“Although motorcycle riding is romantic, motorcycle maintenance is purely classic.”

“Motorcycle maintenance gets frustrating. Angering. Infuriating. That’s what makes it interesting.”

From “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” by Robert M. Pirsig

And now for something completely different. After months of painting trees for “The Seasonal Forest” https://www.jansenartcenter.org/events/the-seasonal-forest-by-ron-pattern/, I wanted a change in the studio, and being that it is spring time, I was spending much time with with my motorcycle. This is an 11″ x 14″ egg tempera painting of my 1999 Harley Davidson Electra Glide, a classic American motorcycle. I have always liked motorcycles and owned a variety of Triumphs and Hondas in my life, but never had much interest in owning a Harley. My lifelong friend was a dedicated Harley rider since he was a teenager. He never approved of my motorcycle choices and I always gave him a hard time of being a rigid brand loyalist. So I rode a Triumph and he rode his Harley, snickering and ribbing each other over our respective rides. Then 6 years ago I got the call that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer; he was gone 4 months later. He was a much beloved character by many, a steadfast friend like no other. Some months later at his memorial, his sister jangled the keys in front of me and said, “Alan left you the Harley,” so he got me on an H.D. in the end. It took some getting used to, but it has become my ride.

A motorcycle is much more personal than a car. It’s a dynamic ride, fully engaging, requiring all four appendages and much judgement as you move through the open air environment. It is also imperative that your ride is maintained and repaired. I have been learning and performing much of my own work, so I can attest to the aforementioned quotes.

I liked this image because of the artistic tension between the drapery, the machined aluminum, steel and chrome, like veiled power. Egg tempera lends itself well to the subtleties of folded drapery, the dynamic interplay of reflected light on polished chrome. The additional paintings at the end of this blogpost are images I have painted over the past few years. “Edison Afternoon,” is a partial image of bikes parked in front of the iconic Longhorn Saloon, acrylic on canvas. “Nick and Gina,” is an egg tempera painting of my friend Nick, kicking over a 1980 Shovelhead. “Edison Indians,” is acrylic on panel, this painting is now owned by my good friend and painter extraordinaire, Joy Olney. “Pit Stop,” is an acrylic on panel painting and is pretty self explanatory. https://www.patternart.net/pit-stop/

Please be aware of motorcyclists on the roads; some of the nicest people you will ever meet out there prefer two wheels on the pavement.

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