One of Darshan's most interesting "non-beach" art experiences came while living in the Gold Rush country of Northern California.  To attract more tourism several small towns in the area refashioned their Main Streets with Old West building facades and storefronts. Darshan played an active role with several of these communities. "I especially enjoyed researching the historical signage and then painting storefront banners to look as if they had weathered the elements for a hundred years. With our Cruisers I only have to add fifty years of exposure to the elements -- however I have the additional challenge of also adding fifty years of wear and tear imposed by Mankind behind the wheel!"
    
  Darshan's life took a fateful turn when by pure happenstance (known locally as "Maui Magic") he and Steve met and Cruiser Art was born. "In so many ways Cruiser Art is the culmination of all that has come before, both in my life on the beach and in my life as an artist. It is definitely my proudest work."  Darshan adds that his real gratification comes from knowing he is presenting an art form that people find fun and that generates a simple but very genuine "happy feeling".  Cruiser Art is "feel good" art and it always evokes a warm positive response -- usually an audible "neat" or "cool" interspersed with frequent "awesomes"!
      
   

  - And Meet Cruiser Art's Co-creator -
   

  Born just six months and a hundred miles apart, Steve Rummel and Darshan Zenith would not meet for nearly a half century. Steve has lived in Hawaii for forty years and brings a successful business background to Cruiser Art.  By chance encounter the two Mauians met in the quaint little beach plantation town of Paia. Their shared love and appreciation for the "beauty and character" of the island's weathered and forlorn old beach cruisers forged an immediate bond between two very different personalities -- a bond that spawned Cruiser Art.

Steve and Darshan immediately recognized the need to capture and preserve the dinged and rusted beach cruisers that still populate many of Maui's beaches. "Darshan's welcoming of my ideas, input and occasional criticism speaks volumes about his comfort as an artist. While Darshan is definitely the artist, his openness in acknowledging our co-creation of the concept as well as my ideas and suggestions related to our individual art pieces is genuinely appreciated."

  Steve handles the business aspects of Cruiser Art, including its retail marketing operation. He also serves as the artist of the written word, including "helping" each Cruiser recount its own nostalgic Auto Biography.  In addition he built the Cruiser Art website and serves as its webmaster. "I knew nothing about computers and even less about building a web site.  But back at the turn of the millennium it seemed unimaginable not to learn how to use this marvelous new Internet medium to both share and market Cruiser Art worldwide -- which is exactly what we have had the enjoyment of doing ever since".  
  
    

Previous Page