Artists - Page 2

     Welcome to the Artists page. On this and the other 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.) 

David Chapple  

     Artist David Chapple lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan. In describing his works he states, "Electric, colorful and glitzy are my first impressions when I think of my paintings. I'm intrigued by the view of a city when seen with an automobile's perspective." His works have won a number of awards, the most recent being the Passion of Motoring Award at the 2005 MEADOWBROOK CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Charles Maher 

     Early in his career, Charles Maher worked with a group of passionate young designers at Ford Motor Company. He later worked 14 years with a graphics firm in Detroit that designed production car graphics for Ford, GM, Honda (motorcycles), Toyota and other incidental projects, such as pace car graphics for the Long Beach Grand Prix.  Charles is a past president of the National Automotive Artists Association and currently a committee member for the Meadow Brook Historic Races. When the Automotive Fine Art Society began receiving new members, Charles was one of the first invited to exhibit. He has done cover paintings for AutoWeek and Sports Car Market, and his work has also appeared in Racer, Road & Track, Mustang Monthly, Automobile, and Car Collector magazines. Charles works almost exclusively in acrylics, but varies his technique not only from painting to painting, but even within a single work, which might have a watercolor-like background and a very realistic, oil-like subject vehicle.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Bill Harbort 

     Bill's passion for machines, speed and power has fueled a lifelong interest in American Musclecars. His attention to detail and use of the airbrush has attracted the eye of many automotive art directors. His award winning art has appeared on covers, as pull-out posters and inside pages of over 25 automobile publications. In addition to working as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, he has self published numerous limited edition art prints that feature American Musclecars from the sixties and seventies. He lives with his wife Sandy, two sons, Nicholas and Tyler and three x-racing greyhounds (Ethyl, Diesel & Petro) in Minot, North Dakota. He teaches Graphic Design and Illustration in the Art Department at Minot State University.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Doug Horne 

     "Back when I was a little bambino I knew I wanted to be an artist. My school notebook was covered front to back with my drawings. Being raised in a creative environment fed the flame. I guess you could say art is in my blood. My work reflects my interests in mid century artifacts deco style, tiki lounge, atomic futurism to mention just a few. Images of past pop culture mixed with current day pop culture provide an endless source of inspiration and possibilities for me.  I graduated from the Colorado institute of art with a background in graphic design and illustration. After working for various ad agencies and in house art departments I had a burning inside to be painting again. I quit working for the man to pursue painting full time. That was over 10 years ago and I've never looked back." - Doug Horne.   A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Mike Hill 

     Mike Hill lives in Gresham Oregon and has attained Signature Membership into the Northwest Watercolor Society and has also been juried into the Watercolor Society of Oregon. Mike states, "I originally chose watercolor because I perceived the difficulty of handling the medium as a challenge. I knew that watercolor didn't allow for many mistakes and for the most part you don't use opaque whites. I now do watercolor because I love the translucency and the vitality of the medium. I paint realism and love the ability to enhance what I see with an emphasis on color and light. I like to think of my work as realism with an attitude. You will see colors that might not really be so vivid in real life, contrasts that will be more pronounced, and people and things added that might tell a better story. As an artist you can see the nuances and the nostalgia that a scene might bring. You see under around and through the subjects, you love the absence as well as the presence of objects. Life is precious and even more precious when you can recreate it on paper."  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Stan Stokes

     Stan Stokes is a California native with more than 37 years as a full time professional artist, who developed a passion for vintage cars, trains and airplanes at an early age. Model building and RC planes filled the many hours of the young enthusiast's free time. After studying art in College, Stan decided to pursue a career as a professional artist. Stan has won many prestigious awards including the Benedictine Art Award in 1975 and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's "Golden Age of Flight" award in 1985. In May of 2000, Stan was honored with the National Museum of Naval Aviation's "R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art. Today his work encompasses not only aviation and space but also portraits, landscapes, ships, and classic car fine art paintings. During his 37 years as a professional artist, he has been asked to produce literally hundreds of paintings documenting historical events, people and places. To quote Stan's publisher, "Stan is a workaholic who really loves what he does for a living, and is constantly trying to improve." It is this constant pursuit of excellence that explains why Stan Stokes is as good as he is at what he does, and is highly sought after by museums and collectors alike.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Marc Lacourciere 

     Marc Lacourciere is known for both the authentic realism and sense of drama that he brings to each subject he portrays. Accomplished Windsor, Canada born and bred artist, Lacourciere's work has gained international recognition with posters and award winning limited edition prints showcasing his illustrative prowess in depicting cars, motorcycles, planes, and high-tech machinery. In 1994, Lacourciere was chosen as the artist for The Hamilton Collection's famous commemorative plate series on America's Classic Corvettes. Then came Street Rods, Muscle Cars, and the Harley-Davidson motorcycle "Revival of an Era" collection, saluting the 25th anniversary of Easyriders magazine. He's currently working on a new collection featuring NASCAR race cars and prints depicting motorcycles from the American Chopper television series.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Wayne Wright 

     Born in the Midwest, Wayne Wright (also known as Grave Minder) had a love of motorcycles and the biker lifestyle at the tender age of 9. After many hours of teaching himself, he started doing art depicting his love for bikes. His attention to detail and keen eye for the lifestyle are depicted in the precision of his digital art works. Currently Wayne Wright has opened a gallery of his own and has been invited to show his work in several galleries in his local Iowa area. A major national publication has invited him to Daytona for Bike Week to show his art.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.

Michael Bryan

    Michael Bryan is one of the most sought after artists to emerge on the West Coast in the past decade. Action and movement resonate in his artwork. He uses a unique combination of painting techniques and perspectives to captures the force and grace of automobiles. He also works in subjects depicting Motorcycles, Aircraft, Boats, Jazz, Sports, Casino, Western, and Street themes.  Michael was born in Chicago in 1947 and was educated at Southern Illinois University, Amonson College, Mayfair College, Chicago Art Institute, Northwood Institute, and Elgin College. His works have been exhibited in numerous museums including the Blackhawk Automotive Museum and the BMW Museum, Munich, Germany. Michael Bryan has been the "Official Artists" at nineteen major events, including; 2005 Bentley, Newport Beach, CA, 1996 BMW's '96 Olympics, and the 1991 Toyota Grand Prix.  A sample of his artwork can be seen below.