Darshan's diverse credentials extend far beyond canvas and brush. His art has included designing and building special effects models for movies, television and commercials. Museum art has also been one of Darshan's lifelong interests. Darshan has worked with a number of museums in various capacitie. Among others he consulted on the planning of the Lake Elsinore (California) Museum and designed, constructed and painted many of the museum's backdrops.
   
  One of Darshan's most interesting "non-beach" art experiences came while living in the Gold Rush country of Northern California. To attract tourism several small towns in the area refashioned their Main Streets with Old West building facades and storefronts. Darshan played an active role in several of these communities. "I especially enjoyed researching the historical signage and then painting storefront banners to look as if they had weathered the elements for a hundred years. With Cruisers I only have to add fifty years of exposure to the elements -- however I have the additional challenge of adding fifty years of wear and tear by mankind behind the wheel!"
    
  In 1990 Darshan's life took a fateful turn. By pure happenstance (known locally as "Maui Magic") he and Steve met and Cruiser Art was born. In many ways Cruiser Art is the culmination of all that has come before -- both my life on the beach and my life as an artist. In every respect it is my proudest work." Darshan adds, "My real gratification comes from knowing I have offered an art form that people find fun and that evokes a very real happy feeling. Cruiser Art is 'feel good' art. Cruiser Art evokes a positive, happy response -- most often an audible 'neat' or 'cool' or sometimes 'awesome!'"
      
   

  - And Meet the Artist's Partner -
   
    

  Born just six months and a hundred miles apart, Darshan Zenith and Steve Rummel would not meet for nearly a half century. Steve has lived in Hawaii for thirty-five years and brings a successful business background to Cruiser Art. Having founded and operated his own mortgage company in Honolulu, Steve and family relocated to Maui in 1987. Steve and Darshan chanced to meet a couple years later and their combined excitement and love for Cruiser Art forged an immediate bond between two very different personalities -- a bond that has grown more productive with each passing year.
    
  Steve relishes the business aspect of Cruiser Art, including its very successful marketing operation. "Obviously we have to earn a living. But doing the things that allow Cruiser Art to be enjoyed by so many is the real reward." Within Cruiser Art Steve serves as the artist of the written word. He has written nearly everything associated with Cruiser Art, including 'helping' the Cruisers recount their very popular Auto Biographies.
       
  Steve also created the Cruiser Art website and serves as its webmaster. Knowing nothing about computers and even less about building a web site, Steve observes, "It seemed unimaginable not to learn and to use this marvelous new medium called the Internet to share Cruiser Art worldwide. Cruiser Art is the joy of my working career and I want nothing more than to continue working with Darshan to create more Cruiser Art -- and then to bring these new editions to our rapidly expanding global Cruiser Art audience."
  
    

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