tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36461584156327673352012-01-27T14:51:18.194-05:00Car art, personal stories, info and insights from the Automotive Fine Art Studio of "Reflections of Horsepower" artist, Michael Irvine. A true car guy, when he’s not creating automotive paintings, Michael joins fellow enthusiasts in restoring and enjoying cars and traveling to events nationwide. Michael captures American muscle cars and sports cars in vibrant, incredibly detailed, surreal watercolor paintings. His car art hangs in homes, dens, offices, man caves and garages around the world.MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-42782495743958256702011-12-29T22:05:00.000-05:002011-12-29T22:05:23.698-05:00

(noun) - A remarque is a small, personalized drawing or symbol that an artist adds (near his or her signature) on a print. The presence of a remarque increases the print's value. Michael draws or paints a custom remarque, done to order for the client per their preferences on his Artist Proofs. Limited to only 20 per print edition, they are very rare, personal, and of course, a one-of-a-kind.

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-45904778838857325672011-12-14T14:13:00.000-05:002011-12-15T08:51:19.288-05:00

"Is Michael a watercolor artist with a focus on car art, or is he a true gearhead / car guy?" — is probably one of the top questions we get asked by car enthusiasts and art collectors, alike. I think that the ornaments that make up at least half of the decorations on our family Christmas tree (photos in no particular order) say it all! Here's our tree this year. Yes,

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-83111186110109816462011-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-13T11:01:58.967-05:00

We have a number of clients that are creating man caves in the house and, even more often now, in the "garage." Here is one we had a chance to visit recently and see for our selves. Big thanks to Tim for giving us the grand tour. He has a really cool, eclectic collection of cars and a garage space to suit. This summer  he opened his property to the public to host a car show with proceeds going

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-88853516179480765752011-12-10T10:35:00.001-05:002011-12-10T11:08:14.424-05:00

It can be a juggle sometimes; along with Michael's car art, there's the kids, the house, the cooking, the laundry, along with baking sugar free breads and cakes for my diabetic parents. With most of Michael's talented energy concentrated on the painting of the automotive watercolors (it is where he shines, after all), the rest pretty much falls to me. And, unlike some people, I am not a super

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-90786523899995160972011-12-06T10:18:00.001-05:002011-12-06T10:37:47.325-05:00

As you may already know, along with the Limited Edition car art prints that automotive fine artist Michael Irvine offers of his original watercolor paintings, he also releases 20 Artist Proofs with Custom Remarque. I've touched on these in previous posts (search Artist Proof on this blog) and there is a page on our website dedicated to these unique, personalized works: http://michaelirvine.com/

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-54869790038344836122011-11-25T11:40:00.001-05:002011-11-25T11:47:28.758-05:00

The Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals in Chicago was a great event to round out our show year. Held indoors at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, it was a round up of some of the sweetest cars from across North America. Originally created as a Corvette only, then Corvette and Chevy show, three years ago it evolved into the show it is today. It was really cool to see that many impressive

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-78798974976429625562011-11-05T12:38:00.009-04:002011-11-05T12:47:05.621-04:00

We didn't make it to SEMA this year, but we have been there 3 times in the last 5 years. I found this article on the SpeedTV blog site ... as in the past, looks like there were pretty cool cars and accessories to check out! Including Richard Petty's Signature Series 2012 Mustang. Too bad we couldn't attend this year, but at least Michael's work was on display there. Once again, Dots Gallery

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-24177720720103544782011-11-02T20:18:00.000-04:002011-11-02T20:18:13.286-04:00

At events like car shows and auctions, where we sell Michael's car art, we often get raised eyebrows over our use of the old, manual, credit card machine. Having had 3 of our own credit cards compromised during an 18month period, we have been, perhaps, overly protective. And we want to make extra sure that our clients' credit card information remains safe with us, thus, we've stayed away from

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-63752467533564292312011-10-07T12:42:00.001-04:002011-10-07T12:43:26.608-04:00

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” –  Steve Jobs It seems that not only was Steve Jobs a visionary when it came to technology, but also in his view on life. I came across a website (Macstories), where they posted 60 quotes that were classic "Steve." I read through them, and have to agree with many of the commentators ... the

