This cool aquatic themed truck caught our eye outside at the SEMA show. It was painted by Airhead Kustoms in Corona, California and it features a collection of sea creatures - nice work, check it out…

Visit Airhead Kustoms online.

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Are you ready for pics from SEMA? Although this years show was a tad smaller than previous years, the 2008 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association is still no small event. It would take days to see it all. Lucky for us, this is our 6th walk through the SEMA show, so we have a pretty good idea of what is where. We hope you have fast internet, because there will be a series of image heavy SEMA posts coming at you - starting with this one. Here’s just a taste of what we saw and loved just outside the SEMA event. This is the parking lots folks - you know, sans the miles of isles still waiting inside.

Airbrush and custom paint abound. We saw a ton of fabulous artwork from airbrush to air erased.

Enjoy…

Here’s closeup of the beautiful lace airbrush effect.

This low-slung beast sports some nice airbrush treatments…

…including this custom painted tonneau cover.

A closeup shot of the beast. Ya, we know that guy - lol.

We love that caffeine inspired pin-stripe.

Kudos to Greedy Fly Grafix for a job well done.

No car show is complete without a fire adorned tuner. We brought you this one last year - painted by legendary True Fire™ artist Mike Lavallee.

Just enough airbrush work to enhance this high and mighty ride.

The art is tastefully inlaid within the graphics.

Featuring one of our favorite subjects of course.

Old Glory. A retro pickup sporting a paint scheme that never goes out of style.

Heavy Hitter - wow, there’s some hours invested in this project - check it out the beautiful airbrush work under the hood. If that doesn’t get your motor runnin’, you’re at the wrong site.

A similar discipline to the airbrush, this glass etch work is done with an air eraser and lots of practice.

More glass art.

This heavy hitter is a beautiful ride all the way around. Check out the dash…

…and doors - from an angle most don’t get to see.

Tanked in the trunk.

The hand-painted sign is a work of art as well. Beautiful job all the way around. Artwork: Alan Signs.

Okay, who can resist the pretty lady at the Pirelli booth? Clearly, not us. What a smile.

Watch for more from SEMA - oh yeah, lots more.

November 6, 2008 was the date that the movers and shakers in the airbrush and paint world marked their calendars for the always fun, always dynamic, Airbrush Confidential Party. As in previous years, it was held at the pool/grotto at the famous Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Always a welcome event after the rigors of SEMA, it was a very well attended party. Sponsors were: Iwata-Medea, Artool Products, Coast Airbrush, Anest-Iwata, Airbrush Action and House of Kolor. Here’s some pics of the people we found there…

Satoru Iwata and Gary pose with a friend.

A.D. Cook, Robert Pascal of Artalk.com and Satoru Iwata.

Becky-Sue Huff from Fullerton, CA and a friend.

A.D. Cook with Ryno

Proud sponsors of a great party.

Will Naemura, Gearboxxx and Lynette Orzlowski from Australia.

A.D. with Daniel Power of Power Studios in Australia, and Joanne from Iwata-Medea.

Tom Prewitt, custom painter of Monster Garage fame - and a snappy dresser too - with A.D. Cook.

Cliff from Airbrush Action with A.D. Cook and Brooke Cedros from Iwata Medea.

Leah Pruett made an appearance. Learn about Leah and her fast Heartbreaker race car.

A.D. Cook with Jon Kosmoski of House of Kolor and Dave Monig from Coast Airbrush

A.D. Cook with Charlie Hutton.

A.D., Kathy, Daniel Power and friend Scott.

Gear and Ryno Templeton.

Will Naemura and Brooke Cedros from Iwata-Medea.

Pam Shanteau, Ryno, Kathy Cook and A.D. Cook

Cheers. Steve Driscoll, Craig Fraser (background), Ryno, A.D. Cook and Dave Monig from Coast Airbrush

A.D. Cook with Ray Odette from ASET.

Ron Gibbs with fiance Nancy (Revisit the AirbrushTour post on their engagement), Kathy and A.D. Cook.

A.D. Cook with Ed Hubbs and a friend.

This party is always great! This year was no exception.

We always pause for beauty. Hello ladies

Just add tiki. This crowd was having fun.

Donn “Too Tall” Shanteau hamin’ it up for the camera.

Here’s a slide show of all the pics we got from the party - for your edification and amusement…

See you next year! Meanwhile, click here to see a taste of last year’s party… Airbrush Girls Gone Wild.

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This is a picture representation of what our week has been like. SEMA, Airbrush Confidential and the Opening of the A.D. Cook Fine Art Gallery was all on our docket. We’re still processing images, so watch AirbrushTour.com for all the goods on these three outrageous events.

We fell in love with this “over-the-top” Rolls Royce - we’ll bring more on this too.

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

Somewhere between the radical world of hot rods, and the visionary ambiance of SEMA, there lies a place for old world kewl.

Flat black, pinstripes and all.

Albeit, sometimes with a new world twist.

But always with a whole lot of muscle to back it up.

This year’s SEMA Show is Tuesday, November 4 – Friday, November 7, 2008
LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

We’re counting the days to SEMA 2008. While you’re waiting, check out more posts on AirbrushTour from previous SEMA Shows.

This week’s Pic of the Week features Mark Hebbeler from Anest Iwata with the great Marilyn Monroe (or a in this case Jami as Marilyn), offering him some encouragement over his broken foot at SEMA 2007 in Las Vegas.

We saw these cool wheels airbrushed to look like 1985 Liberty Quarters at SEMA 2007, and thought it was cool. On the ground… spinners that go with he wheels when she’s not on display - cooler yet. Check it out…

Hmmm, that’s a new one.

One of the great pleasures of attending a show like SEMA is that you can get up close and personal with not only people of renown, but also famous Hot Rods. This is the unparalleled ’36 Ford Roadster which won the 2005 Ridler award at Detroit’s Autorama.

Check out those Foose signature custom wheels…

A cockpit you can love.

Read about this amazing hot rod on Chip Foose’ website.

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Above: Leah Gall at the 2007 SEMA Show with Bob Spina and Tom Kelly.

Introducing Brian & Leah Gall own & operate Finishline Design Inc. in Corcoran, MN, just 30 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Leah handles the airbrush and Brian is skilled in body work and graphic style paint jobs. Check out some of their work…

Leah is an avid airbrush instructor. Check out their web site for class information.

The Finishline Design shop started its life as a hay barn, over 100 years ago. Now, its been converted into a cool paint shop.

This Harley-Davidson Fat Boy gets the skull treatment with holographic leaf graphics.

This South Dakota Indian Chief motorcycle has Mt. Rushmore on one side and Crazy Horse on the other.

Another Indian motorcycle with a beautiful paint job.

The Vegas Bike was commissioned by a customer that sells gambling supplies.

Leah says the pirate theme was fun - and it shows - making this one cool Bourget Low Blow chopper.

The dark side of art. This Reaper works well on this Honda.

Click here for airbrush class information at Finishline or click here to visit Finishline online.

Great work guys. Thanks for sharing.

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All images in this post are copyright © Finishline Design Inc. Used by Permission.