Last evening we joined Branscombe Richmond his band, The Renegade All-Stars for their Friday performance at Club Tequila at The Fiesta Rancho Casino • Hotel, Las Vegas.

These folks really know how to have fun. Their performance is a very high-energy, uplifting, get out of your seat and dance experience. If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending one of these - you owe it to yourself. Throw off the worries and the seriousness of the day and let yourself be entertained. The last performance is tonight - join us there. And as mentioned in the previous post, A.D. Cook art is on display in the lobby - see the art up close and meet the artist.

The original “washboard abs”. No expense in fun was spared for the “Hillbilly Rock” performance.

After the show we caught up with actress Charlene Tilton, aka Lucy Ewing in one of the most popular television series of the 80’s, Dallas.

Model/Acress/Singer/Dancer Kelli Brook aka ‘Sturgis Kelli’ is a great singer and part of the band. Click here to visit Kelli’s MySpace page.

Trackback to previous posts about Branscombe.

In celebration of Las Vegas Bike Fest, artist A.D. Cook will have original artworks on display at The Fiesta Rancho Casino • Hotel at Club Tequila in association with Branscombe Richmond and the Renegade All-Stars scheduled performances this weekend.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center is a very cool project indeed. After all, The Torpedo Factory is renown as the highlight of Alexandria’s Potomac River waterfront, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually. Boasting 82 artists’ studios, six galleries, two workshops, and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum all in one place. You can sign up for an art class with The Art League School or just take in the art. There’s clearly plenty to do including strolling along the waterfront, shopping and sightseeing on nearby historic streets, or dine in the area’s many fine restaurants. It’s easy to see why this place is legendary.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center houses more than 165 visual artists who produce artwork in a wide variety of media including painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, stained glass, fiber, printmaking, and sculpture. How cool is that? The artists invite visitors to join them in their studios and observe their creative processes. You may ask questions, learn about each of their art forms, and purchase original work.

In addition to working artist studios, you will also find galleries, workshops and a museum.

Visit them (for real) at…
105 N. Union St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-838-4565

or virtually at… The Torpedo Factory Art Center online.

Now, wouldn’t it be cool if Las Vegas had something like that? We agree. That’s what makes it so exciting for us to share with you that it does… or soon will. The forthcoming Southern Nevada Center for the Arts at Neonopolis, 450 Freemont St., Second Floor in the heart of historic Las Vegas will be just that; a place to see and buy original art, meet artists and learn about the local art culture. This is exciting because it’s a first of its kind for Las Vegas - a real highly accessible cultural center! This new ensemble of artists will feature glass artists, painters, sculptors and a plethora of other creative talent.

There’s a lot going on at Neonopolis and the Southern Nevada Center for the Arts is just part of it. We’ll tell you more when we can, but trust us when we say ‘it’s going to be exciting!’

Not familiar with Neonopolis? If you’ve ever been to the world famous Freemont Street Experience you’ve been at the Neonopolis front door. Stay tuned to AirbrushTour for more.

9/25/08 — Another Airbrush Action Getaway in Las Vegas made for a great reason to stop in, see some new talent, and catch up with old friends. This event, like the last couple before it, was held at the beautiful Southpoint Hotel-Casino-Spa located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes south of the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Airbrush Seminars are for all skill levels from novice to professionals. This year’s classes included…
Achieving Photorealism with Dru Blair • Pinstriping & Lettering Mastery • Automotive Art and Illustration • Automotive Graphics • Automotive Art and Illustration • Craig Fraser’s Automotive Cheap Tricks and Special F/X • House Of Kolor’s Art of Painting • Intro to Airbrushing Getaway • Intro to Automotive Graphics Getaway • Intro to Murals on Steel • Automotive Murals on Steel • T-Shirt Airbrushing • Pin-Up Art & Airbrushing • Intro to Pinstriping

A.D. Cook with master airbrush illustrator Dru Blair. Those fortunate enough to take Dru’s Photorealism workshop will be blown away by his immense knowledge and color theory that goes way beyond theory. Buckle in and visit Dru’s web site at DruBlair.com.

The pinup class was blessed by a visit from the beautiful model for the subject of the class, Anastasia - oh, and it was also taught by Lorenzo Sperlonga and Steve Driscoll. But enough about them, back to Anastasia…

Lorenzo does a demo for attendees. Take notes here - this guy definitely knows how to paint the beautiful ladies. Visit him here for more > LorenzoSperlonga.com

Gary Worthington taught the t-shirt class. Wow… check out Gary’s work….