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-15012139494155495072011-09-27T13:06:00.000-04:002011-09-27T13:06:10.268-04:00

I don't think of myself as a romantic, but being a part of a "muscle car wedding proposal" gave me goosebumps!! We know many of Michael's car art prints, artist proofs and gallery edition canvases have been given as a gift for a number of occasions: birthday, retirement, anniversary, Father's Day, client and customer appreciation; grooms have bought an automotive print for their best man gift;

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-46958303307827193222011-09-14T12:15:00.001-04:002011-09-14T12:23:44.752-04:00

Looking back, I cannot believe my last post was way back in June for Father's Day! Actually, with our busy summer schedule, I guess it's not all that surprising. Like many self employed people, we don't really have a down time, and if anything, the "car show season" makes summer even busier for us. Add to that our kids on summer break, and there's not much spare time. All that being said, we had

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-53915012087851221412011-06-20T12:30:00.003-04:002011-06-20T12:33:42.435-04:00

Just a few short days short of summer, and spring finally arrived. And, just in time for Father's Day! As we do each year, we had a some lucky dads ask for, and receive, one (or two) of Michael's prints for their special day. There are definitely some off-spring collecting some major points this year! The AutoDream Group is a complete car restoration facility. Michael and I got to spend the

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-33955014042437630982011-06-14T09:41:00.002-04:002011-06-20T13:45:48.774-04:00

One thing I love about the car enthusiast hobby, is that although it's definitely for grownups, it can be a real family experience. And THAT, is great to see. Especially when you consider that in order for it to thrive into the future, we have to get the next generation interested early on. It's wonderful to see fathers and sons, or whole families for that matter, cruising the show field at

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-24756927456693556792011-06-06T12:19:00.001-04:002011-06-06T12:21:59.089-04:00

"Pure As The Driven Snow" - 'Pure' Shelby Painting On Pure As The Driven Snow, released June, 2011 "Very cool painting! If I was Ford guy, I would buy it." - Dave"Michael's a creative genius. The internet just doesn't do it justice. Better in person than I could even have imagined—I was blown away when I saw it." - Jim"Really nice Shelbys." - Joanne"LOVE IT!!! Hook me up with one." - Paul "

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-11011667900430810262011-06-06T00:48:00.003-04:002011-06-06T00:50:36.112-04:00

We spent another wonderful weekend at the Fleetwood Country Cruize-In. With the exception of a bit of rain on Saturday morning (and some thunder), the weather was 'car show' perfect. As we've come to expect, the cars on display were incredible and our host, Steve Plunkett, incredibly gracious. All proceeds generated by this annual event go to the Plunkett Foundation, which in turn supports many

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-71541684935551191482011-05-20T21:44:00.029-04:002011-05-31T22:44:51.615-04:00

And so does Michael's art! In grand fashion, Mr. October's Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes, 1965 Shelby Mustang brought in a whopping $225,000 at the Auburn Auction Park this past weekend. We were lucky enough to be there and to meet the man himself .... several times! Turns out, Reggie Jackson is not only a baseball legend and a classic car buff, but he has a wonderful appreciation

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-39524916903762048172011-03-27T16:16:00.004-04:002011-04-04T00:05:45.364-04:00

If you attended one of the car shows that Michael and I displayed his automotive art at recently, like Performance World in Toronto or the London Custom and Speed Show, you may have heard me describe an Artist Proof with Remarque to a client. First, we should touch on what an Artist Proof is.An Artist Proof was, quite simply, exactly what it sounds like ... an individual reproduction that the

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-10238151847431317052011-03-11T00:43:00.000-05:002011-03-11T00:43:55.383-05:00

You can check out Michael's work in person March 11, 12 and 13 at the International Centre in Toronto, Ontario. We'll be showing prints and Gallery Edition Canvases of "C1, See Them All" and "BEEP BEEP!" for the first time! As well as the Gallery Edition Canvas of "Four–Barrel Four–Speeds With Dual Exhaust". It looks like it's going to be a great show. Also at the show, an amazing collection of

