IF YOU happen to be going down Makarios Avenue and you happen to see mustangs running in the wild desert of Arizona or pirate ships passing you by don’t be alarmed, you are not in any immediate danger.
Airbrush artist Harry Nerapas is the man responsible for bringing scenes of mermaids in blue lagoons, dolphins in the dreamiest of seas and many other designs to our streets by painting them on the sides of cars, motorcycles and trucks. “I even painted a hare and other birds on a hunting riffle,” he said.
A picture of a man’s face with hand extended, palm up, an airbrush gun hanging in the air over his palm, with flames bursting around him covers one of the walls of Nerapas’ Aerographia Studio in Tseri. “It’s an advertising poster of myself from when I was exhibiting my work last October,” said Nerapas. But how did he get into painting dreamscapes and the likes on cars? “I studied graphic design in the States but the love of airbrushing took over my life. I am self taught and developed the techniques by reading and believing that practice makes perfect. My first attempt was at painting my wife’s car. A lot of love and dedication has gone into this business.”
Part of his workshop is dedicated to his love of music although the work area is adorned with images of bikers and designs associated with their culture. “My latest commission is to paint The Mistress of Fire on a bike,” he added.
After a work is commissioned and the chosen image is found Harry makes a stencils of the design, a different one for each colour. A plotter can be used for cutting the outline of the design but as he prefers to do everything by hand with a knife. “Then I prepare the surface, any surface from plastic to glass, metal to fibreglass. An associate will remove the finishing coat – if needed – by sanding down the paint off the specific area. A small bottle of paint is then attached to the airbrush gun which is changed for each new colour. If I want to create a hazy effect I stand back from the surface and the strokes are lighter with each press of my finger,” he said.
A dismantled bike lies on the floor of his workshop as it was involved in an accident and the owner brought it back to be fixed. The petrol tank was covered by the image of a mermaid and the back and front fenders with scenes of the aquatic world. Every detail is thought of; even the rims are taken into consideration as part of the overall concept. “A word of advice for those whose cars or other property has been painted on: mention this fact to the insurance broker when insuring your vehicle or boat,” Nerapas stressed.
The waiting area at the studio is adorned with Native Indian artefacts; dream catchers hanging from the ceiling and framed photos of Indian chiefs on the walls. “I adore their history, I grew up watching cowboy and Indian films on TV.” On an easel in another section of his studio lies a painting with an unusual frame made of pinewood and iron rods. The picture depicts a pirate ship sinking a cargo ship in stormy waters at sunset. The colours are beautiful and the detail of the painting outstanding. “This is part of my work I exhibited. It is airbrush on a metal sheet”, he said. More of this type of work depicts an African scene with elephants in the background and a cheetah lying asleep on a branch.
Airbrushing can be used on fabric, canvas, motorcycles and boats, but more recently on human bodies too. Body painting is fast becoming one of the hottest airbrush applications in the world. Temporary body art is widely used in advertising, movies, music videos and for fans of tattoo work who are light hearted! Basic henna and complicated body murals can add to the revenue of the airbrush artist. Nerapas also offers this service. “The design will last for about ten days and it is an alternative to the more permanent tattoo,” he said.
On entering his office — the last stop on my visit – I see photos of his wife and two young children on his desk, reflecting the softer family side of his personality.
