I began flame painting small (1:64 scale about 3 inches long) diecast cars in 1994. Hot Wheels and Matchbox have always been my favorites.This pursuit has resulted in over 600 cars custom painted to date. After meeting Rod Powell in 2001 (one of the greatest hot rod painters and custom car builders of all time), my approach not only solidified but expanded! My flames soon mimicked the traditional flame style popular since the Mid ‘50s with flowing symmetrical stems and rounded hubs. This particular style in this nature mandala is known as Tribal flames and are based on the Polynesian, Oriental and Tattoo cultures, characterized by ragged shapes, curved edges and sharp points, facing in any direction. And then the possibilities became endless! With that in mind and combining this hot rod artform to the natural world—several organisms with fire inspired attire have emerged in my molten nature menagerie. In the image above blue winged swallowtail butterflies with black hot rod tribal flames pinstriped in peacock blue visit a garden of silhouette flame shaped muted blue spear flower blossoms on a gray background in this fire fantasy garden nature mandala. I hope you will like these wings ablaze black swallowtail butterflies. Nature awaits all of our creative acts, wander with wonder! You can find over 20 examples of my flame painted plants and animals in my shop by searching “flames” as the keyword. Post Script: I wrote a book celebrating the lives and achievements of 18 famous flame painters “Up in Flames”(MBI 2006). It was a joy to do so! My book is available for purchase on Amazon. Prints of this mandala are available in my shop.
Bringing the Heat to My Artwork