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-84266756698746006802011-02-22T00:28:00.000-05:002011-03-11T00:29:06.654-05:00

Artist Michael Irvine's Mission Statement: "To constantly challenge myself and create paintings that I can be proud to stand in front of." - Michael Irvine And he really does live, and paint, by that statement. If Michael's not completely happy with the setting, title, cars, story, any part of the painting, he won't paint it. For the better part of 20 years, the fine art was more of a hobby,

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-61385573067226966332011-02-11T05:51:00.001-05:002011-02-17T12:10:29.784-05:00

Taking a bit of a breather since finishing his latest painting, "Beep Beep!" featuring the powerful Plymouth Road Runners, Michael came across this cool and challenging game. He said it was tough and a couple had him baffled. In the end, he scored a respectable 15 out of 19 ... how will you measure up? It's called the "Engine ID Game #2 (V8s from 1957 to 1972) Trivia Game", check it out at:

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-39122784929146995872011-01-18T17:25:00.001-05:002011-02-02T19:05:52.242-05:00

All you Mopar fans will be glad to hear that Michael is busy working on his latest painting, which is due to be released in early February 2011. The video clip above should give you a pretty good hint as to what the feature cars in the painting are! As much as I'd like to, I haven't been given the go ahead to leak any more information than that. All I can say, is that if you're a true Plymouth

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-26922876216252439472010-12-15T16:03:00.000-05:002011-01-30T16:04:44.307-05:00

As I touched on in my last installment, Buying Art ( Lesson 2), Authentic Art Reproductions vs Fakes, there are several different types of "reproductions" of original art. But, like everything else, there are some major differences. In the case of Michael's art, our reproductions are not only incredibly close to the original paintings, but also, produced on the highest quality papers, with the

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-70881843664805960812010-11-19T10:19:00.000-05:002010-11-19T10:19:04.187-05:00

Like everyone else, we've been watching news about the TSA, the body scanners and the "much too personal" physical searches. The whole thing has many people concerned about the health ramifications of the radiation, as well as being personally violated. There is actually a National Opt-Out Day (please note, the images on the site are a bit graphic) scheduled for Wednesday, November 24th, that

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-68243087048901011362010-11-15T00:54:00.000-05:002010-11-15T00:54:47.400-05:00

It's finally here —  Michael's long awaited Corvette painting. Entitled, "C1, See Them All" it features over 30 cars, spanning all six generations of America's classic sports car. It will be officially released tomorrow, but it's up on line now. It is the 7th painting in Michael's "Muscle Car Landscapes" Series. The painting's name, "C1, See Them All," is a play on words. Taking advantage of

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-18426838676863064792010-11-09T12:58:00.000-05:002011-12-10T10:34:04.953-05:00

October just plain got away from me! Between Canadian Thanksgiving and the Car Collector Auction in Toronto, and Michael working crazy hours to complete his latest all Corvette painting and a bout of the flu, not to mention Halloween with school aged kids, it just whizzed by! As things calm down a bit, and before the frenzy of a New Release hits (it's called "C1, See Them All", by the way), I

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-83387192170364592642010-10-10T14:20:00.081-04:002011-12-10T10:34:04.970-05:00

This is a bit off topic from my blogs about car related family fun, car shows, Michael's car art and diabetic friendly sugar free desserts, but it is something we really got talking about in Hershey, PA, when we were there at the Fall Meet this month. And that is High-Fructose Corn Syrup. It's become such a hot-button topic recently, that there was even a 3-minute "rant" about it during a recent

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-82352483170698666122010-09-27T19:54:00.002-04:002010-10-10T18:36:24.310-04:00

Now-a-days, with the advancements or high-end photocopiers and the low cost of color copies in general, seeing unauthorized "prints" of artists' work at swap meets is not entirely uncommon. Enlarged dot pattern in b&w printing. Enlarged dot pattern in color printing. Any reproduction made from a reproduction, is lower in quality, because it is another generation (or "step") away from the

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-90743626286164262912010-09-12T16:43:00.023-04:002010-10-10T18:29:01.931-04:00

