There are many artists who work mundane day jobs and, in their spare time, pursue a more fulfilling craft: be it painting, photography, music or knitting. My craft, as of late, has been drinking Merlot out of a pickle jar and writing pithy anecdotes about my adventures owning, maintaining and occasionally operating a vintage motorcycle. Since my computer was ruined in 2005 after a near fatal Merlot accident, I’ve been strongly considering moving into a more lucrative hobby which would allow me to bypass the incredible frustration I have with my computer crashing and the risk of publishing work that is slanderous and/or self-incriminating.
As an undergraduate, I took on studio art as a minor to my major in art history. I was pretty good at drawing and painting and sincerely I enjoyed those classes. At this point, given that I have masters in the business of arts programming and an undergraduate degree in liberal arts, the business of Motorcycle portraiture seems like a logical career move.
The idea is simple: You pay me to paint and possibly frame, a quality portrait of yourself and your outrageously expensive Hog.
In this way, I could pursue painting in addition to my love of being around other people who are completely self-obsessed, neurotic, and irrational. This is not to suggest that all bikers are ridiculous. Just anyone who would commission an oil painting of their bike. And fear not, plenty of people would…Probably more people than anyone is prepared to recognize- would spend money on an original oil of themselves mounting a giant purple Harley.
And yes, I am the right person to handle this market at this time for several reasons:
1. Because it would be funny and 2. Because men who ride motorcycles love me, and finally 3. Because I like to paint.
There is, as of yet, no service or product offering quite like the service I plan to offer and no quality, personalized portrait studio that specializes in motorcycles portraiture. There are studios that accept commissions for paintings of bikes and bikers, but those don’t seem to specialize in any technical quality or artistic capacity. Go ahead, google “motorcycle paintings.” Your first hit will make you laugh at out loud.
My target client base will be older men who spent way too much money on a giant Harley (or look-alike Yamaha) that they are prepared to drive about twice every summer, but are otherwise terrified of. The secondary target client is the woman who is married to someone from the first group, interested in commissioning a painting as a very special gift for a birthday, retirement or anniversary.
The money I earn from this pursuit will go directly toward refurbishing my own motorcycle seat cover, obtaining a radical helmet with a synthetic Mohawk and getting a new computer. Expect to see me peddling at First Fridays. Business plan is forthcoming.
Photo from: Motocycle paintings by James “Kingneon" (Talented Motorcycle Painter- Likely to be direct competition. )
