Bicyclistic

This week it’s now 6 years - the first 2 in America, the last 4 at home in Ireland - since I bought what I can still say without reservation is the best thing I’ve ever bought - my XtraCycle.

Donegal
Art Show
Office
Studio
Fussball
20 Canvases
Chapelizod
Large
Mixed
Shopping
Deep Edge
Showtime
Long
Apartment
M50
Kylemore
Market
Woods
Scaffold
Tree
Night

Stephens Gn
Heuston
Packages

Technically speaking XtraCycle is the name of the company and, although [...]

In July and August of 2011 I’m embarking on a painting cycle tour of Ireland centered on the world of social media.
Whilst aiming to cover all 32 historic counties, the route is determined by the location of those volunteering to host me. And in return for their feeding & sheltering of me for a night [...]

For the bicycle that can carry everything, my Xtracycle enhanced bike whizzed around Dublin the other day with these 102cm x 76cm (40×30in) canvases on board helping it cut through the what Ireland was pretending was summer.
It can carry more, and carry bigger. Oh, and that’s a scanner on there too:

More of Cycling and [...]

Recently I showed some paintings at the People’s Art Exhibition on Stephen’s Green, Dublin. I won’t list all the items this time but paintings, packaging, tools, tea, stool, and everything needed to show the paintings on the railings, were all transported from my studio in Lucan the 15km (9.5 miles) or so to the city [...]

As I was saying, I love my XtraCycle. This photo was taken on the way to the studio.
In this picture, apart from the chair the bike is carrying the computer bag, a pair of boots, spare clothes, camera bag, lunch bags, cushions, a jacket, 2 litres of milk, some tubs of stuff, tools, locks, etc. [...]

Heading down towards Banner was heading into a green wall of mountains. I could see no way through at all and was getting more and more apprehensive about the climb up. At least there was very little traffic.
Everything had turned green and luscious. The Banner Grade is the twisting road up to Julian from [...]

As ever in the desert fighter jets scream overhead. The sun, I watched rise and paint the surrounding mountains various colours. I can hear birds all around. The greater valley is called Earthquake Valley with the Pinyon Mountains to the north and Granite Mountain behind me to the south. In a few miles I reach [...]

The road took me quietly back into the desert again and away from the fertile Imperial Valley. After the sand sculptures was the US Navy bombing area. It’s an air to ground target area and you’re not allowed to stop so when I saw 5 parachutists land beside me in the desert I didn’t take [...]

And then dunes. Gravel dunes. Close up not at all pretty. More like a building site. The mountains were red, brown, black, grey, blue. It was impossible to capture them through the camera. Then the mountains turned to a beautiful shade of golden red. This was an old pre-Colombian Indian trail from the Colorado River [...]

The clouds had made the day a lot less scenic than it could’ve been. In the distance (from as little as 5 miles away) mountains were only feint lines. Closer up they were as fabulous in California as in Arizona and New Mexico. Sometimes they look like big sleeping animals and other times, like the [...]