This are probably some of the coolest hand painted t-shirts we’ve ever seen! (and we’ve seen a few). Gary’s unique style is so over the top, it makes up want to take an airbrush t-shirt workshop.

Reluctant hero or otherwise, you wouldn’t want to run into this Joker on a Dark Knight.

Terry Hill pauses for a quick pic with a long-time friend Cheryl Vaughn - lots of history there.

A.D. Cook with Charles Armstrong.

Gary Jensen really gets behind his pinstripe class. Wow, those guys work hard - what with all that line-straightener and stuff.

Catching up with Craig Fraser of Air Syndicate. Got Paint?

Craig teaches one of his famous demos. Did you miss out? Make sure you sign up for the next one - ‘nough said.

The amazing Jonathan Pantaleon offered his expertise to some lucky students. Stay tuned for more on Jonathan. He’s got a cool gig coming up in an exotic venue - you’ll want to learn more about that.

Alan Pastrana offered his expertise this year. This is a truly fresh talent - currently featured on the cover of Airbrush Action.

More examples of Alan’s work is displayed in his great collection of panels.

An always cheerful presence at the Getaways - Las Vegas local Bren Southerland takes a break from his always busy duties for a shot with A.D.

Tom Puentes is a regular at the getaways, and we’d be disappointed if we didn’t see him there.

Gary Glass, President of Iwata-Medea out of Portland, Oregon, A.D. Cook and Dave Monnig from Coast Airbrush.

Gary Glass pimpin’ the best of the best - Iwata of course.

And the sponsor of the Airbrush Action Getaway is of course Cliff Steiglitz, Publisher & Executive Editor of Airbrush Action magazine.

Well, that’s it until the next one. Keep painting and take care.

September 19-21, 2008 — Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino was host to International ArtExpo Las Vegas 2008. This is the second year for ArtExpo in Las Vegas, following the 30 year success of Artexpo New York. This Las Vegas event showcases the artworks of approximately 310 artists working in acrylic painting, animation art, bas relief, art glass, ceramics, collages, drawings, etchings/engravings, jewelry, mixed-media, oil paintings, pastels, photographs, sculptures, serigraphs/silkscreen and watercolors - you name, and it was there. We were there too as we stopped in to catch up with a few artist friends and see what was new and exciting in the art world.

With hundreds of artist showing their wares, there were literally thousand of artworks to take in. our overall take on the show was positive, with most artists expressing that were experiencing success and worthwhile sales. As it should be - most of what we saw was beautiful work - well executed and nicely displayed. We left inspired.

It was catching up with Steve Barton, who is known for his strong brush strokes, rich textures, and vibrant colors… all that and a mean coffee too. Steve brings a sense of joy and peace to each of his paintings featuring tranquil and seductive locales that reflect his engaging personality. His love of his work comes through in each of his creations, from the canvas to his special trademark “Wavy” frames.

All the way from Hawaii, Walfrido displayed his beautiful landscapes and seascapes featuring caves, classic beach scenes, volcanoes, fire and fantasy.

Figurative artist Henry Asencio displayed an impressive collection of beautiful painting featuring bold brush strokes.

Caricature pop artist David O’Keefe made way from Florida to show his fun and entertain statues and paintings. His Bill Murray sculpture in the back corner is hilarious.

Artist Fabian Perez takes a moment to catch up with A.D.

Classically trained California artist Steven M. Quartly was displaying his fabulously colorful oil paintings of landscapes.

Seascapes and bold colorful paintings were very popular at this show.

Visiting from Scottsdale, Arizona, pop artist Chris Palin aka ‘the Urban Edge’ strolled the aisles with A.D.

Where’s Barry? Abstract artist Barry Mack flew down from Portland, Oregon to take in all the art. Chris and I pondered his whereabouts and shots pics.

Celebrating ancient modernism, Marston Smith bronze sculpture evoke epic voices from another time, beyond the boundaries of rational thought. A true Renaissance man, Marston has been sculpting, painting and drawing since his youth, and has also pursued a stellar career as a concert cellist. He has performed in concert all over the world and was performing live for appreciative audiences at his space at ArtExpo. Marston’s music, paintings and sculptures are the embodiment of what he coins Epic Romantic. Visit MythicSculpture.com for more on Marston, his art and music.

ArtExpo has added Miami to their venue making their next upcoming venue International ArtExpo Miami - December 12-14, 2008, 250 NW 22nd St., Miami, FL. Visit ArtExpos.com for more.

Click here for previous AirbrushTour posts on ArtExpos for Las Vegas and New York.

