Being a car guy, with the same keen eye many hobbyist share, the technical accuracy of Michael's subject matter is as important as the setting and the story. So, having owned several Mustangs over the years, many of Michael's early pieces featured the famous Pony Car—he had the technical knowledge as well a an abundance of research and reference material at his fingertips. The result is a Ford portfolio that includes both classic and modern Mustang Fastbacks and Convertibles, Mach 1s, Boss 302s, Boss 429s and Shelbys. Not to mention the AC Cobra, Daytona Coupe, Ford GT and GT40, Cougar Eliminator, and other big block Ford/Mercury beasts.
“When creating a painting and deciding on the subject matter, I try to make a connection between the three main elements — the cars, the setting and the title. I have successfully completed a piece when all three work together. In this painting I chose big block Fords as the subject with a few specifics thrown in just for fun."- MICHAEL IRVINE “When creating a painting and...
"A few years back, while at the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum, we were given the chance to visit the Talladega Superspeedway and experience our first live Nascar race. What made it even better for me, was seeing over 70 Aero Warriors take to the track. Had it not been for Nascar's rules to make at least 500 of them available to the public, these incredibly... "A few years back, while at the...
“We've all heard the stories about that low mileage, well preserved muscle car found in a barn. What if instead of just looking inside the barn, you ventured beyond it, to make the ultimate find. Not just one ... but an entire collection of high performance vintage iron. Sure the paint may be a little faded, or a new set of tires needed, but overall the... “We've all heard the stories about...
“Many of the roads we’ve traveled have taken us through beautiful farm country across North America. Images of rolling hills, flat fields, and old barns really inspired me when I started this series. Putting the cars in a natural environment allows me to play with cast shadows and sunbeams. And, it allows me to add other elements like the tractors. I... “Many of the roads we’ve traveled...
“Creating the last painting in a trilogy gives me the satisfaction of finishing the story as I imagine it. For me, the scene is complete — the first and last paintings acting as bookends. Complex, detail intensive and technically challenging, I hope that a painting like this sparks the imagination of the viewer — enabling you to continue to explore the... “Creating the last painting in a...
"As an artist, you don't know what will inspire you or when. I'd been thinking about a Boss painting for a while. Then one day I'm flipping through a copy of "Mustang Magazine" and there's a double page spread aerial photo of Kar Kraft's Brighton Michigan Plant in 1969. That did it! The article compelled me to contact the owner of the photo, Randy... "As an artist, you don't know what...
“This painting is my expression of appreciation for Carroll Shelby and the team of engineers and fabricators that sculpted some of the most visually exciting cars of all time."- MICHAEL IRVINE “This painting is my expression of...
"I had been doing a lot of research — watching the movie Bullitt again and again for inspiration — while painting “DODGE N’ A BULLITT”. In January, we were in Arizona for Barrett Jackson and took a couple days to see Sedona and the Grand Canyon, and ended up on a short stretch of Route 66. When HoonDog Events approached me to create a commemorative... "I had been doing a lot of research —...
“Although the fox body is one of Ford's longest running body styles, surprislngly, there are very few images available of this car. I thought I should do something about that ... that's how the idea for Classy Fox Chassis was born."- MICHAEL IRVINE “Although the fox body is one of...
“I have spent many weekends at carshows in both Canada and the United States, admiring the incredible amount of work enthusiasts put into restoring these Mustangs. It was on one of these expeditions that I saw the rare Cobra Jet which inspired the painting Desert Snakes."- MICHAEL IRVINE “I have spent many weekends at...
"It [Bullitt] is definitely my favorite car chase movie. How could it not be? All the elements come together to create the scene, kind of like the way a painting comes together for me — the title, the setting and the cars. In the movie, it's the characters, the cast, the story line, the scenery and the sound track (cars and music).With this painting, the... "It [Bullitt] is definitely my...
"This year [2007] marks the 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Cougar and I really wanted to create the ultimate Cougar tribute painting! A while back someone emailed me a couple of shots of their cars. When I saw how they were parked, I instantly thought of a drag race ... a street race actually ... but as I did my research I learned a bit about the cars'... "This year [2007] marks the 40th...