'It's a work of art': Custom metal art impresses crowds at 61st Draggins Rod and Custom Car Show

Owen Jeancart has been used to getting plenty of attention for showing off his custom-built classic car collection at the Draggins Custom Car Show over the years.

On Saturday, Jeancart was wowing crowds at the 61st annual showing with a new hobby he’s honed in on over the last few years: bead rolled metal art.

“I just like building the visions in my head, and this is what I create,” Jeancart said. “It intrigued me, and I enjoy the challenge.”

Building hot rods at his shop in Rosetown for decades, Jeancart says he always started with building aluminum interiors. When a customer asked for custom logo, Jeancart’s new hobby began to take shape.

At first, people began requesting various automotive art, usually of their own cars. But as time went on, Jeancart began bead rolling logos, family pets and a variety of custom requests that go well beyond his automotive background.

“When I first got a bead roller and I started, I tried it a couple of times I threw the machine into the corner thinking, “Well, this isn’t going to happen,’” he said.

Jeancart has a machine he ordered, but on Saturday, he preferred to work on his homemade machine.

Easter weekend saw the return of the Draggins Rod and Custom Car Show to Saskatoon. (Keenan Sorokan/CTV News)

“You’re moving metal, and you're squishing between two dies, and it's a motorized machine. By the amount of pressure and die space, you can create lots of different effects and stuff with it,” Jeancart said.

Jeancart’s business, Over the Top Rod and Custom, has taken off as he continues to challenge himself. Using online promotion, Jeancart has been able to sell plenty of his art internationally to places like Australia.

He can finish the metal work in a day-and-a-half, but some of the more intricate pieces take three days or more of work and sell for $250 to $300.

Some of his pieces he spent time creating before and during the car show will be auctioned off at the end of the weekend, with all proceeds going to Camp Easter Seals.

More than anything, he said he's happy to be back in familiar territory at the Draggins car show. He enjoys the experience that much more since the show was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19.

“It’s nice to get back to normal,” he said. “The start of the car season is the Draggins Custom Rod and Car Show. Always has been. I always look forward to it, and spring doesn't begin until the Draggins car show starts.”

Shane Arthurs couldn’t agree more. The Draggins president has been in his happy place all weekend with more than 200 cars and thousands of patrons visiting with car collectors.

“It’s a big process,” Arthurs said, mentioning all proceeds from the car show go towards Camp Easter Seals.

“It’s good to see the atmosphere because everyone is happy.”

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This year, the show highlighted its valve cover race track, and the perpetual crowd favourite Battle of the Automotive Technicians, where teams of two people attempt to build a V8 engine capable of running for five seconds as quickly as possible.

“Everybody has a story with their car,” he said. “Then you see people you haven’t seen in years. It’s a work of art.”

Roughly 100 of the cars were in the show for the first time as the Draggins club tries to keep the car show as fresh and unique as possible year after year.

While the weekend goes by quickly, Arthurs said if the happy faces are any indication, the 61st show can go down as another memorable Easter weekend for everyone involved.

“If you smile while you’re driving it, then that’s all that counts,” Arthurs said.