There’s a painter whose inspiration for his artworks comes from the sleek and fresh lines of an unsuspecting object and Wolf Kammerlander’s passion has driven him to turn out dozens of Vespa-inspired artworks. His love of the stylish two-wheeled wasp has granted him the position of president of the 120-member Vespa Club of Zurich. Wondering what it takes to be both a member and an artist? Here’s what Wolf had to say:

I love art, it’s my passion. But I take great pride in my role as president of the Vespa Club. It gives me the opportunity to meet and become friends with people all over the world who love the scooter I love. For me the Vespa is and remains a great world icon, it’s fresh and modern.

The Vespa has wonderful lines, its rich style is unmistakeable: it’s a truly great Piaggio invention, created by the genius of its designer, Corradino D’Ascanio. But what makes it special is that even if you’re not a mechanic or an engineer, you can work on the scooter to make it even more appealing, to match your tastes and passions, or simply make it even faster and more responsive.

So what exactly does Wolf love about the Vespa? The colours:

Personally, I love the colours of the 1960s, the hues chosen to decorate the first models have nothing aggressive about them. All those pastels are lovely. My absolute favourite is the blue, a classic, a really pleasing colour. As far as the latest models are concerned, I particularly like the yellow. It’s a real “signpost” colour, full of personality and meaning. It’s no coincidence that I use it a lot in my pictures.

But just how popular could a painting of a Vespa really be? Very popular, actually:

I can’t complain, they sell well. I’ve had exhibitions in Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Of course, Italy is the main market, the Italians love the Vespa. But I have clients in other countries too: when you paint a world icon, your pictures travel the world, no doubt about it.

So, do you Vespa? You probably should.

[source: vespa]