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Glover captured the legacy of the first one hundred years of SAE’s leadership in the mobility industry with this colorful and engaging triptych, on stretched canvas, that superimposes the common elements of time, people, and technology over three individually themed panels, each representing one of the Society’s operating groups: Automotive,
Aerospace, and Heavy Commercial.

John Peter Glover Creates Colorful Legacy Painting for SAE

SAE International contacted Eclectic Galleries as part of their nationwide search to find a prominent artist who could meet the challenge to create a painting that would define the Society’s first hundred year legacy of leadership in the mobility industry. SAE had commissioned a similar painting for their 75th anniversary but, this would be different. This painting would require the hand of an artist who not only possessed creative and artistic skills, but, also the passion, precision, and intellectual facility of a mobility engineer. The choice was easy for Eclectic Gallery Director, Bob Keller who immediately introduced John P. Glover to the SAE selection committee. (Glover, who is represented by Eclectic Gallery’s artist marketing division, had recently completed a similar commission for the Executive offices of a large publicly traded utility that had similar technical requirements.) After several interviews with SAE’s selection committee and other due diligence, John P Glover was the unanimous choice to create the painting that represents the 100 year legacy for one of the most prestigious and respected professional societies in the world.

Since Glover has always been a big fan of muscle cars and fast planes, he immediately became immersed into the project. John stated in a recent interview; “Initially I found myself overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project and the enormity of information that was put before me. How would I determine the visual priorities of the composition when they include SAE member heavyweights such as Henry Ford and the Wright brothers? And how would I decide on which of the many mobility achievements would be represented in the painting when the list ranges from SAE standards printed on the side of every oil can in the world to the first commercially designed, manned spacecraft? In the end, the composition grew out of a combination of my preconceived ideas about mobility, endless research, and an evolutionary listening process in numerous SAE Centennial committee meetings.”

John created the original image using a computer and then output the first generation digital files on a high resolution, archival quality printer using pigmented inks.

Glover chose to create the SAE composition using computer generated images embellished with traditional mediums such as acrylics, pencil and pastels. John finds that through the use of the computer, he can accommodate a balance between traditional mediums and techniques while opening all of the power of computer generated graphics and photo applications. “Using the computer and the various associated program applications, benefit me in two specific ways. First, it is an effective way to apply color to my existing line drawings. The functions of masking out areas and then adding soft color transitions which might have been accomplished with delicate brush work in the past can now be obtained with additional control and precision. There are also more options available to me as far as trying alternative variations in overall color, composition, etc. In other words, having the ability to change or tweak the resulting action is something that just doesn't exist in the same way with traditional media.

Output is to a high resolution, eight color, archival printer using pigmented inks.

Secondly, it serves as an excellent way of "amplifying" the muscular movements of the hand while drawing. I get more dexterous control when the muscular motion is confined to the hand than when I'm trying to work at a larger scale were the drawing lines are derived not just from the active hand but also from the motion of the arms and upper torso. Digitizing this smaller sketch with all of its direct vitality to a larger scale is a distinct advantage in using the computer. I also find it easier to make a smaller scale drawing and to see the "big picture" all at once on the page in front of me. When I scan the image I can enlarge it considerably and get a very dynamic curve or stroke that is different than if I were to try and make it by drawing it same-size."

Ultimately, as is the case with any piece of art, there is an element of craftsmanship associated with its production

Now, after eight months, the painting is finished, and ready for the April, 2005 unveiling at SAE’s World Congress in Detroit. Glover can finally relax and reflect back on the process and the finished work which will have a permanent hanging space in the lobby of SAE’s world headquarters near Pittsburgh. “With experience one begins to recognize certain compositions that are implied. But, in the final analysis, I will reserve judgment of the merits of this piece until I've had some "distance" from it. Over a matter of days or weeks I will look at it fresh, and I will see it in a whole new way and at that point, I’ll know if I made all of the right decisions.