When Chronogram caught up with Neil VanderVloed he was on the road—no surprise, given that he's driven back and forth across the country 16 times this summer, visiting family members and showing his art along the way. But it's also fitting because automobiles and the air of fun and adventure they embody figure largely in his work.

In fact, the Seattle-based/Monroe-bred painter has even lived the thrill-packed life of a demolition derby driver, twice driving cars he decorated at the Orange County Fair's derby. "The second time, I drove a car I painted bright chartreuse with purple and black flowers on it," he said. "The other drivers tend to go for the typical flat black, pop-culture look, or patriotic red, white, and blue, so I'd thought maybe I'd elicit some extra male anger with my design. But I don't think they really paid attention to it."

Sometimes, however, his car got a little too much attention from his fellow drivers. "Driving in a demolition derby is an adrenalin rush, but it's also very frightening," he said. "Very quickly, you realize these guys are actually trying to kill you." During one event, the impact of a competitor's car resulted in VanderVloed's engine catching on fire.

"That was really scary," he said. "You can't jump out because the other drivers will hit you. So you have to sit there in your car and wait for one of the guys who monitor the derby to stop it and run out with a fire extinguisher to put you out."

VanderVloed descibes his work of the last 10 years as "generally very cartoony, very colorful. Not 'funny' as much as 'humorous,' perhaps." Besides driving, he cites his family and living in the Northwest as the most significant influences on his art. One of his shows, "I'd Like To Thank All The Little People," featured tiny paintings of over 100 of his Seattle neighbors.

The untitled images on the cover are culled from "1,000+," a show featuring a series of over 1,000 4-inch-by-8-inch paintings that were displayed in Seattle and St. Louis before rolling into the Kingston Museum of Contemporary Art, where they will be on view through September 30. Located at 105 Abeel St., KMOCA is devoted to contemporary art and was founded by musician Adam Snyder and his partner, Aimee Gardner.

The show opens with a reception on Saturday, September 2, at 5pm. The event features music by My Other Car Is Silver and DJ Raissa St.Pierre. www.kmoca.org.