‘Tony Whitney Contributing Writer “WALKING around the exclusive Fl Paddock Club at the recent U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis, I spotted @ young woman work- ing at an easel creating ‘the most wonderfully ~ evocative oil painting of a Formula One race car. She turned out to be Magali Lefrancois — a Quebecer anid a gifted expo- nent of the growing world of - automotive art. Her work runs beyond race cars into ther automotive areas, but it sion was for the complex and sophisticated machinery of Formula One and the drivers that pilot them. Automotive art has come a tong way in Canada, partly thanks to the annual Art of the Automobile competition, staged by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) and spon- sored by just about every ‘automaker active in this country, According to automotive journalist and broadcaster Jim Kenzie, who chairs the com- petition, the purpose of Art of the Automobile is to give Canadian automotive artists some long-overdue recogni- tion and exposure. Backing up Kenzie on the organizing, committee are Susan Elliot of Nissan Canada and Julie Wells of BMW Canada. Last year’s competition produced all kinds of fascinat- ing work, ranging from superbly-detailed portraits of cars of every era to nostalgic glimpses into the history of the automobile. Auto racing was. a top subject choice, but one winning entrant depicted a scene around a gas station in the 1950s, including half a dozen cars of the period (with a hot rod, of course) In all, 200 works of art were entered and 26 artists were chosen as finalists, At the Toronto and Montreal for competition on display. auto shows, 46 works Were The deadline for this year’s competition is November 15th and amateur artists and art students are invited to submit works on an automobile theme for judging by a panel that includes estab- lished Canadian automotive artists Ken Dallison, Alain Levesque, Jav Koka and Jonathan Milne. The latter artist put B.C. on the auto art map last year See More pane 33 2000 GMC Jimmy 4 x4 Vortec 4300 V6 190HP engine, electronic shift 4x4, air cond. power Keen ~ door locks/windows/mirrors, tilt wheel & cruise control, -docking differential & much more. was clear to me that her pas- “FREE TICKETS | : Prepare to be wooed and wowed by Kate Hammett- Vaughan, one of Canada's pre-eminent jazz vocalists as she performs at Capilano College, Friday Oct. a 27. Be the first to stop in to the North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver ato pick up your FREE tickets for the show. Cums are Ka 2s fs conte, Bt serve ., anda vintage Greyhound bus. ‘26,488 | ran SE =e . > a f<) = id a i) eo = oS = (=) L— — — i <—. o ~ S — [2s] 000 Pontiac Grand Am GT | 2000 GNC Sierra 2500. Rava Air3.4 litre V6, Power windows, Powor locks, air conditien- EXTENDED CAB 4X4 4.0. Kirv, 2590, SLE pig, 3 door, } ing, roma kaye et, it ralse, AMA ployer, Was vvertec 6000 VO engive, axtomatic, 1.0. aa ph, dal over $27,420 Sh. "fea, wet arog. al cond, aking Cie reatial, avtotrac 4 *28,988 - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire 2000 VALUE PACKAGE s spset Getrag transmissicn,6 “CATILLAC. « PONTIAC ® * BUICK Govt licensed inspection Station 4 000 eMe Jn Jimmy 4s 4 x4 2008 OME Yokee SLT 4x4 :