When people see my motorcycle paintings for the first time they ask me, “Do you have a bike? Do you ride?”

I had a show of horse paintings hanging at Latigo Trails Heritage Center, an equestrian and event space, and I was asked if I had any paintings of motorcycles that I could hang with my horses. There was a group of motorcycle riders participating in a “Poker Run” fundraiser and Latigo was one of their stops. I did not have any paintings of motorcycles  nor did I have any interest in painting motorcycle art. Without giving it a second thought I replied, no thank you. For the next few days I had second thoughts about the decision I made to decline this new opportunity. I did not have any reference photos from which to paint and I did not know anyone who owned a motorcycle for me to photograph. AND the new paintings would need to be ready to hang in ten days. However, I just couldn’t let it go so I decided I would “phone a friend”.  I called my friend Judy and explained my predicament and asked if she knew anyone who had a motorcycle and if they would let me photograph it ASAP. Judy called her friend Fred and he invited me to come the next day and I was able to take some amazing reference photos. I drew up an 8x8 painting of a section of one of Fred’s motorcycles at 9 pm that night.  Then went to work figuring out how to paint chrome. By midnight I had finished what would be the first of many motorcycle paintings. I hung four cycle paintings with my horses for the poker run. I allowed the artist in me to grow!

I'm often asked where I buy my chrome paint for these paintings.  More for another blog…