Artists - Page 1

     Welcome to the Artists page. On this and the following artists pages you will find brief bios and a sample artwork of the artists represented by Ignition Gallery.  You can click on a number of the artwork pics and see a larger image. However, none of the images do justice to the vibrancy of the originals or limited edition prints.  (Further artworks by the artists can be viewed on the Portfolio Slide Show page.) 

William Storm

     "For me art isn't about drawing, painting, water color, paper or canvas. It's about seeing with new eyes and building on that which is seen. To be in the moment when light and shadow compliment form, when time is lost and paper or canvas has it's own life, those are truly the magic instances of 'seeing' with new eyes. My work is in mixed media with a realistic style on the highest quality substrates using the highest quality materials. All originals and giclee prints are archival quality and meant to be passed down through the generations of your family." - William F. Storm. William lives in Ashland. A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Ed Golden   

     Artist Ed Golden was born in California in 1957, and lived his formative teenage years in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended Lincoln Savage Middle School and graduated from Grants Pass High School In 1975. He grew up with a passion for motor sports and muscle cars. There have been very few days in the past 35 years that Ed has not drawn at least one car. In Golden's life, art and the automobile are inseparable! Golden is the Design Director at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, responsible for the design of the Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln car lineup for North America. In his spare time away from the studio, Ed indulges his passion for motor sport by creating art of dragsters, race cars, hot rods, customs and vintage aircraft. Golden earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Dale Klee 

     Born in 1944, Dale Klee grew up in a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where he had daily exposure to cars at his father's Standard Service gas station. "I got extremely excited whenever an old coupe or convertible would pull in for gas. I was especially fond of the old Ford flatheads." In school Dale was often caught drawing hot rods and cartoons. In 1980, after the usual route through college and mainstream jobs, Dale decide to convert his hobby of painting abandoned cars and country places into a full-time occupation. "I like to think I'm painting for people who get an unexplainable thrill from discovering an abandoned old car. I hope my art, like the old cars themselves, stirs the imagination of the viewer. I'm doing what I love and grateful that so many people enjoy it."  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

 Roger Hector   

     An internationally recognized artist and designer, Roger Hector has spent over 25 years designing his passions. His life-long fascination with automobiles started after winning a national car design competition which attracted the attention of General Motors. They suggested he pursue automobile design as a career and later offered him a scholarship at the prestigious Art Center College of Design, where he graduated with Honors. His highly accurate, detailed, and tightly controlled painting style is a hallmark of his work. His extensive understanding of form and architecture, and his obsessively accurate attention to detail, has led him to create both classic portraits, and acclaimed fine art compositions.  His work is highly-sought by private collectors, and has been featured in major museums such as The National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, the Peterson Museum in LA, and the Blackhawk Automobile Museum in Danville, California. A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Darshan Zenith

     Darshan Zenith's unique art form captures the character as well as the nostalgic beauty of the rustic "Cruiser" still found today on Hawaiian surfing beaches. The cars featured are actually high quality museum piece scale models which have been meticulously and exquisitely "aged, dinged and rusted out" by Darshan, and are presented in original painted Hawaiian beach scenes. Darshan notes: "We see character etched in the leathery face of an elderly person or on the weather-beaten facade of an old building. That same character and wisdom are found in the rusted and wrinkled sheet metal of each cruiser -- most of whom have lived longer and seen far more of life than their current owners."  Darshan hopes all who view the prints will feel the Aloha. "We hope Cruiser Art will evoke a smile and bit of simple joy."  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Hugo Prado  

     Hugo Prado grew up in Miraflores a West Coast surfing suburb of Lima, Peru. His main passion, other than car races and surfing, was drawing. Hugo's father, Carlos, was a race car driver, and a source of inspiration.  The delicate detail in his paintings is owed in part to his technical background as an industrial designer. Hugo's medium is a mixed media of acrylic and watercolors sprayed through the airbrush. Technical pens are also used to bring accurate detail to the whole painting. His original paintings measure 25" from bumper to bumper and usually take 3 months to complete.  His work has been televised nationwide in MOTORWEEK, a prestigious automotive TV show. Hugo's work has been showcased in top magazines like CORVETTE FEVER, CORVETTE QUARTERLY, VETTE MAGAZINE, HOT ROD, HEMMINGS MOTORNEWS, and OLD CARS WEEKLY. Among Hugo's noted collectors is JAY LENO, of the Tonight Show.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Tom Hale 

      "I was drawing automobiles at seven years old and have simply never stopped. I study intently the surfaces of a particular automobile trying to understand the reflective patterns and why light reacts the way it does on an automobile. I can use that surface as my canvas and attempt to create a work of art depicting what I see and imagine. I find automobiles, especially the classics and that wonderful era of the 50's to be intriguing subjects for a work of art." - Tom Hale  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Collin Bogle 

     The son of a famous American artist, Collin learned the concepts of technique, composition and design from his father, later refining his skills and setting out on his own artistic path. His remarkable ability to capture detail and to master the use of light in natural settings became hallmarks of his work.  "Light plays a major role in my work," states the artist. "An abundance of light and shadows creates a playground for me, and allows a painting to take on a life of its own.  The artist's paintings are not limited to any one subject or medium and demonstrate great flexibility and technical versatility. Bogle uses pastels, colored pencils, watercolor and acrylics, whatever it takes to create the superbly-lighted, realistic and almost photographic images that have gained him an impressive reputation and following.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Eric Herrmann

     Eric has been drawing, painting an riding bikes since he was a kid.  Educated at Triton College of Fine Art in suburban Chicago and Arizona State University, Eric holds a BFA in Graphic design with studies in painting and printing technology as well.  He has won acclaim for not only his depiction of motorcycles but his use of composition and color as well.   His art is sought after by collectors and corporations worldwide.  Showings include the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles and hte A.M.A. Museum in Ohio.  His art is frequently featured in magazines such as Easyriders, Hot Bike, American Rider, Hot Rod Bikes,  The Robb Report, Phoenix Magazine and others.    Eric's original paintings are all done with only a brush on canvas, using acrylic paint.  They are large in size, averaging four foot by five foot.  Eric and his wife Suzanne reside in Cave Creek Arizona.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Dan McCrary  

     Combining a photo-realist approach to watercolor technique with a unique and adventurous sense of composition, Dan McCrary applies his vision to a wide variety of automotive subjects. The Development of reflection and shine can be played to the maximum on one piece, and then he shifts into another gear to depict in amazing detail the rust and pitted chrome of an aging derelict.  Dan was born in 1949 in Raleigh, N.C. As early as age 5, he was attending races and becoming fascinated with automobiles in general. He attended East Carolina University and worked for several years as a musician before turning to the fulltime pursuit of automotive art in the early eighties. Dan's award-winning work has been widely published and can be found in numerous prominent individual and corporate collections.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.