I was over fifty when I went back to complete the bachelor’s degree I’d started in January of 1979, at the age of twenty-two. It ultimately took me thirty-five years, gate-to-gate, to limp across the stage at the University of Texas and collect my degree in December of 2013, at the ripe old age of fifty-seven.
With honors, if you please! 😏
Every one of my siblings, some of their kids and a good number of in-laws were in attendance that day, raising the roof as I gimped across the stage. Mine was the last name called.
Anyhoo, as an English major, one of my classes was on poetry, and one day we were presented with a sonnet by William Shakespeare:
We followed that up with a modern-day retelling of the sonneteer’s great love by poet Harryette Mullen, from her book Sleeping with the Dictionary (2002, University of California Press, Oakland).
Then we were pressed to create our own. Me being the biker what I are, I decided to have some fun with it. As you will see (at least, I hope you see), I relied heavily on stereotype for broad comic effect. 😏
I’m pretty sure I also got an A on the assignment. 🤣
* Obligatory (but still true) Disclaimers:
First; I really have never met any of the models from Easyriders, and have no idea what kind of women they are. The characterization is used here only for effect, in keeping with the narrator’s ‘voice’, and does not reflect my own or The Shovel Shop‘s opinion of said models.
Second; and I cannot stress this enough: this is not a description of my wife, or any woman I have ever been involved with! I swear! 😆
Anyhoo, I hope y’all enjoyed this brief meander down the garden path. I’ve been busy getting Jackie and I, The Shovel Shop and MMMoMMA settled in our new quarters at San Antonio, Texas. We will resume our regularly-scheduled chaos ASAP.
‘Til then, ride free, ride safe, but most of all, ride! 😎
The graphic novel has become so much more than a comic book for grownups. There’s art, social commentary, humor, brilliant storytelling and…. oh, yeah…. actual knock-yer-eyeballs-out ART in them thar pages! 😁
Proof of concept: a long-running online graphic novel titled Android Blues by artist/author Steven Stahlberg, formerly of Georgia and points east, now living in Sweden.
As Mr. Stahlberg tells it, he began writing a script ‘way back in 1995, while living in Hong Kong. In 2014, after nine years of effort, he turned his would-be film script into an online comic, instead, that he made available for free.
Working on his own, Mr. Stahlberg spent the next ten years 😮 painstakingly producing one brilliant page after another: well-written, lusciously-illustrated pages, mind you, telling a compelling tale of suspense, rebellion, liberation and romance. Even better, he did it without an ounce of help from any so-called ‘artificial intelligence.’ This is real art for real humans, BY a real human! AI need not apply! 👍🏽
To that end, he has established a Kickstarter — publishing books is no cheap date, it turns out, and especially not art books with high-quality reproductions of the artist’s work — so I’m encouraging anyone who enjoys art and storytelling to visit his Kickstarter campaign, get in line and eagerly await your opportunity to support this excellent artist/author and all-around nice guy, and help him fulfill his dream (and mine) of creating a hard copy edition of Android Blues.
NOTE, 31 December 2024: The book is complete, and as of November, 2024, the artist was shipping copies of the first signed editions. If you missed your shot at the first run, you may still be able to order copies by contacting the artist at his Facebook page.
However, I hasten to add that Mr. Stahlberg is not ‘just’ the author and artist behind a brilliant graphic novel. Oh, no, dear readers! He has a huge body of independent work. I’ll post a few here, to give you a taste, and encourage you to follow up on your own. Definitely worth tracking down!
Per usual, this artist originally caught my eye because he created some pieces with motorcycle themes. ‘Broomy’ was the first: a series of takes on the futuristic biker woman who just happens to be a witch, as well, and a patch-holding member of the Hell’s Witches MC (Motorcycle Coven) in Jacksonville, Florida.
NOTE, 31 December 2024: The book is complete, and as of November, 2024, the artist was shipping copies of the first signed editions. If you missed your shot at the first run, you may still be able to order copies by contacting the artist at his Facebook page.
