I want to start by saying that I am not an artist nor an art critic, nor the son of either. But I am a cyclist and enjoy cycling art of all types.
It has amazed me how many cycling artists are portraying diverse aspects of our sport.
I know that many of you, too, will be enthralled by the many and various types of cycling artwork. Below is just a summary of some cycling artists that I have found intriguing over the past decade.
A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.
― Salvador DaliIn drawing, one must look for or suspect that there is more than is casually seen.
― George Bridgman
CYCLING ARTISTS
(click on the artist’s name to view their art)
Cycling Artist Michael Valenti – The Veloist
Valenti, or The Veloist as he is known, has a great slogan that guides him.
“My bike can take me anywhere, but my pen will take me everywhere.”
The Veloist has worked with illustrations for advertising campaigns of companies from significant Fortune 500 companies like Allstate, Hallmark, and McDonald’s, to mom and pop shops.
Most of his cycling art is high-quality pen and pencil sketches. If you are into would-class beer, here is an excellent Valenti work;
Taliah Lempert – the Bicycle Artist
To say that Taliah Lempert produces cycling art is correct. But, more to the point, Lempert is a painter with bicycles as his subject. She paints every sort of bicycle, from children’s trikes to pro racing bikes.
It all started when, as an adult, she purchased a bike. She had not ridden one since her childhood. But, she fell in love with the bike and fell in love all over again with Brooklyn, New York.
She painted a portrait of this bike. Over the past twenty years, she has painted hundreds more.
Like painted portraits of old, each of Taliah’s bike paintings had an actual bike as a model.
His paintings are realistic, whether a single cruiser bike or a stack of 15 road bikes.
Lucy Pittaway
Pittaway’s pieces are appealingly soft yet with vibrant colors.
She defines her current style, that of most of her cycling works, as naive and illustrative. Critics would call it abstract.
Pittaway’s Cycling and Yorkshire Collection is very broad. The subjects of some of her paintings are the UCI Road World Championships and the Tour de Yorkshire bike races.
Her prints are for sale as well as painted, delicate china cups.
Alan Ainsley
Alan Ainsley is accomplished in many sectors of creative work. In addition, he is a recreational cyclist with a great appreciation for our sport.
Most of Ainsley’s cycling artworks are variations of the style above, with riders in the drops moving fast.
His works are suitable as background themes for advertising cycling products and event announcements.
He is a designer, writer, Creative Director, Art Director. He has been laboring in these creative endeavors for over 20 years. He held senior creative director and managing partner roles at some of Britain’s brands and agencies.
Ainsely has received awards from D&AD, New York Festivals, Mobius, One Show, Design Week Awards, Roses, Clio, Design Effectiveness through Marketing Society Excellence Awards.
SPENCER WILSON
Spencer is an illustrator and printmaker based in London. He is a co-founder of Peepshow Collective Ltd, a design and animation company. He has been working to commission since 1998.
His work follows a theme of ordered chaos. He delivers imaginative impressions of major cycling events and everyday cyclists riding through the British countryside.
His artwork graces advertising billboards in London and across Europe. Some are animations on TV screens. More and more, they are popping up on the web.
MARK FAIRHURST
Mark Fairhurst is an illustrator. Unlike the other cycling artists, Fairhurst concentrates his cycling art on the classic, golden age of the major tours and cycling in Europe.
He began as a photographer. The medium still is close to his heart. I say he lacks confidence with actual paint despite the great works he has produced. Like many other artists, he begins his paintings with rough sketches. Instead of moving to actual paint, he does his finishing on a computer.
Fairhurst’s work caught the attention of Chris Froom. The Tour de France multiple-time general classification winner asked Fairhurst to illustrate sections of his book, The Climb.
Graham Watson
Graham is the most well-known cycling photographer following the pro peloton. He shoots images at all the major tours and monuments, but he often shows up at the continental road races and cyclocross events.
His clients include the UCI (professional cycling’s governing body), Bicycling Australia, Cycle Sport (UK), Ciclismo a Fondo (Spain), New Zealand Road Cyclist, Cycling Weekly (UK), ‘RIDE Cycling review (Australia),’ Cycle Sports (Japan). In addition, he contributes to many websites.
He is the author or co-author of more than 20 books, including ‘Kings of the Road’ (1986), ‘Visions of Cycling’ (1998), ‘The Tour de France and its Heroes’ (1989), ‘The Road to Hell’ (1990), ‘The Great Tours’ (1994), ’20 Years of Cycling’ (2000), and Landscapes of Cycling (2004).
Tour de France Field Art
I am always amazed at the work farmers and villages put into displays in their field during the Tour de France. Yet, they must spend vast amounts of time resulting in just a few seconds on TV and streaming platforms.
Art comes in all many varieties. Here are some links to some out-of-the-norm cycling artwork.
Cycling Clip Art and Images
https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/bike
Bike Storage Art
https://makespace.com/blog/posts/gorgeous-bike-storage-solutions/
Bike Parts Art https://www.bicycling.com/news/a25856374/marianne-koops-art-from-recycled-bike-parts/
Spaced Out Helmet Art
Bicycle Coloring Book by SHAN JIANG – 
Surrounding yourself with cycling art can be inspiring.
Buy quality art as an investment in support of these great artists above.
Do you have some cycling artists that you appreciate that I have not listed above? Write them in the comments below. I may include them in future revisions of this post.
See the art in nature, the trails that we cyclists ride through every day.
Lovely article, but I think you need to check out MaxineDodd.com for action packed and scenic pen/ink, watercolour original artwork of TDF, TDY & much more
Thank you. I will check it out and possible add Dodd’s work to the list.