About the cover, edition #6

July/Aug 2019 edition
Issue #6 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
Michael Furman - Cover Photographer
​Written by Peter Bourassa

Creating Speed! Tony Sikorski

My introduction to Tony Sikorski came from Publisher Sharon Spurlin along with several of the images pictured. I was immediately taken by them. They are attractive, bright, clever, and what I found most appealing, whimsical. 
​
Tony Sikorski is multi-dimensional. He is a member of AFAS and for those of you unfamiliar with the Automotive Fine Arts Society, it is, by design, a small group of, as its name implies, automotive fine artists. AFAS is recognized worldwide. Membership is by invitation only. And “whimsy”, is not a criterion of membership.  Tony Sikorski is a complete artist! And a car person! And he has successfully found the means to create art that appeals to ten year olds, their fathers, and their fathers.  

An auspicious beginning at Ivy art school in Pittsburg, PA, followed by several jobs with prestigious art studios, led Tony to start his own graphic business in 1976, which by 1982 became a full-fledged studio with 9 employees.  In 1992, he retired and closed up shop. At that time, he decided to rekindle his love of work with automotive art. 
​
Tony has always loved cars, and he knows about them. His sweet spot is the pre 1950s period, particularly the American and European Art Deco cars of the 1930s. When he finally retired from the business world, he went back to making his sculptures, and taking them to local shows. To his surprise, they sold quite well and that prompted him to expand his horizons and his offerings. Today as an AFAS member his work is displayed at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, Hershey, and Cavallino. All prestigious motorsports venues.  

His first works were done with corrugated cardboard and his finished pieces often looked like highly polished plastic. He has since moved on to wood and stainless steel. Tony says, “I like to make automotive art, that people just ‘gotta have’ when they see it.  It immediately speaks to them, and they can’t walk away!

Some of Tony’s sculptures sell for as much as $3,500 and others, which he does for the kids that come to the shows he attends go for as little as $25. All of his work is “one-off” originals. His latest creations use actual license plates within the sculpture, like the one featured on this issue’s cover.  He hunts down old license plates with patina and rust for character.  If you have old license plates to donate – he’d love to have them. 

If you want a customized license plate sculpture with your favorite plates or a particular name, color, phrase, etc., he can do that too, in either racing or touring version.  Prices for customized pieces range from $1,500 to $3,500

No matter the cost, all of Tony Sikorski’s work has the weight of quality, and is highly prized by collectors of automobilia.  

​Reach Tony at [email protected], 724-884-3782 in Pennsylvania, or go visit AutoArtGallery.com, to view more of his artwork, looking under AFAS Members.

​Peter Bourassa

To read more great columns like this one from Peter Bourassa and Michael Furman...
Subscribe to AutoMobilia Resource

subscribe!