On a note of a different subject…. before hitting ArtExpo, artists Chris Palin and Barry Mack joined A.D. for a visit to see his new forthcoming studio in Las Vegas. Stay tuned to AirbrushTour for more on that. These walls won’t stay white for long.

Cheers.

Hey, we’re no Zagat’s, but we know the good stuff when we experience it. On Saturday, Steeles Restaurant, Las Vegas, NV held their grand opening - a truly special event. Outside was a gorgeous line-up of rides from MotorCars of Las Vegas (including the beautiful and non-compromising Aston Martin DBS shown above). Inside, luscious hot and cold tapas and adult beverages were provided by the all-new Steeles. A perfect combination.

Steeles owner Sean Steele with artist A.D. Cook and Steeles celebrated chef/owner Beni Velazquez, taking a moment to enjoy a memorable evening.

A beautiful collection of exotic cars wait just outside….

…including this beautiful topless red Ferrari 360 Modena Spider convertible - ready to roll.

Our favorite dream car… the 250 mph+ SSC Ultimate Aero made an appearance. Track Back to the previous post on the SSC for cool videos. That’ll whet your appetite.

Tom Brazill from Motorcars of Las Vegas, Paul Booth of Performance Drink Inc., and artist A.D. Cook.

Vodka for the event was supplied by Snow Queen Vodka. This beautiful spirit is produced in Kazakhstan. A truly fine, organically created vodka - smooth and delicious. What a luxurious treat.

Visit the Steeles Restaurant website and download their menus. You’ll find an eclectic collection of toothsome choices - something for everybody. Visit them at 9460 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas 89123 - call them at 702-588-5400 for reservations.

Congratulations to the staff at Steeles on their great opening. We have no doubt that Steeles will become a favorite among locals as well as those passing through. If you find yourself at Steeles to imbibe, partake, converse and laugh let them know that you learned about them on AirbrushTour.com - Cheers for now.

Counting down the days to SEMA. We’ll be there - how about you?

Shhhhh. Something is happening at the Neonopolis on Fremont in downtown Las Vegas. It’s going to be something kinda hip, kinda cool, but we’re not talking… for now. Stay tuned for a whole new experience.

While strolling the The Freemont Experience on a beautiful Thursday evening, we found this “Loco Airbrush” street artist… Dwain Thomas, working on an airbrushed portrait piece for a patron.

That’s the charm of Vegas - you can find art everywhere.

The three miles known as the Las Vegas Strip is an amazing place. 24/7 gambling, resort excess, ultrahigh-end shopping, fine dining and routine pampering. It’s actually more than three miles if you dip into the casinos and malls to check it all out. Even more if you’re staying at one of the ultra-cool hotels. On the Strip alone, there are approximately 38 large hotels, and most of these include at least 1,000 rooms. Beyond that, many have over 2,000 rooms, and few have over 5,000 rooms. Unimaginable in most cities. All have lounges and restaurants, and most have shops - often exclusive and unique to Las Vegas. All of this means there is never a shortage for things to do.

And not everything here has to cost a lot of money. Many things are still actually free. We strolled to find a few on an early August afternoon. Parking at Caeser’s Palace garage, we strolled the Forum Shops, which host a ton of upper scales shops, galleries and fine restaurants. With hundreds of stores, restaurants and attractions, there’s plenty to keep you busy for an afternoon. If you like window shopping, this is the place to be. The Forum Shops features more than 160 boutiques and shops as well as 13 restaurants and specialty food shops, including Bvlgari , Gianni Versace, Cucci, Boss Hugo, FAO Schwarz, Guess and Banana Republic. Both Christian Lassen and Peter Max have art galleries there, and the Galleria di Sorrento is a great place to see the artworks of Bill Mack, Frederick Hart, Henry Asencio, Dr. Seuss and many others.

There are great statues and fountains for the viewing with plenty of areas to relax and enjoy people watching or beautifully airbrushed clouded skies above.

A gold statue of legendary magicians Sigfried and Roy sits outside the Mirage. Inside the Mirage is Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.

As a designer, I like signs - especially in Vegas. Signs do things here. Neon, lights, moving things - you name it. The Treasure Island Hotel and Casino sign is contemporary upgrade from the previous skull and crossed swords design that adorned the Strip for years.

While Treasure Island, abandoned its pirate theme for a more contemporary resort in efforts to focus more on adults, they kept the ships and the free performance that goes with it.

In 2003, the “Buccaneer Bay” was changed to “Sirens’ Cove”.

The ships were redesigned and upgraded.

This live, free show is designed to appeal more to adults by including singing, dancing, audio-visual effects, bare chested pirates and attractive women in the large outdoor production.

