Chicks Rule, Woman Rider, I Ride My Own, Women and Harley-Davidsons? David Uhl contemplates his latest project for Harley-Davidson?s 100th Anniversary and suddenly he is overcome with angst. Realizing that this must be a monumental painting, the pressure mounts as his deepest desire is to be able to say, ?I saved the best for last.? A solitary image is stuck in his mind and that is of a woman sitting on her bike reading Enthusiast magazine. The photo was from Harley-Davidson?s archives. Thus the original concept is born.
The harrowing part is constructing the image from the ground up. All the pieces of the puzzle have to fit. Out for a cruise on a spectacular day, she stops by the Post Office to pick up the latest edition of Enthusiast and decides to kick back for a bit. ?Part of what the painting is saying is that Harley-Davidsons and sunshine are like two peas in pod. “The good feeling is indescribable,? Uhl states. ?People who ride tend to prefer the sunny side of life.? At this point we notice the date on the magazine, 1953, which happens to be Harley-Davidson?s 50th Anniversary. Our eyes begin to explore the rest of the scene.
The beauty of this painting is in capturing all the significant detail of the foreground with light. Illumination accentuates the main subjects and frames the focus of the painting. The technique is called ?Classic Light and Shadow.? Although the background is significant to the story, Uhl portrays it subtly or as a suggestion while colors dance in the shadows and bleed into atmospheric shapes.
Uhl says: “I’m very pleased that the painting came off as good as it did; every brushstroke was a major challenge. Knowing that all of the artists associated with the 100th Anniversary raised the bar to the highest level, I felt this painting had to reach that peak. The jury may be out but I feel I gave it my all.” David Uhl continues to connect us with what Harley-Davidson is and has always been about. I think every enthusiast will relate on some level with this painting and realize that we’ve got a pretty good thing going on.
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