Back from Charlotte, which was a totally awesome time. I am fried, on several levels (forgot the small detail of sunscreen before walking around outside for hours). Tons o' cool cars -- both classic and art. In addition to Sarah's car, Tim (Plaid Car), who I met at Houston and Bawlmer last year was there. And I got to meet several other drivers, inc. Chris (Heaven and Hell Car), Dean (Miss Vicki), Carolyn and Mike (Stink Bug) and Dave (Aero Car). Altho big events with lots o' cars are thrilling, there's something nice about a small event where you get a chance to hang out and talk to everyone. But what was especially cool about Charlotte was the presence of Dalton Stevens, the Button King!! Not only was he featured in Wild Wheels (Harrod Blank's first art car movie/book) but he even shows up as a stock photo in the WebShots screensaver I use at work. He came up from South Carolina and apparently this was his last art car/car show event. He's planning to retire his car and all his stuff into a museum he's opening up at his home. He explained to Sarah and me this morning that he had buttoned two coffins. One for him to use and the other to stay in the museum (but they'll both be at the museum, he said, "until I go.") I love meeting art car people but I think I was more in awe of meeting the Button King than anyone else I've met in the scene. I think because, in a way, he didn't set out to make an art car. He just set out to cover stuff in buttons.

Anyway, y'all should bounce over to Sarah's site and check out a short movie clip I shot (and she edited and scored) of the unofficial Charlotte Auto Fair 2005 artcar parade.