The Sirens of TI® begins with a 17th century clash between a group of beautiful, tempting sirens and a band of renegade pirates. With their mesmerizing and powerful song the Sirens lure the pirates to their cove, stir up a tempest strong enough to sink a ship, and transform Sirens’ Cove into a 21st century party. Experience music, dance, excitement and seduction - nightly at 7:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m., and 11:30 p.m. in Sirens’ Cove at the front entrance of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

Just past the ships, beautiful sculture adorn the entrance of the T.I. - to the left…

…and the right, just overhead as you enter the casino.

Just north of T.I is Fashion Mall, a large upper scale shopping mall.

Across the street, the sign outside Wynn Las Vegas raises and lowers, reveling a cool graphics with each pass.

Inside, The Wynn is about as elegant as anyone could hope for. This is the only casino in town with an indoor Ferrari / Maserati dealer. There is however a Lamborghini dealer inside the Palazzo. Both will allow you access to view these beautiful cars up close for a $10 entrance fee.

Both offer poker for a bit more.

The new Palazzo is just south of the Wynn and is a beautiful addition to the strip.

It’s attached to the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino with its amazing shops and gondola canals. This is a view from just outside the Venetian walking back to the Strip.

The Venetian is also home to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, an interactive “must feel” attraction providing you with a unique opportunity to create personal memories with some of the world’s biggest icons including the hottest stars of today, controversial politicians, record-breaking athletes and simply put, legends. above, Nicolas Cage take time for a quick pic with A.D.

A short walk south down the Strip is Harrah’s…

…featuring a very festive statue as part of their marque above the entrance.

All this beauty in a couple hours of strolling with a camera. No money spent, although there are always plenty of possibilities for a great time and lots to see with shows and shops everywhere.

Not enough for you. Stay tuned, because this town is growing… big time. MGM, for example, has its $9.2 billion CityCenter development under way here. This project boasts seven high-rise buildings on 76 acres, projected to be completed late next year. CityCenter is to be a densely organized “city within a city” with a casino, luxury hotel properties, numerous luxury retailers and about 2,650 condominium residences.

Proud as can be. A Statue of Liberty replica stands outside New York, New York.

Fun Facts:*

• When Paul Anka first played Vegas he was too young to be allowed in the casino.
• Bugsy Siegel named his casino the Flamingo after the long legs of his showgirl girlfriend.
• In Nevada it is mandatory that video slot machines pay a minimum of 75 percent on average.
• Vegas Vic, the enormous neon cowboy that towers over Fremont Street, is the world’s largest mechanical neon sign.
• Howard Hughes stayed at the Desert Inn for so long that he was asked to leave. He bought the hotel.
• Camels were used as pack animals in Nevada as late as 1870.
• Over 39.2 million people visit Las Vegas each year.
• 17 of the 20 biggest hotels in the U.S. are in Las Vegas.

*source: Official Las Vegas Tourism Web Site. Click here for more.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk down the world famous Las Vegas Strip? Now is your chance to take a virtual stroll down Las Vegas Boulevard, one of the most exciting streets in the world. Start at the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign and continue down the entire length of theStrip with complete 360 degree panoramic views. Be sure to stop at some of the newest hotels including Bellagio, Paris, Mandalay Bay and The Venetian. Click here to visit Las Vegas 360.com

Cheers from Las Vegas.

We stopped in again this past weekend at the Cars and Coffee event that happens weekly gathering of cars and enthusiasts in Las Vegas. Seems we can’t get enough of the cool local cars to compliment the hot weather. This week we discovered a gem of a ride in this beautiful Caddy sitting all flamed and ready to roll. Spotting it from half a block away, we were called to her, like a cold beer on a hot day, sitting there topless and ready for pics.

That’s when we met Robert, driver of this ride and purveyor of great Mexican grilled dishes, who takes the Zabamobile, as he calls her, to the local events for a little well-deserved attention.

The Zabamobile is the flagship vehicle, acting as the mobile ambassador of Zaba’s Mexican Grill restaurants. You are likely to catch a glimpse of this impressively restored classic Cadillac anywhere in the greater Las Vegas Metro area.

This cool ride looks great from any angle. Beautifully painted and airbrushed by Ten Ten Custom Paint Inc. out of Las Vegas.

Click here to see more pics of the Zabamobile at their web site. And when out and about in Vegas, stop in for a great healthy meal. They have five locations in Vegas and their food is great. Burritos, bowls, the works. Filling too— you get a lot of meal for your buck.