Progress of Michael's original watercolor painting of Marauders of Woodward The white you see is the board he paints on, the blue is tape he uses to mask off the image. Let me start by saying that art is subjective. Whatever the piece, and however it is created, if you love it and want to hang it on your wall, then you should. At the same time, I believe that you should always have as much

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-31273717957388402442010-08-25T00:58:00.000-04:002010-08-25T00:58:19.598-04:00

Richard Petty will be on site to meet and greet his many fans. Here's what the official website has to say: Seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Richard Petty will greet fans on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carolina Carports vendor space in the Manufacturers' Midway during the Food Lion AutoFair.  We'll be there too! And we'll have "Service Fit For A King" on

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-49523546038926699312010-08-24T02:49:00.000-04:002010-08-24T02:49:21.988-04:00

It was HOT at the Mopar Nationals this year. And I don't just mean all those Dodges and Plymouths! Don't get me wrong, there were some pretty amazing cars on site, including a nice collection of Vipers. But I'm pretty sure the temperatures reached over 105 degrees. Let's just say, it was a toasty automotive event. VIEW FROM OUR TENT AT THE MOPAR NATIONALS IN HEBRON, OHIO We were in our new

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-21320555885597512812010-08-10T23:32:00.004-04:002010-08-10T23:34:55.346-04:00

I think I've mentioned before, that we might be considered a gear head family. This past weekend definitely speaks to that truth! Instead of taking it easy, hanging out on the home front, on one of the only non-working weekends we have this summer, we packed up the kids and headed for the annual Bothwell Car Show and Swap Meet in Bothwell, Ontario. It's brought to us by the folks at Old Autos.

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-73502195350041389112010-07-27T03:18:00.001-04:002010-07-27T03:20:06.059-04:00

July is almost over, and with it nearly half the summer car show season has slipped by. I cannot believe it has been a month since I last posted anything on our blog. Between going to Chrysler Carlisle and the Concourse D'Elegance at Meadowbrook, the release of Michael's 429 Boss Mustang painting, "Boss Building" and the kids being home on summer vacation, it's been pretty crazy! 30' of art at

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-38996028481991556432010-06-28T19:13:00.000-04:002010-06-28T19:13:09.227-04:00

If you're in the Ottawa, Ontario area ... specifically anywhere near Cornwall ... and you're the least bit interested in Mopars, you should check out the Mopar Magic 2010 Car Show at Lamoureux Riverfront Park in Cornwall, Ontario. It's being held, rain or shine, on Saturday July 3rd. What a great way to round out the July 1st / July 4th (depending which side of the border you're from) long

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-25568933697138910982010-06-19T23:41:00.000-04:002010-06-19T23:41:47.967-04:00

This year, in celebration of Father's Day, we'll be doing something completely different ... instead of attending an automotive event, we'll be exhibiting Michael's Limited Edition Prints and Gallery Edition Canvases at a local car show. Only 10 minutes from our home, The Autodream Group in Niagara Falls is hosting it's 4th Annual, any make, any model, classic car show. Last year, over 150 cars

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-27401502983482340172010-06-07T13:05:00.000-04:002010-06-07T13:05:11.414-04:00

Great to see some more press on Michael's latest paintings. I have to thank all the publications (magazine and on-line) that so graciously make the room to feature his new Limited Edition Prints, Artist Proofs with Remarque and Gallery Edition Canvases. And, a great big thanks goes to those writers that take the time to scribe some pretty cool stuff about his work. Here's a link to a recent

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-41539706780574387422010-06-06T16:16:00.001-04:002010-06-06T16:20:33.310-04:00

Even though the heavy rain storm on Friday night made for some really wet grounds, The Fleetwood Country Cruizein in London Ontario had another great turnout this year. The weather was fabulous on Saturday, with the second day of forecasted rain holding off until early evening — we were able to teardown and pack up before it hit! With the heavy rains on Friday night, apparently a few cars got

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-81010561258708820872010-05-31T16:15:00.000-04:002010-05-31T16:15:28.600-04:00

