Gary Pidgeon
Emigrating from England in 1946, Gary Pidgeon's mother and father settled in the Los Angeles area, where he was born. A young Gary was soon driving his parents crazy by painting everything in sight. Raised on a steady diet of go-carts, dirt bikes, road bikes and everything from Datsun 510s to Chevrolet Corvettes, Gary became engulfed in the SoCal auto and aerospace culture. These interests worked their way into his paintings and quickly became the thematic focus for his artwork.
Gary's drawing ability transitioned into vibrant acrylic paintings, gaining recognition by the community and winning awards. It was a proud moment for Gary when one of his paintings ("Rutherford at Indy") caught the attention of 3-time Indy 500 champ Johnny Rutherford and he called to discuss purchasing it. Although Gary studied art in college, his passion for aviation drew him to the air and he obtained his private pilot license. The racing urge still strong, Gary enrolled in a 3-day driving course at the old, classic Riverside International Raceway with the Jim Russell British School of Motor Racing. He also participated in some school sponsored run-offs a few months later. But fully catching the flying "bug," he obtained an instrument rating, a commercial license with flight instructor ratings and ultimately an Airline Transport Pilot license. Gary finally achieved one of his dreams by becoming a commercial airline pilot.
Always artistically committed, Gary has been absorbing influences and refining his style for many years. He painted whenever raising a family and his pilot career allowed. Now, with his two daughters grown up and off to college, Gary is very excited to be able to devote more time to his art and share it with the public!
Art for sale by Gary Pidgeon: Michael's First Ferrari Rutherford at Indy Brasilia