Click here for more Cars and Coffee posts on AirbrushTour.

Saturday August 3rd, 2008 marked the Gala Opening and Inaugural Exhibition of the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas.

Celebrating the Beauty of Our Erotic Heritage XXXtravagasmic Grand Opening. The first night opening ran from 7pm-Midnight. We stopped in to behold and explore the vast array of socio-cultural perspectives depicting our erotic heritage, including a special emphasis on the unfolding of the American Sexual Revolution of the 20th Century.

The Museum seeks to bridge the gap between that which is commercial and often misidentified as pornographic, with that which is aesthetic, often identified as folk, pop, and fine art through a common visual language.

The Museum encompasses over 24,000 square feet of permanent and featured exhibits designed to preserve wonders of the erotic imagination as depicted through the artistic expressions of sex and love. Naturally, we were curious and had to visit.

The welcoming committee of Deja Vu Showgirls were on hand for pictures. Above; Daisy, Chevelle and Roxie with A.D.

Everyone was there for fun, with no shortage of costumed characters to excite the imagination. Face painting and body art was plentiful.

A.D. Cook with artist Francois Dubeau from Montreal, Canada. His sensuous drawings are beautifully rendered with minimal use of line, and his paintings are featured in the Kinsey Institute’s permanent collection.

A few posts back, we brought you some great pics from a regular gig here for cars lovers and coffee addicts (see our Cars and Coffee post from 7/14/08). Every Saturday morning proud drivers and car lovers get together to kick tires and enjoy a cup of Joe. Cars and Coffee™ Las Vegas launched June 14th, 2008 and is growing. We’ve been out there a few times now, and each time there are a few more cars. the congregation of assorted cars runs from 7:00am - 10:00am at 9500 S Eastern Ave. in the Sansone Park Place Shopping Center (215 and Eastern).

And while there is a plethora of great rides on display every weekend, this post is going to highlight a few American cars and trucks, like the ol timer ’50’s Ford F-100 above.

With no shortage of chrome, and tons of engine under the hood, we’re guessing this rig really hauls.

She still flies! An airbrush eagle mural adorns each door, complimented by ol glory stars and stripes.

Sticking with old Fords for a bit, we find this proud panel sitting nearby…

…ready for service - Hot Rod Service that is.

Check out her pinstripes.

And what’s a show without an old Chevy truck? This is a sweet ride - the way cool trucks are mint to be.

A hot Corvette looks cool…

…especially with trick hinged doors.

And while what’s under the hood always matters - what’s in the back is no laughing matter either.

Vettes still rule - old ones too.

Not many of these 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbirds around anymore.

The short-lived Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, a sister design to the Dodge Charger Daytona, was designed to beat the Ford Torino Talladega at NASCAR stock car racing and to lure Richard Petty back to Plymouth. Both cars famously featured a protruding, aerodynamic nosecone, a massive rear spoiler, and a horn whose sound mimicked the Road Runner cartoon character. This blue beast is a beautiful example of American muscle from a time when gas was cheap and Mopar ruled the track. As a side note, it’s the first car ever banned from NASCAR - oh, nasty.

Bringing in a new era is the 2008 Dodge Challenger. This is the first we’ve seen on the street and it’s a beautiful car up close. We’re glad to see they are much like what we’ve seen at SEMA over the last couple years.

This one’s packing a 6.1 liter Hemi. Old school thinking in a new world. There should be plenty of ‘go’ to compliment the ’show’ in this one.

Back to old…

This Buick Riviera makes an appearance at many local rod shows. It’s very possible that you’ve seen a taste of her on AirbrushTour sometime in a previous post. This is the first time though, that we’ve been able to get some good shots on a nice day with the hood up…

…which is cool, since this ride is packing some serious muscle - Corvette style. This Riviera is powered by a Corvette Vortech LS7, 7.0 liter, that should be in a C6 Z06, but look quite at home here.

With too many details for this post, we’ll have to bring you more on the Riviera soon.

Okay, we couldn’t resist one last shot.

Less rain made for more Cobras.

Our last car featured in this post is one smooth ride.

Complete with spot lights - driver’s and passenger’s sides.

And of course… fuzzy dice. Vegas - that’s how we roll, baby.

It’s August and the girls are hot! Babes and bikinis. That’s what you get every Friday 10AM to Sunset. Well, that and a good drink or two. Syrup Swimwear hosts Good Fridays at Tao Beach at The Venetian in Las Vegas where the lore of beautiful ladies always makes for a great time. Don’t take our word for it - stop in on Friday and judge for yourself. This place rocks, but you got to be 21 or older - ID required.