Freedom Rider

Freedom Rider – September 2017 – Oil on Canvas – 30 x 40 in (76 x 102 cm)

This painting is an ode to freedom which many of us take for granted. I was inspired to paint this picture by the Buffalo Chip Freedom Ride 2017. I was a sponsor for the event and donated limited editions of three of my paintings to their charity auction benefiting wounded veterans and their families, the Special Olympics and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

The auction of the paintings was a huge success and generated twice their value for the good causes. The auction happened at the end of the day after listening to a great band, being amongst good people and followed by an amazing ride from Spearfish through the Black Hills to Sturgis, South Dakota.

I was over the moon to have been able to make such a substantial contribution (US$4700) and felt a strong desire to paint this immediately upon returning to my studio. I used the Badlands for the background as this is such a fascinating and utterly beautiful landscape and boy do I feel free and grateful for that freedom when I ride there!