triumphant despite the current economic environment of which I have the misfortune to relaunch the pursuit of my life-long dream. A successful art career is a long shot in the best of financial climates. Recession not withstanding, I'm maintaining an optimistic attitude. With only 65 days to go I won't have to wait long.

I have always loved creating automotive themed artwork. Having been through the transportation design program at the Cleveland Institute of Art, it was a natural progression to draw and paint the subject matter I so dearly loved.

Design is an exciting and ever challenging career but its real world demands and parameters limit you creatively to be less "artistic" in your approach. Automotive art lets you take this skill and add your own interpretation as an artist, there are zero rules. Dig a little deeper and you'll find that most of the industry's top designers also moonlight as automotive artists. I suppose it's cathartic.

The point being, it's something I truly love to do. When I was a bit younger I tried to make a full time career out of it but foolishly let it fall by the wayside in the quest for the more traditional "steady paycheck" approach. I'll divulge more details of the course of events that led me to this crossroads in the About section in the upcoming days. It's a long, long story.

Suffice it to say here and now that I'm back! As ridiculous as it sounds I've got that LL Cool J tune earworming in my head. Hence today's title.

This time I'm bringing out the big gun. You'll have to wait for the Cavallino Classic in January of 2009 for the official debut. I'm not going to show anything more than the vague teaser image above but I promise you it will be like nothing you've ever seen before. It has been the most demanding, intense piece of artwork I've ever created. I think everyone who has seen the piece since its inception thinks I'm insane for even attempting it. Hell, even I think I'm crazy!

It's been a nonstop roller coaster ride since I began one year ago. At my current pace I will have just over 1,000 hours of total time invested. The scariest thing is the amount of work still remaining. I will barely finish in time for the event. There are going to be a lot of late nights in the next 65 days! Against all odds it must be finished in time or my dream will end before it has even had a chance to begin.  It's do or die.

I'll shed a little insight and additional images each week until the final unveiling. Be sure to check here weekly from now until Cavallino for more updates.

Mama said knock you out!

The Red Mist

There is an epidemic raging that inflicts the hearts and minds of car enthusiasts. It is a volatile and easily transmitted sickness that has no cure. Those who are stricken suffer from a euphoric state and demonstrate a passionate aversion to being cured.

This disease is known among Tifosi as the "red mist". The red mist is that uncontrollable feeling that strikes you deep down in your core whenever a Ferrari is near. It's the same stirring that ignited your soul the first time you kissed a beautiful girl. It's that same shot of adrenaline you felt the first time you deftly balanced speed, momentum, and traction into a four wheel drift.

Your pulse begins to race and your hands tremble. You are inexplicably overcome by the urge to write blank checks and sing Puccini. You are completely entranced and oblivious to the world around you. You are possessed.

There is hope.

For those of us who suffer from the red mist there is relief in the form of the Cavallino Classic. The Cavallino Classic is the premier Ferrari only event held every January in Palm Beach, Florida at the elegant Breakers Hotel and Resort.


It is here that myself and other proclaimed red mist addicts can gather in the the Florida sunshine and get our "fix" among endless rows of Maranello's finest creations. This year featured an incredible group of 166 Barchettas as well as several pontoon fendered Testarossas. It was, as it always is, simply breathtaking.

The event begins at the local track where you can see Ferraris driven as they were meant to be. Over the course of two full days you'll view every manner of vintage and modern Ferrari at speed. You name it, it's there. There is even a rally on the local scenic streets of Palm Beach that results in a sea of red meandering through palm lined avenues.

The highlight of the week is the magnificent concours that takes place Saturday on the lawn of the Breakers. The collection of Ferraris that are displayed here every year is unquestionably one of the greatest in the country and possibly even the world. I've had the fortune of attending both Pebble Beach and the Concorso Italiano and I can honestly say that there is no greater Ferrari focused event. The breadth and amount of vintage and modern Ferraris on hand is simply mind numbing.

If you suffer from the red mist like myself and so many others, you should seriously consider making the time to attend the next Cavallino Classic. Not only do you get to enjoy an incredible venue, you are guaranteed to get that rush that keeps us addicted to speed and cars for life.

Forza!