Sparks entrepreneur has combined his passion for art and automobiles in his new studio.

SPARKS (Jan. 21) – Automotive art is just one part of the wide world of art but that’s where Striper Josh Prater’s passion is. After working in his family’s business, Miller’s Chop Shop, he now has his own studio and is busy building his business.

“I was obviously around cars, hot rods, stuff like that and I kind of found early on that I was good in art,” he said. “I started drawing cars naturally all the way through school. I wanted to be a car designer and was putting together a portfolio to go do design school but my family encouraged me to try a little more.”

That “little more,” is now his studio where he does hot rod art, pin striping and custom paint.

These motorcycle tanks are just a very small part of the work Striper Josh does at his new studio.

‘From the time I tried pin striping I was just hooked and it changed my whole career path. That led into air brushing, let into more custom paint and led into, ‘okay now we’ve got to get the cars ready and finish them off. So that’s kind of where we are now,” he said.

At first he didn’t want to own his own shop.

“I wanted my uncles to rent this space. What happened was this space became available and I wanted those guys to rent it,” he said. “I was kind of trying to push them in it and kind of fell into it myself.”

Both his studio and the family business are next door to each other so he’s stayed close to the family business and can take advantage of the things that shop offers.

“Those guys have their space over there where they can do their metal work but are still really involved in what’s going on, even over here,” he said. ”

His uncles have many specialties.

“Robert is really good with motors, suspension, brakes and exhaust while my Uncle Randy is the metal artist so when it comes to fancy metal work he does that and my uncle Jerry does all the glass,” he said.

Prater chose a different kind or structure for his business.

“I don’t say that I have any employees here at all, to me that’s a bad word, they are team members and I’m not the boss, I’m the coach,” he said. Everybody here has something they bring to the table.”

Striper Josh’s team, ritt Gianotti (left), Kevin Oliver, Josh Prater and Daniel Hanks.

He’s also helping his team learn the craft and helping others as well.

“I also have two art apprentices learning this industry. They’ve already been doing art in other fields but are now transiting into the automotive type industry,” he said.

Right now the team is almost complete but there is one spot open. He’s looking for a qualified upholsterer.

As to the workflow he said, “Right now it’s crazy the diversity of stuff that’s coming through the door.”

When asked about the types of things the shop works on Prater explained it’s varied and runs from motorcycles, new and old cars, a camper shell and even a rocking horse as well as one from a carousel. Another project he’s waiting on is a mural for the Mid Town area but the estimates are still pending.

With this group of artisans he set the business up like some tattoo shops are.

“Where there are multiple artists that each have an individual style that is working to the overall good of the studio instead of each individual artist trying to be their own studio,” he said. “What I’ve learned in this whole thing is it’s very, very challenging to be an art business. You can be an artist or a businessperson, but it’s very challenging to be both because it’s two totally different deals.

“From that knowledge, I’ve learned and been able to pass on to these other guys that together as a team we’re much more powerful than we are as individuals.”

In addition to the custom painting and pin striping the shop has the ability to cut on vinyl although they can’t print on it, at least for now.

“If you have an idea, an image of what you want painted on a surface, and that surface can accept paint, we can handle it,” he said.

Of course being an art studio there are challenges that come with the territory.

“I guess I feel that one of the challenging parts we feel we are excelling at is figuring out how to take the idea that’s in the customer’s head and turn it into reality. Because that’s really our job, we’re taking dreams and turning them into something we can see,” he said.

Striper Josh stands with a motorcycle he’s been working on while behind him is another project car.

Among the projects are a brand new Camaro and a 1929 Hudson body. In addition he also has a high dollar version of a Rocking Horse as well as one the came off a carousel. Not to mention several motorcycle tanks and a camper shell.

In the very near future Prater intends to install a painting booth in his shop. This will allow his team more flexibility in what they can do.

“That’s when we’re doing the finish work on the cars, clear coating, painting and stuff like that. Then we can do it in a clean environment, we can do it is a safe environment and we can do it in a warm environment,” he said. “It’s a really big investment for such a small company, especially somebody as an artist and that’s kind of why we banded together to do this.”

There are many regulations that must be met for the booth to be installed and Prater is hard at work taking care of any loose ends.

Two people Prater admires and is striving to emulate are Chip Foose, who has the Overhaulin’ program and Ken Digg, whose program is Bitchin’ Rides. Both men have big shops and take projects from design to completion.

Asked about his motivation these two men offer, he said, “I live by the saying, ‘if you want what I have then do what I did to get it.’ This question is driven by that as I see people out there that are doing what I want to do and I figure I an do it too.”

To that end he’s already signed a contract with a production company that made a video of this shop and are pitching it to the networks.

So far he’s put a lot of effort in getting the shop up and running.

Asked his advice for anyone wanting to start a small business Prater said, “I would say to make sure you’re so passionate about it that when the hard times come, because inevitability they will, that it’s easy for you to make it through. Because you don’t know how to quit what you’re doing anyway.”

Another project that Striper Josh is working on is this camper shell.

So one way he does this is to use the challenges as motivation.

“I look at these challenges as an opportunity to advance. If I can meet these challenges and beat them where my competition can’t, that gives me a leg up,” he said.

So Prater has blended his passion for automotive art into a business, one he intends to be successful.

Those wishing further formation on the shop please check out the family website at, www.millerschopshop.us or you can call him at, 775-842-8555.

OTHER RACING NEWS

• In the recent past there was the Ironman Series for the IMCA Modified racers sponsored by Steve. E. Evenson’s Law Office.

Now after a couple of years he’s bringing it back. There will be 10 races and 10-days rotating between five Nevada tracks.

While there is no website as of yet there will soon be. And following is from the press release. Evenson explained the entire series is built around the 4th of July week.

And the release reads;There will be a series point championship and prize pool, which is TBA. There will be a registration fee for the series that will cover admin costs and expenses. We will have a website up and running soon and hopefully have on line sign ups!!! Still working on many details and will have them up and running as soon as they become available. If you want to sign up, you can private message me with name, address, phone numbers, how many shows you plan on running, pit passes you will buy and front gate spectators you plan on bringing. The tracks are very nervous about losing money on this and early interest will help us get this off to a good start…Thanks to everyone for their support and we look forward to bringing you a memorable event…Feel free to tag and share this as you see fit!!!

Every event will be for two days at the tracks listed and here is the schedule.

June: 25, 26 (Sa/Su): Tonopah, NV

June: 27, 28 (M/Tu): Hawthorne, NV

June: 29, 30 (W/Th): Lovelock, NV

July: 1, 2 (F/Sa): Fernley, NV

July: 3, 4 (Su/M): Fallon, NV