Classic British Cars Become Subjects for Sacramento Artists

Britney Sweis

Sep 15

2 min read

CARMICHAEL, Calif. — Fifteen classic British sports cars lined the grounds of the Sacramento Fine Arts Center during a Second Saturday Plein Air event, giving local artists a set of subjects to work from.

Local artist working on a watercolor painting at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2026, for the Second Saturday Plein Air Event.

Sponsored by the United British Sports Car Club of Sacramento, the event brought together two groups with different approaches to the same objects: car enthusiasts focused on preserving and enjoying the vehicles, and artists focused on capturing their form, details and character.

Since 1970, the United British Sports Car Club, or UBSCC, has been a part of the Sacramento-area motor community. The club brings together owners and admirers of British cars and organizes activities throughout the year, including driving events, gatherings and the annual All-British Motor Vehicle Show and Swap Meet in Dixon.

Mary posing with a painting of her car in front of her 1974, TR6 Triumph at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2026, for the Second Saturday Plein Air Event.

During the event, local artists set up easels and materials around the cars, turning the subject into paintings, watercolors, charcoal drawings, clay and other forms of artwork. The plein air format allowed them to work directly from the vehicles rather than relying on photographs or studio references. "Plein air" is a French expression meaning "in the open air" that refers to painting outdoors. A recognizable automobile could become an exercise in proportion for one artist, a study of reflections and light for another, or a three-dimensional subject for someone working in clay.

1952 MG-TD parked at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2026, for the Second Saturday Plein Air Event.

The event took place at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center on September 12th and marked its 40th year. The center was founded in 1986 when five regional art clubs joined together to create a place where artists could meet and exhibit their work. The organization established its home at the La Sierra Community Center in Carmichael, where it remains today.

The arts center now hosts more than two dozen juried, group and solo exhibitions each year, along with classes, open studio sessions and workshops. Its stated mission is to encourage the creation and presentation of original visual art while supporting the cultural life of the community.

The finished work from the event will be displayed at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center during the month of September, giving visitors an opportunity to see the same vehicles through multiple artistic perspectives.

For one day, the center's grounds served as both a gathering place for classic-car enthusiasts and a temporary studio for artists, with the British automobiles providing the common subject between the two.