June is here, and along with what I consider the official start to the 2010 car show season, is the official release of Michael's latest automotive painting, featuring the 1969 and 1970 Boss 429, entitled "Boss Building." We'll be showing it in person for the first time this weekend at the Fleetwood Country Cruizein in London, Ontario, while simultaneously, showing it at Ford Carlisle! Michael

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-6396151493724151792010-05-30T09:47:00.002-04:002010-05-30T10:00:57.475-04:00

I just spotted this on YouTube ... very cool. The Wellborn Muscle Car Museum is definitely a must-see stop on any enthusiasts tour of the southern states. It is, quite simply, fabulous! Although I don't think we appear in the video, Michael and I were there back in October of 2009 for the Daytona Superbird Auto Club Reunion. Several of Michael's original watercolor Mopar paintings are on

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-60467482382844125232010-05-21T12:00:00.001-04:002010-05-21T22:08:19.863-04:00

Muscle cars reached collector status sometime in the early 80s. That's not to say that their value skyrocketed at that time, but enthusiasts were already starting to buy them up and restore them. And, they were collecting, publishing and when the Internet age hit, posting every little thing about them that they could find. There is so much stuff out there, it's amazing - from vintage neon and

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-19431344337948030322010-05-10T22:07:00.000-04:002010-05-21T10:45:16.083-04:00

Mopar Collectors Guide - July 2010 Magazine Editor Rob Wolf has honored Michael's great Mopar art once again, by putting his newest creation, They Came With The Farm Too, on the cover of the July issue of the Mopar Collectors Guide! These magazines have become quite the collectibles themselves, not only for the great content, but also for the uniqueness of the covers. Many clients go so far as

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-58325321587107280672010-04-15T23:13:00.068-04:002010-05-30T10:02:08.405-04:00

It's hard to believe that March flew by as quickly as it did. It's always a busy month, what with kids home for Spring Break, but this time it seemed even crazier. And now, we're half way into April! Before we know it, summer will be upon us. And with it, the summer car shows. Our first big show would have been last weekend. We had planned on exhibiting Michael's automotive art at the Charlotte

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-71629111522405203162010-04-04T12:26:00.027-04:002011-12-10T10:34:04.966-05:00

February and March were extremely busy months at our little art studio. With over 25% of Michael's new painting, They Came With The Farm Too, being preordered before it was completed, you can imagine how busy we were once it was released! For Michael it was signing, numbering and embossing all the prints as well as the Certificates of Authenticity! Plus, he packs each order himself - that was a

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-56862214426843306252010-03-08T10:50:00.002-05:002010-03-08T10:55:09.972-05:00

It all started back in late spring 2007. Rob Wolf, of the Mopar Collectors Guide (MCG), gave us a call. He wanted to put Michael's first all Mopar painting, "They Came With The Farm," on the cover of his magazine. Our first reaction was to say, no. Up until then, we had always turned down queries about utilizing Michael's automotive paintings on anything other than the Limited Edition Prints, or

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-74683263725616359122010-01-26T19:04:00.022-05:002010-05-21T19:58:38.746-04:00

I know it looks like old news, but I had forgotten to post this blog in February, my apologies — sometimes life just takes over. The folks at the Mustang Magazine, covered the disaster brought on by mother nature, at the Russo and Steele Auction in January. Here's a link to the article on their blog: High Winds Hit Russo Steele’ Scottsdale Auction Warning: some of the photos are pretty nasty

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-35692776112248189752010-01-26T18:18:00.007-05:002010-05-21T19:57:55.271-04:00

The headline, "Old car crush irks wife," appeared in our local paper last weekend. As you can guess, it was about the amount of money a woman's husband was spending on his classic car (no, no one mentioned the year, make and model). Here's the question and the advice, Sun Media columnist Robin Anderson, had to give: Dear Robin: My husband is into old cars. The other day, he let me know he is

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-40722204319906393882010-01-24T20:27:00.006-05:002011-09-14T12:19:12.394-04:00

Every now and then, you hear stories of old barns either housing, or surrounded by vintage cars, including some pretty amazing muscle cars. Like a couple of years back at the Mopar Nationals in Ohio, I heard a young guy had come across and purchased (at a steal) a real, solid, original, all stock Plymouth Superbird. I know, right? Like lots of folks, you may be skeptical about the existence of

