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2nd & 3rd August 2025
LEAMINGTON SPA
10am-6pm
Cathy Renken & Neil Adcock
Website:
'@Openthrottleart
Lewis in the wet
Night Launch
Rescue from Above
Biography
My artistic mission is to create high quality artwork with an automotive, aviation or historic rail theme. I combine my artistic skills, technical knowledge, and passion for engineering to create artwork that represents the artistry of modern and historic vehicles. Much of my work has been commissioned by the owners of classic cars and motorcycles. One of the most enjoyable elements of my work is attending shows and festivals, sharing experiences with the vehicle owners and learning about what makes their vehicle unique to them. Then expressing the essence of that vehicle`s individual qualities in paint.
My vision is to bring delight to classic vehicle devotees. I achieve this by accurately depicting the form, and artistry of vehicle designs, and where composition allows, impart a sensation of speed. My work has been described as “Engineering Artistry”.
inspiration
My key artistic inspirations are detail, movement and speed. My work is highly detailed, expressing the artistic forms of these vehicles in a tribute to their designers and the engineers that built them. The primary purpose of the vehicles I paint is movement, and in many cases movement at speed. It gives me a real sense of achievement to impart that sense of speed, while retaining the detail necessary to identify the individual subject vehicles. It’s a balancing act I take great pleasure in performing.
I am also inspired that sometimes I am approached by an individual with a faded, crumpled photo of a relative with their cherished classic vehicle. I am thrilled that families trust me with the task of transforming this battered image into a piece of art, that acts as a fitting tribute, for the family to enjoy for many years to come.
medium
I employ a number of medias and techniques when completing my art work. When working on a preparatory sketch or working plein air, I use coloured pencil on textured paper or pastelmat board.
My main medium however is oil paint on canvas. The use of oil paint gives me the opportunity to achieve a greater depth of texture and interaction with light in my work. In addition, the fine linen canvases I use give an excellent level of clarity for the detail that I try and capture in my art.
Generally, with my oil paint I work in the alla prima technique, working on all areas of the painting simultaneously. Sometimes however, when demonstrating at shows, I will use the grisaille technique laying down a monochrome underpainting in preparation and then completing the work with coloured glazes when attending the event.