Vicky Zalatoris, Artist

I have been dabbling in art since I was a child but never regarded it as a serious occupation. In college I majored in Clothing, Textiles and Related Arts plus journalism. After graduation, I headed straight for the fashion industry. For the next 27 years my full time jobs left little time for leisure activities. In 1996 I made an "extreme" career change - I quit the corporate world to become a ski bum at age 50. It wasn't until then that I finally had time to paint. I was working at a ski resort in Salt Lake City, Ut and needed a creative outlet. As a whim, I enrolled in an adult education course in watercolor at the local high school. I was hooked and have been painting ever since.

I paint things that I like - scenes from my travels (several paintings were done in the front seat of our 20' elderly motor home), my cats, my husband's favorite cars (the vintage VW's that are featured in phluffwerks.com). I am attracted to strong shapes, colors and textures. I am mostly self taught but I do read various art magazines and closely study other artists' work. I paint entirely from my own photographs - years of editing photos for catalogs have given me a good eye for composition and color.

Lately, I have begun to paint furniture, glass and do faux finishing on interior walls for clients. I also work at a stained glass studio restoring church windows. I am constantly experimenting with new techniques. However, the most important lesson I have learned in the past 8 years of painting is that it is okay to do something for your own pleasure.

Please email me with any questions at vicky@pluffwerks.com.

What is Phluffwerks?

Like most couples, my husband and I gave each other nicknames. His is "Fuzzy" for obvious reasons. Mine is "Phluffy", not for my hairdo but for my less aggressive style of wave riding and skiing.

My husband is a real gear head - vintage Volkswagens, snowmobiles and motorcycles are his passion. All his interests are lumped under the banner of Fuzzwerks Racing.

My interests are more artistic - painting, gardening, interior design, gourmet food and wine. My pursuits are referred to as "Phluffwerks".

Why Vintage Volkswagens?

I became interested in vintage Volkswagens because of my husband. When I met him in 1995, he had a Split Window Camper Bus and a 1970 Karmann Ghia. During our courtship and then marriage, we went to many, many Volkswagen shows and events. In 1996, we spent the winter in Salt Lake City and bought a "beater" VW Beetle. At the end of the season, we took "Bleetle" to a junkyard. I took many photos of the junked Volkswagens that became the inspiration of my vintage VW paintings. I loved the repeated shapes and strong colors.

"Isn't it amazing that the product of such an evil man became the icon of peace and love in America?" said an artist friend of mine. Indeed, in a sea of today's homogeneous cars, the VW Beetle and Microbus are instantly recognizable. Every baby boomer has memories and stories about Volkswagens in their lives. I see old VW's as symbols of the youth of my generation. Our joys, dreams and ideals now too often stashed behind the barn, back in a field, in the junkyard. I think that it's great that so many people have discovered the joy of restoring an old Volkswagen. Maybe we can rekindle the love of fun, adventure and a more simple life, too.