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-54467365766646187802010-01-19T13:56:00.007-05:002010-01-19T14:05:04.432-05:00

Being the wife of one of North America's premier automotive artists comes with a few 'perks.' Not the least of which is the opportunity to do a bit of traveling and meeting like-minded enthusiasts across the nation. Every now and again, however, we meet someone that is not only a motohead, but like Michael, has the opportunity to live and breath the stuff! Such was the case last fall, when we met

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-68261640023669657522010-01-17T01:27:00.003-05:002011-09-14T12:20:41.307-04:00

We had a super busy December. With the release of "Service Fit For A King," the shipping of "Marauders of Woodward" (which were co-signed by the Father of the Marauder, Steve Babcock) and the pre-release of the much anticipated, "They Came With The Farm, Too" (which will be completed any day now), I literally planned our annual Christmas Eve dinner on the 23rd! Was I a bit panicky, you could say

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-22595830220445570982010-01-15T20:41:00.001-05:002010-01-15T21:33:17.401-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's 2010 already. December was a blur and January is flying by. 2009 was good to us and 2010 looks to be even better. I would like to thank those groups and individuals that helped make it happen.First, let me thank the many magazines that have featured Michael's new automotive art releases. Having press releases included in such publications as the Mopar Collectors

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-69377025444683602452009-11-17T18:00:00.000-05:002011-12-10T10:34:04.957-05:00

I now this is crazy timing, what with the phone ringing every 5 minutes and the emails pouring in due to the release of "Service Fit For A King," but my dad has been bugging me since we returned from the 'car event circuit', to bake up a batch of Banana Bread. Now, being a diabetic with a sweet tooth, good baked goods that meet the criteria are hard to find, so when he discovers something he

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-62217955913166610682009-11-16T16:23:00.000-05:002009-11-17T14:51:41.434-05:00

It's taken a bit to get back into the swing after our whirl-wind tour of the Car Collector Auction in Toronto, the pre-opening of the Wellborn Musclecar Museum in Alexander City, Alabama and SEMA in Las Vegas. I finally got it together and posted the webpage for Michael's newest release, Service Fit For A King, featuring Richard Petty's infamous #43, 1970 Superbird. Service Fit For A King, is a

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-66956531294302276502009-11-11T01:18:00.001-05:002010-05-30T09:57:56.393-04:00

In a three week blur, we exhibited at the Classic Car Auction in Toronto, attended the pre-opening of the soon to be famous Wellborn Muscle Car Museum, and made some new friends at the Automotive Fine Art Exhibit put on by Hot Rod Heritage at SEMA ... wow! The Auction was our best ever. It was great to see that no matter what the media says about the economy, spirits were high — everyone was

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-35783417805587410302009-10-29T12:56:00.001-04:002010-05-30T09:26:49.065-04:00

Michael, the children, and I will be in Alexander City, Alabama for the pre-Grand Opening of the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum this weekend. We're really excited about it. Housed in a restored car dealership, the Museum is said to house over 80 immaculate muscle cars, including the famous K&K Insurance Charger Daytona, raced by legendary driver, Bobby Issac. For those of you who don't know, some of

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-90445947483064756012009-10-24T01:48:00.000-04:002009-10-24T22:40:27.807-04:00

Michael and I have exhibited his automotive artwork at the Toronto auction for about 3 years now. It's always been a good venue for us, even though we were tucked away in the hall adjacent to the actual auction. In fact, it's been the venue where we've shown many pieces for the first time. And this time is no exception ... we are pre-releasing his next two paintings —both sure to be super hot

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-69831333683432851032009-10-12T17:07:00.000-04:002011-12-10T10:34:04.962-05:00

We had hoped to make it to Hershey, Pennsylvania this past weekend for one of the "greatest car shows in North America," but it just didn't work out. Between juggling kids and work schedules, it just wasn't in the stars this year. Maybe a good thing though, we heard the weather was pretty nasty ... with winds up to 45-50 mph on Wednesday and the threat of rain on Thursday and Friday! As it

