Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Dead Vehicle Challenge

Old tow truck, watercolor by Jeanette Gurney
We had such an enthusiastic response to our previous painting challenges, such as the Food Truck and the Weed Painting Challenge, that many of you asked for another opportunity.

This time the theme is Dead Vehicles.

Dead trucks in Highland Park, CA
painted in oil when I was an art student. 
You can paint any abandoned car, truck, bus, or motorcycle that's no longer in working condition. No tractors or construction equipment this time.

It could be parked in a garage or a museum, or outdoors behind a repair shop or in a junkyard. It could be damaged from a crash, covered with graffiti or partially dismantled. If it's got flat tires or weeds growing up around it, so much the better. 

On Location

It must be painted on location and it must be a new painting or sketchbook page done for this challenge. It doesn't have to be painted in one sitting; you can return to the spot multiple times if you want.

Media
All physical painting media are acceptable: casein, gouache, acryla-gouache, oil, acrylic or watercolor. There's no limitation on the palette of colors.

Two-hour paintout of an old pickup. Actually, I think this one wouldn't
qualify for this challenge, because the truck still ran.

What to Enter
In addition to a scan of the final painting, your entry must include a photo of your picture on the easel in front of the motif. Your face doesn't have to be in the photo unless you want to.

Multimedia Prize
If you want, you can record a video or audio (1 minute or less) of the owner describing their vehicle, or you can document something that happened while you were painting it. I'll give a special award to the best one.

Deadline
It's free to enter. You can enter as soon as you finish the piece, but no later than the deadline: Monday, July 31 at midnight New York time. Winners will be announced on the blog on Thursday, August 3. 



Where and How to Enter
Upload the images to this Facebook Event page (This way I don't have to deal with email, and you present your images your way). If you don't have a Facebook account, please ask a friend with an account to help you. Please include in the FB post a sentence or two about your inspiration or design strategy, or a story about the vehicle

If you share our image on Instagram or Twitter, please use the hashtag #deadvehiclechallenge


Prizes
I'll pick one Grand Prize, five Finalists, and one Multimedia Winner. They will be published on GurneyJourney. All the winners will receive an exclusive "Department of Art" embroidered patch. In addition, all the winners will receive a video (DVD or download) of their choice. Everybody who participates will have their work on the Facebook page, too.
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Resources and Links
Facebook Event page on Dead Vehicle Challenge
•If you want to try out casein, I've asked Jack Richeson to put together a basic set called Gurney's Casein 6 Packor Gurney's Casein Explorers Pack (12)
• Own the 72-minute feature "Gouache in the Wild"
• HD MP4 Download at Gumroad $14.95
• or HD MP4 Download at Sellfy (for Paypal customers) $14.95
• DVD at Purchase at Kunaki.com (Region 1 encoded NTSC video) $24.50

14 comments:

Tobias Gembalski said...

Great topic. I was wondering when you would announce another contest. I just deleted my FB account recently ... However, I am looking forward to find a nice motive.

Unknown said...

Does the painting have to be started and finished in one sitting or can it be several sittings?

James Gurney said...

Michael, totally fine to do multiple sittings. The good thing is you know the car isn't going anywhere.

Unknown said...

Great to know. Thank you for clarifying!

Unknown said...

This sounds very interesting. When reading the new challenge, I love how my first thought is always, 'where the heck am I going to find...?'

I look forward to seeing all the entries.

Unknown said...

Just curious, what inspired this topic? It's a great one!

James Gurney said...

Michael, my mechanic has all these great old derelict cars with weeds growing through them parked in the yard around his shop. He recently decided to pave the dirt parking lot, and that meant moving out all those rusting hulks. I never knew how much I liked them (and took them for granted) until they went away.

Kelly Toon said...

there is a big rusted out boat a few blocks from my home. Does it have to be a wheeled vehicle in the painting?

Unknown said...

One last question, can we enter multiple pieces or just one?

James Gurney said...

Michael, you can post multiple pieces, but as we get closer to the deadline, would you remove all but your best one? That way, every entrant is on a level playing field.

Unknown said...

Ok no problem.

TamlynG said...

Hi James, I was wondering is it strictly important that the vehicle is not running?
I have a car museum near me that is full of beautifully restored classic cars. I would like to paint something from there but though they are not driven regularly they are probably running. I only ask because you mentioned museums in the post.

James Gurney said...

Tamlyn, If the car hasn't been driven in six months or so, I suppose it qualifies. I think we have to allow museum vehicles for our European friends, who don't always have wrecked cars lying around.

Charlotte27 said...

thnks