Painting while I cycle
Cycling round Britain
Painting while I cycle
Smeaton Tower Watercolour original £350
I’m carrying watercolours, sketchbook, acrylics and pads in a large size dry bag that I strap over the two panniers on the back of the bike. It weighs about 7/8 kilos. Not light and I’m very conscious of not taking too much with me. When I packed I kept saying “No, take it out” to myself.
For instance with the acrylic Daler Rowney paints I have a tube of white, naples ochre, ultarmarine blue, azue, wedgwood, burnt umber, terre verte, yellow chrome, crimson, burnt sienna, and purple. I aslo packed a small tube of slowing medium to keep the acrylics alive and workable longer. But I’ll reduce this at the next opportunity (I can live without). I have 5 brushes (too many).
Lizard Point watercolour original £350
My preferred size is A3 (12x 16”) I have the choice of art boards, acrylic paper and foam boards covered in acrylic paper.
The paper I can tape to a cardboard backing board to act as the easel. I am able to carry up to 25 and I ship home as they are completed.
The Needles Acrylic original £995
Watercolours. I have a nice Daler Rowney 24 box of watercolour pans with 6 brushes (too many). This fits nicely in the bar bag with my sketchbook and some watercolour crayons for a bnit of texture, Iused these once on a painting trip across the outback of Australia and looking at the results again recently I thought how nice they looked. I could live without them but they add a different dimension to the work.
In the pencil case are a sharpener, rubber, 3/4 pencils different thickness and a 0.2 fine black ink pen. The pen and ink sketches work well and I can wash some colour over the line drawings. I picked up a couple of wash markers in a shop en route. Not needed but worth trying. Again I start with little and keep adding.
The watercolour sketch books are thick grade 180gms watercolour paper. Theres also a drawing pad at 150gms.
I am well stocked for art materials. The difficulty is the time required.
I work speedily. I’m used to getting the basics down as simply and as effectively as possible. Then it’s a matter of building up layers. Watercolour always dries lighted than when applied so you have to be bold and trust your instincts.
If the weather is against me or time, I use the phone for photos to work from later in my accommodation. This is particularly useful for the acrylics which dry too quickly on location.
I'm in the process of following in their tyre tracks on my bike with my paints, finding their inspiration and seeing how it brings out the artist in me.
Starting from Paddington Station, anonymously in crowd, I headed out to Dartford turned right and continued through Rochester, Margate and around Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the whole of the South Coast.
My ride began on St Patrick's Day in March and I turned the corner of Land End after 18 days cycling.
Old Harry Rocks Acrylic original £995
Bosham watercolour original £250
I’ve completed over 1000 miles so far and needing a day off at least once a week. It’s a demanding and challenging undertaking.
This ride is not supported, I am not pre booking my accommodation either as that makes each day about chasing the destination rather than experiencing the journey. So come 4 or 5pm I start looking for somewhere to stay. And the first question is always “Do you have somewhere safe and secure inside to lock up my bike”
There are videos and a daily blog on all my social media links Instagram, Facebook, tik tok, twitter and Strava where the route is shown each day. Every minute of every day is full. I’m determined not to waste a second.