On Yer Bike!

Vicki is a keen cyclist, and often enjoys picturesque bike rides around the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and surrounding countryside.

Not only is cycling a fabulous way to keep fit and get fresh air, it’s also perfect for spotting wildlife. Cycling offers a unique view over the stone walls and hedges with frequent sightings of deer, hares, and many types of birds. Cycling is generally quieter than driving a car and it’s possible to get closer to the wildlife and take time to stop and observe nature more closely.

Colour Wheels – Acrylic on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, 2023

Finalist- The Great British Art Prize 2023

When depicting cycling in my artwork, I prefer to focus on capturing movement and colour. I lean towards bold colours and quick strokes.

‘Colour Wheels’ was created with acrylic paint on a large canvas with thick passages of impasto paint, incorporating lively and natural ‘drips’ along the way. The result is a bold explosion of colour that captures a real sense of movement and drama. I was delighted this painting reached the final of The British Art Prize 2023.

Soft pastel is also a useful medium to create lively cycling artworks as pastels can be effectively smudged and manipulated directly onto the paper. This enables the addition of ‘swooshes’ of colour to indicate speed and movement.

Soft pastels also contain high quantities of pigment and so the colours are bold and vivid.

‘Speedy’ is an example of cycling rendered with soft pastels.

‘Speedy’ Soft Pastel on Card

Cycling art can benefit from a loose, expressive, and somewhat abstract approach. This can be achieved by using multiple layers, soft edges and bold mark making, perhaps using a palette knife or large brush.

‘Downhill’ was created using a palette knife and a limited colour palette. The bold touches of bright orange add a dynamic contrast. There’s a real sense of drama in this piece. It was also nice to give downhill mountain bike cyclists an artwork of their own. This painting is available as a fine art print, greeting card and coaster. 

Future pieces in this collection will include different types of cycling specialities and the inclusion of female cyclists. Watch this space!

Now, get on ya bike!

‘Cycling the North Coast 500’