Artist Scott Wade Turns Vehicles Into Rolling Art
By Cheryl Hawkinson
As a California transplant, I have never had a car as dirty as my car is right now! For some, the thought of dirt on their beloved four wheel form of transportation is one of great embarrassment! For others it may not be a big deal, still there is one among us in this great big state of Texas who sees it simply as, "something more." Scott Wade, identifies the dirty back window of your car as a "canvas" to express his art! Scott is able to take something embarrassingly dirty, embrace it and create something beautiful! Most of us simply see the dirt as just that… DIRT. But for Scott, he immediately sees potential.
As a young boy, Scott lived on a long, dirt road in Central Texas for over 20 years. "Since our cars were always dirty, I would often "doodle" in the dust on the rear windows of our cars. I started experimenting with ways to get shading. At first I would use the pads of my fingers and brush very lightly to get "grey" tones. One time I was chewing on a popsicle stick, and I tried using the chewe
d up end as a brush. I liked the effect, so I started trying paintbrushes, and eventually developed the techniques I use today." explains Scott. To prepare his "canvas" Scott rubs a thin layer of almond oil on his clean window before driving the dirt roads of Texas, allowing the dust to build up evenly for his next masterpiece. The Texas limestone and clay dust adheres well to the prepared glass but may take up to 2 weeks of driving for the dirt to be thick enough to begin the hour long process of designing and sketching his new art piece.
You're probably asking the question, "What about the rain?" Well, according to Scott, "I may sometimes feel a little twang of regret, but really it's great, because that means I get to do another one! The impermanence of this art form is one of the things I really love about it. For one thing, it helps me to not take it too seriously and to really have fun with it. But most important, it reminds me that all of life is impermanent, that we won't be here all that long, and to really enjoy the wonder and beauty while we're here."
Scott has been thrilling car owners with his art form for many years. "Dirty Car Art," has brought him world-wide recognition. In 2007 he moved from the dirt road in San Marcos to a paved road in Wimberley, Texas. Scott continually seeks opportunities to bring Dirty Car Art to the world, making appearances at fairs, festivals, and corporate events, and contributing his talents to ad and PR campaigns. He now offers his talents to Brides and Grooms, creating a personal piece of art to the couples "getaway" car.
I invite you to view Scott's website: www.DirtyCarArt.com. Here you can take a glimpse at some of Scott's past work. For me, I'll never look at another dirty car window the same way again. Maybe you too, can muster up a smile when looking at your very own dirty car window.
