SKETCHES AT THE TRACK

Thought I'd try something different and take my sketchbook to the dirt track. I soon realized I can't draw when racing is going on, but I got a few crowd scenes worthy of sharing. The one above of a Dale Jr fan turned out pretty good; I might could turn it into an aceo. Here's another quick sketch:

I like how this one came out like he was not a very willing subject. In reality, I don't think he noticed.

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

311 SPEEDWAY

-----

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: SUIT UP, AJ FOYT

Here's a pic of AJ Foyt, before SUITing up for a race.

And here is the photo I used for inspiration:

See? He looks nothing like Atilla The Hun.

And let's not forget the obligatory close-up:

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: CARS

Junior Johnson, from bootlegger to stock car driver to team owner to Country Ham salesman back to moonshine (this time legit). A true American hero.

Art-wise, I'm trying out the spotty shading technique instead of the crosshatching. Like? Here's a closeup:

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

RED BYRON

Now that GOD OF WAR II has been completed by the wife and I, life can resume.

True story:

Robert "Red" Byron raced in unorganized stock car races in the 30's until he served in WWII. He came home with a destroyed left leg, so when he got back into racing he put on a steel stirrup which was bolted to the clutch. He won.

He was also the first official NASCAR champion.

Here's a close-up:

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY UPDATE:

The topic is Signs. Since this is a NASCAR aceo, would the sign Left Turn Only apply?

Ugh. That was terrible. I hate the "left turn/NASCAR" jokes. Yeah, I get it. You find NASCAR to be monotonous because they only turn left. Isn't it ironic, though, that the same joke is made EVERY TIME to make that point?

Just saying.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

WE'RE NOT IN BROOKLYN ANYMORE, TOTO

The wife and I attended our first local track (Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem) evening of races. This is one of the reasons we moved. What's that I hear? Some lame, tired joke about left turns? What's that other sound I hear? Ah, that would be the dulcet tone of me smacking you upside your head.

Here's the evidence:

DEMOLITION!!!

Ballparks are overated:

And a gratuitous rib-eating shot:

Now, back to your regularly scheduled artyness.

JUNIOR AND ME

What's this? Open borders AND a NASCAR fan? That's right, baby. Don't try to fit me in a box. No, seriously. Don't. I'm claustophobic. If you need me to explain the appeal of 43 drivers all going as fast as they can inches away from each other, well, as the poets say, I can't do nothin' for ya, man.

Now, I tried not to be a Jr. fan. It was too easy - everybody likes Dale. I'm more of a great-driver-under-who-doesn't-get-his-props kind of fan, ie, a Kenseth fan. But Dale is one funny dude. Of all the drivers, he's the one you'd most want to hang out with. Gordon is uptight, Stewart is weird (he has a pet monkey, for crying out loud), Kahne would steal your girlfriend, and Biffle, um... his name is Biffle. I can't help it. I'll always root for Junior at least a little bit.

To bid, go here.

(Where all my NASCAR peeps at? No sale again. Methinks this new style is unpopular. Maybe it's time to move on.)

TRIPPIN TRUCK

I gotta say, this little experiment is going great. A cool dude who liked one of my other ACEOs requested I draw a semi. I never would have thought to do that, but I'm really glad I did. Thanks, cool dude! This piece is so far my favorite. I loved drawing it and I love the way it looks.

I hope some trucker looking for mudflaps for his/her (remember Large Marge, from Pee Wee's Big Adventure?) rig finds, bids on, and wins this one. I imagine him/her finding it, exclaiming "Duuuuuude (I don't know if truckers say "Duuuuude" a lot; I know I do. I started saying it to be funny, now it is a permanent fixture in my vocabulary. Dude.)! That's going next to my lucky Buddha charm!"

Thanks again, cool dude, for the request. Please, everyone, give me more! Then I don't have to think about what to draw next. This saves valuable and dwindling real estate in my brain.

(Sold!)