Nicola Wood has little in common with the typical car art stalwart – but when it comes down to it she has painted quite a few works that celebrate the automobile, and has made a pretty penny from it. Unlike many of the lasting artists in the world of car art, Wood is from England. And very much unlike most of the world’s leading car artists, she is also a she. Of course there is absolutely no reason why this should bar her from the world of car art, but Wood is certainly a rarity whichever way you look at it.

But then, she hails from Great Crosby in the North East of England. If that means little to you, think “Liverpool”. Wood grew up just north of where some of the most profound artistic moves of the 20th century would be taken. Having developed a love of Americana from going to see films at Great Crosby’s Odeon cinema, Wood was gripped by the desire to go and see the States for real. This she did and, since then, her love of Americana has only grown – as has her love of cars, developing into a muse for her paintings since she first painted a ’59 Cadillac in 1981 – after which point the bug has never left her.