Grant Thomas has been an award-winning Automotive Artist/Photographer
for 24 years. He was formally trained as a Technical Illustrator,
graduating second in his class in 1989. He enjoyed an exciting
two-decade advertising design career, while drawing and painting his
cars as a sideline. The exotics are his number one passion. His works
can involve portraits of entire automobiles – production or racing cars.
More often, though, the image is of an enlarged detail of the car,
abstracting the idea somewhat, but the model is still recognizable. His
paintings start from his photographs and depend on them for details and
accuracy.
Years of painting has honed his photography skills. He enjoys
finding unusual angles, or searching for a character-filled detail that
can represent the car’s beauty and convey the owner’s – and Grant’s –
passion for the car. While his photography – having won awards in juried
show with this alone – is Art in unto itself, its a step towards larger
and more creative things. Also, being an artist fluent in a variety of
mediums, Grant has the ability to take the photograph to much higher
creative levels. An interpretation through ink, watercolour, computer
vector art or oil paint, communicates to the viewer in a much more
personal and emotional level, the power and distinct character of these
cars. Watercolour – sometimes with an ink drawing – is his medium of
choice. Very loose and sketchy but still technically accurate. As a
ground: paper or board has been used. In the past four years he has
discovered synthetic papers such as Yupo and Terraskin and has adopted
them with excitement. Both are employed regularly in his present work.
Grant enjoys trying new mediums and surfaces; always experimenting and
willing to evolve his work to the next level.
While Grant paints a wide range of marques, two are featured heavily. Ferrari and the DeLorean.
Grant has been a passionate Ferrari fan for years. The history and
beauty of the Italian marque has prompted Grant to feature it and many
drawings and paintings and has been the most-rendered marque by far in
his large portfolio of work. Production cars, old racers and current F1
cars have all graced Grant’s drawing board. The Cavallino Classic in
West Palm Beach has afforded Grant hundreds of photos of rare and older
models. Events at Mosport and around the Greater Toronto Area also serve
to hone his professional photographic skills. At the same time these
shots will serve for many a future painting. Ferrari has and will
continue to be Grant’s first choice for his artwork subject matter.
Sometimes Grant can been seen actually sketching with graphite or ink
onsite at these events. While photography has now been publicly
accessible to the public with digital SLRs being purchased en-masse..
seeing an artist creating his work at these events is a rare site, and
attracts many a curious bystander.
Grant’s fascination with the DeLorean began like a lot of people: in
1985 with the Back to the Future movies. But, already being an exotic
car fan, he began to study these extraordinary cars, almost memorizing
the book “DeLorean: Stainless Steel Illusion” during his three hour
Friday-night bus rides home from Sheridan College, where he was studying
Illustration. Due to the shortage of cars, the interest was put on
hold. The rise of the internet heralded the car’s resurgence in the past
years having formed a die-hard niche of owners and enthusiasts who
focus on these unique cars. And Grant has followed suit, the model
re-appearing often in his renderings. In 2011 his photography was
featured in “DeLorean World” magazine. The creation of the Ontario
DeLorean Owners Club has connected Grant with a large and friendly group
of owners. As the group’s official photographer he can be seen at their
events happily composing his future painting through his lenses. The
percentage of time the DeLorean spends under Grant’s creative eye is
fast approaching that of Ferrari. The unique beauty of the car being one
reason; the other: the great group of owners in his area who have
become friends as well as customers.
Grant’s career as an Automotive Artist has garnered him multiple
awards from galleries and juried shows, including the Automobile
Journalists Association of Canada “Art of the Automobile” shows that
travelled nation-wide. He is also a member of the international group
“Club Auto Artistes” and an invited member of the “Transportation
Artists and Authors Guild”. His work is promoted regularly at Automotive
Artists.com. At his most recent juried show at the Robert McGlaughlin
Gallery in Oshawa, his “F430 Reflections” and “Sassafraz Serves Italian”
was accepted. The former winning second prize in watercolour. Last May
his large charcoal drawing featuring the DMC-12 “Companions” won best
Drawing and Best in Show.
He had his first one-man show in 2012 featuring over 40 of his
automotive works and was very well received. The Toronto Star Wheels
section gave it a front-page review.
You can find more information and images on Grant’s website
here.
You are welcome to join his Studio Facebook page and keep up to date with his recent photoshoots and artwork at
http://www.facebook.com/GrantThomasArtStudio. Or follow his blog at
www.ferrariart.blogspot.ca.
To purchase a print or original or to commission work please contact the Studio at: gthomasf1@netscape.net.
Meanwhile, we have some of Grant’s work below for you to enjoy. Always respect copyright.
www.in2motorsports.com