December, 2024: I received my first edition copy of Steven Stahlberg’s epic graphic saga, Android Blues. It is every bit as lovely as expected, and I am so proud to add it to MMMoMMA‘s permanent library.As promised, my first edition is numbered and signed by the author/artist. I had been badgering Steven Stahlberg to produce a hard copy of his astounding saga, so I feel a bit of pride that my long-wished-for hard copy is finally available! 😎👍🏻
….if the viewer is open and brave enough, they are going to meet an America few folks will talk about; a grim, hostile underbelly filled with proud white trash, loud motorcycles, barflies, brawlers, booze and sex and rock ‘n’ roll. George the Painter takes all of this in, and then flings it at the viewer like blood, sweat and spinal fluid, in violent knife-edged spasms of color, light and shadow.
Pussy and Bourbon # 1 by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
The term ‘acquired taste’ was coined for characters like George the Painter, but I confess that it is a taste I have acquired. In my collection I have a number of his prints, purchased from the artist himself through the old The Horse / Back Street Choppers readers’ forum, where we were both frequent flyers in the early ’00s. I look forward to displaying some of them in the Adults Only section of MMMoMMA soon. 😏
Rebel by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell. The ‘RAT LIFE’ tattoo is one of GTP’s own.Oh Hell Yea [sic] by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
When he chooses to, GTP can get downright representational, as with the Sporty above and the moonlit chopper below. I find that painting particularly evocative.
* EK87S *, a commission by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell. Titles marked with asterisks are ones I made up, because the artist’s title was unknown.
Others evince a technical mastery of light, color and shadow that nudges the neighborhood of realism, without fully crossing the line.
Hogster by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.*Knucklehead *by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.*Knucklehead * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
….and when he’s not painting blowsy barflies, GTP is capable of more pedestrian images.
This looks suspiciously like the scenic and thrilling Tail of the Dragon, which leaves Maggie Valley, North Carolina, (home of Dale Walksler’s famous Wheels Through Time Museum) and meanders over the state line into Tennessee, with a challenging 318 curves in just 11 miles! 😮 Overconfident (or overserved) riders have come to unhappy ends in those hills, but it’s a destination ride for our tribe, and motorcyclists come from around the world to challenge the Tail and visit the motorcycle museum. Highly recommended, BTW.* Peterbilt Posse * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* The Boys * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Pickup * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Cometic * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Chopper Couple * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Kiss *by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
Richie Pan was a renowned artist, tattooist and bike builder from New Jersey who was killed in an auto-pedestrian crash on his way home from the annual North Carolina Smokeout. I mentioned him in my article about David Mann, but GTP knew Richie Pan, had been tattooed by him, and painted two portraits of his friend.
* Richie Pan in his shop * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell. Richie is seated on his beloved panhead, Viola.* Richie Pan in the wind * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
As with David Mann, Edward Hopper and other favorite artists, George Frizzell will insert himself into his work at times, as with this oddly-named canvas: Intergalactic Attack Formation # 1….
Intergalactic Attack Formation # 1 by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell. That is GTP hisself, trademark sneer in place, aboard the shovelhead he calls ‘Leaky Latowski’. He reports that the original canvas now lives in Australia.
….and this, where he demonstrates Leaky Latowski’s low-end torque.
When Pigs Fly by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
Finally, in this recent canvas, GTP notes that he ‘wanted to paint a loser with a busted ass bike and it ended up being a self portrait.’ He was raffling off the original canvas, and noted, ‘I’ve been off my Shovel for long enough and this raffle will send some cash in the right direction!’ I can relate! If they were still on offer, I’d buy a ticket or two myself! 😎
* Loser * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
However, like a lot of bikers, GTP seems to delight in the age-old game called ‘shocking the squares,’ and he plays it well!
Rothouse 187 by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
GTP’s work is sometimes hard to look at – rude and graphic and in-your-face, much like the artist himself – and not everyone can hang with it. However, if the viewer is open and brave enough, they are going to meet an America few folks will talk about; a grim, hostile underbelly filled with proud white trash, loud motorcycles, barflies, brawlers, booze and sex and rock ‘n’ roll. GTP takes all of this in, and then flings it at the viewer like blood, sweat and spinal fluid, in violent knife-edged spasms of color, light and shadow.
V by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
If you can hang, study what GTP has created on canvas, and you will discover an uncompromising artist with a hard-core, anarchic sense of self, which makes him a Charles Bukowski of the painted word.
Blow Job by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.Two of George’s more noticeable tattoos: WHITE TRASH ICONandRAT LIFE.
