Mixed Media The Journey of the Bike

I was commissioned by a friend in my book club to create a large piece of art to replace an outdated photo in one of her rooms.  I was inspired by an image she posted on Facebook of a new yellow bike she purchased.  When talking with her she shared that she wasn't sure about getting a banana colored bike at her age but she felt the yearning to as she had one when she was a little girl.


Using that yellow bike as inspiration and a favorite quote of hers I created the painting below.  It took about 4.5-5 hours to complete and I did it in pretty much one sitting.  Well, I can't say I sat as the canvas was so large I had to stand the entire time and move around the canvas when painting it.  I've been finding it thrilling to add texture to my pieces and so I used joint compound on the lower half of the painting and worked my way up to a smooth piece of canvas as the colors reached the top.  Other materials used were stencils and a black charcoal pencil beyond acrylic paints.  I was very pleased with the results and posted it on Facebook for feedback which ended up being very positive.  Most importantly my friend loved the piece!