Hugh Alexander

Spot-On Spots, a collection of pen and ink automotive art by illustrator Hugh B. Alexander, professor of illustration, will be on exhibit Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Oct. 14-Nov. 4 in the Rude Gallery.

Alexander has produced hundreds of black and white “spot illustrations” for clients throughout the years. Though the drawings are small, the precise detail and refined craftsmanship invite the viewer into his track-side experiences and photographs. Standing next to the guardrail as a Formula One car screams by at 200 mph is a true hair-raising experience—a drug that fuels his passion and his pen.

“The power of black and white suits the subject of speeding race cars perfectly,” said Hugh Alexander. “It allows me to focus solely on the blurs and shapes that occur when seeing an automobile at speed. I’m fascinated by the color and patterns as well, but even my paintings begin with detailed drawings. The black and white is simple and interprets speed to me in way that color can’t,” he explained.

Alexander’s collegiate education includes a bachelor of arts, Pacific University, Forrest Grove, OR, a master of arts in drawing, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, and a bachelor of fine arts, Art Center College of Design, CA. He has worked in the commercial field for almost thirty years and created imagery for car manufacturers and automotive publications worldwide. His work has been published in Road & Track, Sports Car International, Automobile, and the Ferrari publication, Rosa. The Society of Illustrators elected Alexander to their membership in 1987. Alexander has taught illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design since 1994.

Hugh Alexander’s work can be viewed at www.hbalexander.biz.