Yet another 1957 Dodge Pickup Painting

I think I've drawn or painted the 1957 Dodge pickup more than any other car or truck.  There's a bone stock orange one at the beach, a Power Wagon gasser, a Power Wagon lowrider, and three Sweptside Surf Weirdos.  I don't get tired of painting them.  Maybe I'll do a Sweptside power Wagon next.

Yes, the red on the cab and the bed side is supposed to be mismatched.  I prefer vehicles that show a little age, look like they've been driven and not stored in a climate controlled, carpeted garage.  It gives them a character you can't fake or buy in a can.

Surf Weirdos #20
8.75x13 inches, painted in watercolor.

Hand Drawn T Shirts

This is something I've been dabbling with for about a year now.  I draw the image on a t shirt using a squeeze bottle filled with screenprinting ink, and then use a piece of cardboard to move it around to create grays and patina.  The ink is a water based textile ink which softens a bit after being washed, so the image has a sort of "lived in" look.

They're fun to do, as I get to be a bit messy, and I can draw the same thing multiple times and never wind up with two identical images.  For instance, the next time I draw Truck Monster, maybe there's someone behind the wheel, or perhaps I chop the truck.  They also finish quickly, as it's supremely difficult to be fiddly when you're essentially drawing with a glue bottle and a spatula.  You have to go with the flow, which can make for some interesting results.


I've put a few of these drawn shirts up on ebay.  The shirts are all Hanes Beefy T in classic white, different sizes.  Quantities are, naturally, limited, though I do plan to add more designs as time marches on.

Surf Weirdos #3

It's not as easy as you might think to surf a van.  They're more expensive than boards, surprisingly, sometimes costing thousands of dollars.  Maintenance is more costly as well, as there are more parts and more fluids involved than even the most finicky wood boards require.  The weight makes paddling out a Herculean effort, unless you can afford an outboard motor.  Steering on a wave is more hope and prayer than actual result.  Rust is always a worry, and draining after a wipeout can take weeks.  But nothing can replace that look on people's faces when you wash up on the beach after hangin' ten in a van.

Painted in oil on a 6x8 inch panel.  Available for purchase here.

Marine Weirdos 7

"I don't remember seeing tentacles and bugeyes as options in the sales literature.  They must be aftermarket items."

Painted in oil on a 6x9 panel.  Available on Daily Paintworks.

Aerial Weirdos #8

The exciting sequel to Aerial Weirdos #3!

After an extensive and expensive rebuild, Veronica is ready to try again to be the first woman to orbit the Earth in a truck cab.  Will she do it this time?  We'll find out in T minus eight minutes and counting.

This is a rare piece for me, as I don't do too many sequels.  Variations on a theme, sure, but it's not very often I revisit a particular story and do a "one month later" sort of thing.  The ideas are there, but they have to compete with the deluge of ideas and schemes in my head that I haven't explored yet, and usually get relegated to the back burner.  But this one just wouldn't give up.  I guess Veronica's too stubborn to get forgotten.

Maybe there will be a part three sometime.  Stay tuned.

Painted in oil on a 6x10 inch panel.  Sold.

Tiki God 2

Do not be fooled by the tiki's calm, relaxed demeanor. Look into those glowing red eyes and you'll know you are in serious trouble. The instant you cross the line, he'll toast you like a cheap bagel, then smash you into oblivion.

But just look at that car! Isn't that worth the risk?  Besides, you've got a machete, so what are you worried about?


13.5x28 inches, painted in watercolor.  Available for purchase at Daily Paintworks.

The Low Power Wagon, In Glorious Color!

The color version of this post.  The idea is that this is a barn find, discovered after about two decades under a leaky roof.  After being extricated from beneath a pile of gunny sacks, the truck is simply cleaned, polished, and given a mechanical once over.  No new paint or other cosmetic work.  Not sure if you could match that color, anyway.  It was a custom mix, and no one can find the original recipe.

Of course, the question remains; is it possible to do this to a four wheel drive Power Wagon and keep it four wheel drive?  If it is, it would be awesome.

Painted in watercolor, 10x21 inches.

The Low Power Wagon

Another low riding, completely impractical, and maybe impossible 4WD hot rod pickup. 

As with the first Impossible, the important part of this build is to get the body to scrape the pavement, while preserving the four wheel drive system.  The fact that the body has been sectioned compounds the problem, as there is now less space inside the sheetmetal in which to cram all the workings.  What do you do?  Relocate the engine to the bed, or the passenger seat?  You'd have to re-engineer the front wheel driveline.  Smaller engine?  Why bother?  What's the point of a Power Wagon without the power?

Can it be done in the real world, or is it doomed to be only a screwball idea on watercolor paper?

Aerial Weirdos #3 - Crash

"Veronica Maeus was nearly the first person to put a Dodge truck cab in orbit this morning. Unfortunately, engine trouble forced her to abort the attempt and crash land her vehicle in the Arizona desert. She's announced she fully intends to try again once she's hammered the bugs out of the injection system."

I have a sequel on the drawing board.  Stay tuned.

5.75 inches square, painted in oil.  Sold.