SHOVELHEAD LOVE
Like me, George loves his shovelheads, and they feature prominently in his art. I’m always glad to see my favorite Milwaukee motor represented, but….
* Shovelhead SS * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Shovelhead with Swastika * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell. With that dual-throated carburetor, the engine takes on the look of a demented, malevolent WALL-E, from the animated film, or a Star Warsrobot…. or maybe Cujo? 🤷🏻♀️* Shovelhead * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Shovelhead * in charcoal by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Shovelhead * in charcoal by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.Some wag suggested * Hogwarts’ Hagrid gets a Harley * as a title. Whatever. It’s another Shovelhead by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.* Shovel Jesus * by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell.
If you’re really brave, read a few of GTP’s columns in back issues of The Horse / Back Street Choppers — the now-defunct biker rag that gave Frizzell a resident platform for his art and off-the-wall screeds — and you’ll see that George comes by his ‘fuck the world’ brand of hardscrabble individualism honestly. He is brutally forthright about living his life his way. Dilettantes and poseurs need not apply.
The Horse / Backstreet Choppers
The Horse / Backstreet Choppers was a weak imitation of the OG Easyriders* magazine, which began in 1970, but The Horse did feature owner-built choppers in amongst all the pouty-lipped models, hipster-bearded and tattooed ‘old skool’ wannabes and eye-boggling graphics. The Horse / Backstreet Choppers was GTP’s home away from home for many years. They published his artwork and many of his rambling, overheated screeds. Those columns were later collected into a ‘bathroom reader‘ that is now out-of-print, and listed for stoopid money on eBay and Amazon.
Yet another shovelhead; this one with the inscrutable title Deluxe Space Robot by George ‘GTP’ Frizzell. That is his Leaky Latowski fuel tank on the floor.
In a documentary series, Richie Pan’s America, George said he wasn’t much of a writer, wasn’t much of a painter, wasn’t much of a bike builder, and yet he’s famous. 🤷🏻♀️
He also made a comment that speaks volumes about him, and about bikers in general. He said, ‘Being poor and destitute without a motorcycle is completely uncool, but you can be the same motherfucker and have a motorcycle between your legs — still have no place to live — and it’s cool….’
I don’t know about George, but in my career as a biker, I’ve been homeless, without a car, a job or bank account, but I’ve always had a bike, and yeah, that’s pretty feckin’ cool! 😎
Let’s let GTP go out the same way he came in, with a hearty ‘Fuck You’ to all and sundry! 😎
As noted in my previous post, the very talented artist Lyndell Dean Wolff painted a portrait of your humble narrator, based on a photograph of me taken at Mount Rushmore back in the early ’80s. I’d ridden up from Texas with my partner — the late T.R. Evans (R.I.P.) — and just had to do all the famous stuff like Mount Rushmore, Spearfish Canyon, et cetera.
Well, Lyndell completed the painting just in time to unveil it at the 20th Annual David Mann Memorial Chopperfest at Ventura, California. Again, per my previous post, my wife and I are in the middle of packing up MMMoMMA’s exhibits (and all our shyte) for a move to San Antonio. After twenty-four and a half years in this house, and me a confirmed packrat/hoarder, there is a lot of shyte to pack!
However, how many times am I going to witness the first public display of a portrait of myself? 🤷🏻♀️
Hence, about halfway through the week of the Chopperfest, I got the wild idea of actually attending Chopperfest for the first time! 😮
We discussed it — I mean, the timing could scarcely have been worse — but my wife, bless her heart, agreed that if I rendered one room paintable I could light out for the shaky coast, and she’d still have something to do to move us along. I busted a hump and got ‘er done that Friday evening. Insert big sigh of relief here.
Still, I dithered about going — ‘It’s a lot of miles, we’re jammed up with moving….,‘ and so on — but sometime around nine o’clock that evening I threw a few things in a baby duffel, loaded a cooler full of snacks and drinks, filled my venerable ’70s-era stainless steel Thermos™ with coffee and set out on the road.
