My position on art exactly. I put things together in a way that pleases me. I never called myself an artist until people came up and told me that I had created art.

I started out by covering a car with bumper stickers. A response to children vandalizing my broken down car with a sticker. I did not scold them I just got even by adding a few of my own. The car was repaired and it went through several phases or concepts eventually being invited to appear at large local art shows.

I have always been driven by the effect of my work upon others. Generally I am working alone in my home office still sort of taking care of my child which I have had responsibility for for almost 21 years. As I created art people stopped by and talked, they smiled and complemented me I moved on to do more and more with it.

I drive my art daily as we have no plain cars at all. After driving art one is so impressed with the change in the world it accomplishes that one would never go back to plain.

My goal is not self promotion but convincing others to exercise their freedom and drive art. That is my message when I park on exhibit at schools and festivals. Other cartists have criticized me for this- what if everyone did it we would not be special? I never wanted to be special just to help people discover the wonder of it all.

I have taken the same path with music and costume art and my art environment. I do it as a lifeway. My particular path I encourage others to spend some time on it from time to time but there are many equally good paths out there. Politics creeps into the artcar world from time to time. The houston orange show parade where I won first prize in my daily driver category, has a good number of political entries each year. The politics is so one sided on the left or liberal end that I don't think anyone from the right or conservative side would dare to enter. That hostility is the problem. I would rather have balanced politics at such events or none at all.

I dont like art events to become taken over by politics of one side. When there is not effort to avoid this the politicos just get a free rally!
At least a good effort should be made to make others welcome, perhaps contacting groups with opposing views perhaps sharing of slots for political entries more evenly.

Conrad