House of Kolor, a Valspar Automotive brand, announced the winners of its 2017 Prestigious Painter Awards during the 2016 SEMA Show.
House of Kolor has bestowed the title of “Prestigious Painter” to the top 12 painters in the industry for the past 17 years. The annual competition, which is open to anyone whose custom projects are painted exclusively with House of Kolor products, recognizes artists and customer painters whose work is outstanding creatively and superior in craftsmanship.
“I’ve been a painter for more than 60 years, and I understand how important every paint job is to finishing a spectacular build,” says John Kosmoski, who founded the custom automotive paint brand in 1956. “But painters don’t always get the recognition they deserve. The Prestigious Painter award is our way of personally thanking them for a job well done.”
The winners of this year’s House of Kolor Prestigious Painter Award are:
- Nathan Curry of Currys Customs, Nixa, Mo.
- Albert De Alba Jr. of Cal Blast, Upland, Calif.
- Doug Starbuck of Starside Designs, Riverside, Calif.
- Mike Coy of Gas Monkey Garage, Dallas, Texas
- Iain G. Baldwin of Liquid Colour Design, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Taylor Schultz of Schultz Design, Santa Rosa, Calif.
- Stephen Gibson of Air Oil & Lead, Ocean View, N.J.
- Pablo Prado of Kandy n Chrome, Loma Linda, Calif.
- Gary “Chopit” Fioto of Chopit Kustom, Stanton, Calif.
- Joe Martin and Shorty Ponce of Martin Bros Customs, Johnson City, Texas
- David “Naz” Narik, Queanbeyan, Australia
- Rich Lindgren of Tim’s Hot Rods, Rio Linda, Calif.
Entries were judged on finish quality, including technique, design originality and artistic merit.
The 12 winners’ refinished cars and motorcycles are featured in the 2017 House of Kolor Prestigious Painter Calendar, available for purchase on the House of Kolor website, alongside special promotional items and 60th anniversary memorabilia.
To view the 2017 House of Kolor Prestigious Painter Calendar, click here.
