Dirty white vans turn into works of art thanks to British driver

We've all had the inclination at least once in our lives to write "wash me" in the dust of a filthy car. Occasionally a literary genius will come forth and write something slightly more inspired, like a not-safe-for-work graphic or the old saw about how they wish their spouse was this dirty.

Rick Minns, however, has done better. Much better. He turns his dusty van in to a Van Gogh-style work of art, for no other reason than to brighten someone else's day.

Minns, a.k.a. Ruddy Muddy, works for a floral wholesaler in Norfolk, England. Calling his art "grafilthy," the 39-year-old Brit draws pictures of scenery, children playing and other evocative imagery on the back of his dirty work van with a grace that's a few steps above the creations at your local Starving Artists expo. While it began simply from boredom, Minns took his hobby to a new level by using cotton balls and tissues to create shadows and more complex designs. He draws his creations on four of the six vans at his work, claiming two of his colleagues like to keep their vans clean. Spoil sports.

Every few days he washes his white van, and thanks to the UK's dreary weather, within a matter of days there's a new blank canvas to create something fresh. Van Man, as some have nicknamed him, told the Daily Star that he hopes to find a way to raise money for charity through his art. A product deal with Swarfega might help too.

Thanks to snowballing attention, Minns' popularity is growing: "This is so random," he says on his Facebook page. While the flattery may seem bizarre, it's also justified. After all, his work certainly beats that of your typical van graffiti artist — and unlike Banksy, Minns' creations never last long enough to suffer from unwelcome commercial interests. It's enough to make you wish your car was always this dirty.

Photo: Ruddy Muddy via Facebook