Car Stories: Get the Dirt on Car Art

Car Stories: Get the Dirt on Car Art

As the host of GM Financial's Car Stories, I never know what's waiting around the next corner, but I know it's never going to be dull! This time around, I was able to roll up my sleeves and get down and dirty with a talented guy dubbed the Dirty Car Artist.

When most of us see a car or truck coated in dust and grime, our first thought is to scrawl 'WASH ME' in big letters across the window (and let's be honest, we've all done it). Scott Wade, aka the Dirty Car Artist, has taken this sentiment to a whole new level — and the results are downright amazing.

The Long and Dusty Road to Success

Scott's passion for creating Dirty Car Art began on a long dirt road when he was just a kid. In the rural area where he grew up, seeing cars coated in layers of grime and dust was the norm. Playing off his father's skills as a caricature artist, Scott started drawing funny faces on the windows of cars that were kicking up dust around town. As his skills increased and his renderings became more intricate, Scott's drawing tools evolved from his finger to a popsicle stick to a complete paintbrush kit.

When Scott began sending photos of his dusty masterpieces to friends, little did he know it was the start of a career creating Dirty Car Art. The late John Kelso, a popular humor columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, caught wind of Scott's unusual art form and wrote an article about it. Faster than you can say, 'WASH ME,' news about Scott and his work went viral. He's since chalked up gigs in magazines like Car & Driver and Maxim and on TV's History Channel and CMT, and he even got a writeup in The New York Times.

Time to Get My Hands Dirty

I was lucky enough to be able to join Scott in a little friendly competition and tried my hand at creating my own dirty art. Since we didn't have a "natural" canvas to work from, which would have involved driving around for a week building up layers of dirt, we created an artificial canvas using oil, a bag of very fine dirt and a blow dryer. Then it was time to get our hands dirty.

I was pretty impressed with my first stab at dirty art, but Scott left me in the dust with his masterful rendering of an amazingly realistic portrait of me alongside a pink Cadillac.

Once the Dust Has Settled...

So, what's next for Scott? When he gets a little breathing room from all the requests coming in from ad agencies, event management companies, auto shows and fairs, he's looking to broaden his canvas beyond the car. From storefront windows to super-sized images on office buildings, the sky's the limit for the Dirty Car Artist.

Not all of us can make artistic masterpieces out of mess, but if cleaning is right up your alley, check out these five cleaning tips that could make your car feel new again.

Everybody's got a car story — what's yours?

By Memphis Jones, Guest Contributor

Memphis Jones is a one-of-a-kind musician who plays everything from rock ‘n’ roll to R&B and blues, performing weekly at BB King's Blues Club on Beale Street. His interactive style and witty personality keep him busy with solo performances and speaking engagements. As a car enthusiast, he’s also a perfect fit as host of GM Financial’s Car Stories.