Mankind has seen more than its share of dying arts through the years; everything from Dhokra figurines to calligraphy.

"I make most of my living pinstriping," explains Guy Shively of Austintown.

Pinstriping could well have been among the casualties. It's meant to enhance the curves of a surface. But while pinstriping traces its roots back to the ancient Egyptians, Shively has helped keep it going well into the 21st century.

"They were striping carriages and wagons 150 years ago," he said before a showcase at the Packard Museum in Warren Wednesday night. "I used to be the young guy (who did this work), but funny how that changes. It amazes me how busy I stay. Yesterday I striped a brand new Silverado so...if it'll stay still, it can get pinstriped."

In Wednesday's case, it was a BMW motorcycle getting Shively's expert treatment; just the latest example of his inscrutable body of work.
It's been on display in museums from the Butler in Youngstown to the Mercedes-Benz in Germany - with cars, trucks and even semis as his muse.

"You take care of people, you make them happy, they'll tell their friends and it turns into other stuff," Shively chuckled. 

A simple testimony to a complex and intricate skill that Shively has helped keep from becoming another dying art.

"My retirement plan is to drop dead in my building someday," he said with a grin. "They keep bringing me stuff, I'll keep paintin' it, God willing."

You can catch a special exhibition of Shively's work at the Packard Museum through May 30.
You can also see some of his work and contact him through his FACEBOOK PAGE.