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-5505234083282665392009-10-06T14:40:00.000-04:002009-10-06T15:11:18.146-04:00

Or, rather, Michael's portfolio of automotive art is. It's my first attempt. I basically created a moving picture using stills of each of his paintings (GM, Ford and Mopar). Each frame includes the piece's name and image.Until a few minutes ago, I hadn't quite figured out how to add music yet. I was thinking that the instrumental music from the soundtrack of the movie "Bullitt" might be pretty

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-30276098259996368972009-10-03T13:58:00.000-04:002009-10-06T14:39:29.754-04:00

As you may already know, we have several dealers across North America that exhibit and sell Limited Edtion Prints, Artist Proofs with Remarque and the Gallery Edition Canvases, of Michael's automotive fine art. There has, however, not been anyone in the Niagara Region. But that just changed, this week! We get calls and emails from admirers and collectors of Michael's work, about "stopping by to

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-62677254793265842752009-09-29T00:04:00.001-04:002010-05-30T09:23:42.581-04:00

Admittedly, when I first heard the word "Hershey" mentioned, I thought of those cute little Hershey Kisses. Our 9 year old daughter, a self proclaimed chocoholic, still does! But over the years, cars have taken over our lives (in a good way), and like gearheads the world over, "Hershey" congers up visions of classic automobiles rather than chocolaty little morsels. Due to scheduling and other

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-79567269720691632202009-09-17T12:01:00.000-04:002009-09-17T12:01:16.250-04:00

The Charlotte AutoFair held at the Lowes Motor Speedway in North Carolina was an incredible event. For us, it was the longest car show/event we have participated in, to date. Each trip took about 12 hours through some of the greenest and most beautiful countryside we've seen. Although I did not get a chance to get out and walk around much (that's Michael's department - rough hey, having to look

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-15604551036367975392009-09-07T14:33:00.000-04:002009-09-07T14:44:10.093-04:00

We are going to North Carolina to the Charlotte AutoFair held at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. Back in 1994, for the 30th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang, Michael, Jackie (a good friend of ours) and I made the trip to, what was then called, the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the biggest show we attended that year and it was very exciting. Enthusiasts from all over the world made the trip.

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-61024947363207094252009-09-05T03:38:00.000-04:002009-09-05T03:42:42.151-04:00

Hard to believe the summer car show season is almost over.  Although we weren't sure we'd be able to do it, in August we made the trip to the Mopar Nationals in Hebron, Ohio - kids in tow! It definitely made for an interesting "juggle." Luckily we had our friend and dealer, Jim McDermott, there to help us keep everything running smoothly. It turned out to be a great show. And, the kids had a

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-70274818449066892852009-07-27T23:43:00.000-04:002009-07-28T03:54:53.230-04:00

Spending the weekend at All-Chrysler Carlisle, we got to visit with so many collectors of Michael's car art prints, as well as meet new clients (and friends) collecting prints, artist proofs and canvases, that it felt like a great big reunion party! I can't remember the last time we had so many laughs. The 3 day show just flew by. Even the impending dark weather (there was a threat of a tornado

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-25694894614270046672009-07-06T23:25:00.000-04:002009-07-06T23:44:08.586-04:00

We're off again, this time to one of the largest Mopar shows in this end of the country, the All-Chrylser Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This time we are exhibiting Michael's work, as opposed to just having fun! Although I must admit, I generally have fun at a car show .... rain or shine, it's always an adventure. Plus, both Michael and I enjoy meeting our clientele face to face and

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-66829318306488918112009-06-26T17:57:00.000-04:002009-06-26T18:01:30.916-04:00

Michael's work will be on display by us and our dealers at a number of classic car shows and meets this summer, including  All-Chrysler Carlisle, the Pontiac & GTO Nationals, Mopar Nationals, Moparfest, Ford, Mustang and GM shows, as well as the Truck show in Las Vegas! But this weekend, our first trip to the car show field is just for fun. June just blew past us, summer's here and the kids are

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-59393091402134571822009-06-15T10:44:00.001-04:002010-05-30T09:22:29.587-04:00

For all you Ford lover's in the Jeffersonville, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky area, there's a show scheduled just before Father's Day. The "Mustang and All Ford Weekend," sponsored by the Falls City Mustang Club, will be held on Saturday, June 20th. Attending a car show is a great way to spend part of your Father's Day weekend. And you never know what Dad's Day goodies you may come across!

