A new exhibition of auto-inspired artwork has now opened at Warwickshire's British Motor Museum. This marks the third gallery collaboration between the Museum and Historic Car Art, and features sculpture, paintings, and prints from an ensemble of British automotive artists.

Another exciting feature of the annual exhibition is the Young Artists Competition. Submissions are still open (closing on Monday 28 of April) so any budding painters, sculptors, sketches and digital artists under 20 years old are invited to get inspired by the works on display, and create a work of art on the theme of “the car and the environment”. This year's competition winners will be awarded £50 in art vouchers, an invaluable session with one of the artists featured in the exhibition and, new for this year's competition, their work will be displayed in the exhibition itself during May and June. With the school holidays on the horizon, this is the perfect time for young artists to get inspired and get creative.

The exhibition itself features a broad range of styles and artworks, highlighting everything from the speed and excitement of a race, to intricate portraits of the people involved, and the technical elegance of automotive design. Highlights include the highly detailed, almost photo-realistic works in pencil and charcoal by Oliver Ray, and striking prints by Kate Alger, who is one of the competition judges alongside John Ketchell, his own dynamic and colorful paintings displayed nearby. The intersection between art and design is celebrated particularly in the work of Paul Cameron, whose artwork is almost a by-product of his day job - producing scaled down models of CAD designs.

Most of the artworks have been produced in the last 12 months, meaning that anyone who has visited the gallery in previous years will see a fresh selection of works this time around. One of the featured artists, Neil Collins was actually in situ at the Gallery’s opening, working on one of his watercolors. These works represent a combination of his twin passions - Art and Automobiles - which began to inspire him as a teenager. For Neil, nostalgia plays a large part in his artwork, as well as the freedom and energy that is afforded by watercolor painting. 

Under the co-curation of Rupert Whyte, this exhibition feels particularly personal, offering a glimpse into the passions and motivations of the featured artists, and perfectly situated in the British Motor Museum. 

There can't be a better place to celebrate automotive art, or for young artists to be inspired by those who share the passion.