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-79093073198713843492009-06-12T10:44:00.001-04:002010-05-30T09:11:36.644-04:00

We were at the Fleetwood Country Cruizin (a sweeeet car show with over 3000 cars, including 1500 Ford Mustangs, a real 1970 orange Plymouth Superbird, countless Oldsmobiles, Chevys, Pontiacs, Mopars, race cars, motorbikes, firetrucks, Amphicars, you name it) in London, Ontario on June 5th, and a new client was purchasing Michael's GTO painting, "The Goat Farmer" (shown above), for his dad for

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-63861877360524888052009-06-09T16:51:00.002-04:002010-05-30T09:20:59.995-04:00

We receive emails daily from our clients, that include photos of their cars (of course - everyone hopes to see their car appear in one of Michael's automotive fine art paintings!), photos of car shows and other automotive events, family album stuff, and then, just cool things that they, themselves, have come across. The video below is just that. And trust me, even if you're not a fan of Ford's

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-15892798428597866292009-05-12T06:23:00.001-04:002010-05-30T09:19:42.884-04:00

As an automotive artist, one of the questions Michael gets asked most often is, "What motivates or inspires you in your car art?" There is no one answer. Sometimes it's being at the right place at the right time. Or at the right car show at the right time, as was the case for the painting, "From Showroom to Showfield" (shown above). It was back in 1997 (I can't believe it's been 12 years!). We

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-54470461035876095712009-05-02T09:38:00.000-04:002009-05-04T01:53:25.308-04:00

Why is the 1968 Shelby GT 500 ("Kings of the Road" shown above) so collectible, while, say the 1976 Chevrolet Chevette is not. Okay, admittedly, that's an extreme example and the reasons are beyond obvious, but my point is, what makes one car soar in collectibility and value in the eyes of collectors and enthusiasts, while others are seemingly passed over? And what, if anything, can change a

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-31193327490679782352009-04-29T17:47:00.002-04:002010-05-30T09:17:59.240-04:00

This week, a very good friend's mother passed away. Although it wasn't a surprise, still it hit hard. My friend chose to spend hours on the road several times a month over the course of the year that her mother was in hospital. In the last few weeks, she made the 4 hour round trip almost daily. I think she didn't want to have any regrets. And although it may have been a bit trying sometimes,

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-35414287932933245592009-04-26T15:48:00.000-04:002009-04-26T17:22:26.675-04:00

I picked up a copy of our local newspaper today and in the Arts & Entertainment section I came across the headline, "Doctor prescribes a healthy dose of art." You can see how that would peak my interest, with Michael being an artist. As it turned out, the article was about an area doctor who took the building her old practice was in and converted it into an art gallery which would feature her

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-65707776038869709652009-03-19T01:21:00.000-04:002009-03-19T16:34:10.098-04:00

It happened again. We're watching "Race to Witch Mountain," and low and behold ... a 1968 Mustang Fastback, just like Steve McQueen drove in the famous car chase classic, "Bullitt." Early in the movie we get a little teaser, by way of a "Bullitt" poster on the hero's motel room wall. It's his dream to one day own one. He even carries a key fob with the running horse on it as a reminder. It's no

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646158415632767335.post-18015456843383140262009-03-09T15:33:00.000-04:002009-03-09T17:01:12.641-04:00

We're sitting in the dark theater. "Paul Blart Mall Cop" is playing on the big screen. After a somewhat silly and funny start, the movie has taken a softer, more romantic twist. Out of the darkness, I hear "Mustang!" I don't even have to look to see who broke the silence ... it was our 10 year old son. Since he could talk, it's been our family's version of the driving game "punch bug." Everytime

MICHAEL IRVINE | Car Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16939601238588202367noreply@blogger.com0