Late night balling through West Texas.In a lot of stretches, I had the road to myself. That never happens on IH35 anymore!I do love The Land of Enchantment!I took some time — here on a small stretch of old Route 66 — to indulge my passion for architecture.That gorgeous brickwork just amazes me. I hope someone will come along and restore that building, rather than just tearing it down and erecting some soulless pre-fab thing in its place!This view of snow-covered mountains just presaged what was to come.Between the bitter cold, fog and snow and that ice-slicked roadway, this was a bit of a hairy ride!But we survived, and lived to drive another day!Sunset over I-10 on the Saturday night….….and the colors just get prettier and prettier! Looks like colors from a Maxfield Parrish painting!At this point I was running on ‘blues power’ (as I used to call it back in my drinking and drugging days) and was virtually braindead. I could not even tell you what city this was, but this was my last photo of the night.
Jackie and I have a lovely system in place when I’m on the road: we will talk on the telephone at intervals (which helps me stay awake) and when it’s time for me to crash, she’ll go online and book me a room. This particular night, I called it quits somewhere around Palm Springs. After roughly twenty-six hours with nothing but catnaps, Audible books and coffee, I was ready to sleep…. and I did! 😴😴😴
I woke up to this on the Sunday morning. Hell of a day for a motorcycle show, yes?I managed to blast through the Los Angeles area at 80 and 90 MPH without getting clipped. Saw a couple of CHP cruisers and one motorcycle working, but the Sunday morning traffic was sparse, and aside from some left-lane loogies it was a relatively stress-free drive.
It wasn’t hard to find the Ventura County Fairgrounds, where the Chopperfest was being held; just follow the stream of motorcycles. I inched my black road warrior van to the front gate surrounded by the sights and sounds of a vast motorcycling community, found a parking spot and limped my way into the event.
This was a proper chopper show, with plenty of handbuilt scooters of all sorts and sizes, from this well-worn 1946 knuckle bobber….….and gorgeous, race-ready ’47 Indian Chief….….to this Bizarro World 1975 Honda 550, with all sorts of whimsical details….….like the shot-through petrol tank and Brothel badge…….the ‘Fuck Ya‘ hand shifter and copper tank covers…….and expressive rear fender! 🙄There was a replica of the ‘Billy Bike’ from the 1969 cult classic Easy Rider, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson. I’ve seen a lot of star-spangled ‘Captain America’ replicas — at least three so far that their owners swore were the sole surviving movie panhead!!! 🙄 — but never seen a Billy Bike outside of Franklin Mint’s 1:10 scale models. For the record, Franklin Mint’s Easy Rider 1:10 scale replica motorcycles are part of MMMoMMA’s original exhibit. Note that the chopped and flame-painted Billy Bike is parked right beside what appears to be a beautifully restored 1957 Sportster (below). I just love that there was a wide variety of machines here!This was an interesting item: a one-of-a-kind 1942 Crosley, designed and built by Russell Martin.Check out all the beautiful details, and see if you can guess just what it is you’re seeing ….before perusing the menu of ingredients (below) that went into this incredible build.Isn’t that amazing? 😮A brace of gorgeous Indians.Near as I can tell, that’s a 2024 WTF, but the builder insists it is a 1974 Maico. 🤷🏻♀️ Me, I have to take his word for it!A sleek shovelhead….….a more extravagant panhead….….and an even wilder creation known only as ‘bagger’!
I wanted to enjoy some of the bikes on display before making my appearance at Lyndell’s stand, so I wandered about for a while, snapping photos of interesting details like these:
I believe that speaks for itself, don’t you?In its way, so does this one! 😁This carburetor cover went with the Native American-themed paint on this rider’s panhead.Instructions or warning? 🤷🏻♀️Beautifully designed and crafted midships footrest and brake pedal. I would need to have far shorter legs and smaller feet than I do to even use these, and that slick chrome doesn’t offer much purchase if trying desperately to avoid ramming the cager who just pulled out in front of you. On a wet day? No way! Pretty, though! 😁Apparently saddlebags and a sky-high sissy bar weren’t enough for this rider….….but then again, he does put on some miles!However, long bikes like these — the laid-back California-born chopper of the sort immortalized in David Mann’s brilliant artwork — remain the raison d’être for Chopperfest, and this slabside shovel is a prime example of the style.Some fools say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but a tasty shovel hooks me every time. This heavily chromed and polished 1978 is fun to look at, but for my own bikes I avoid parts that are too shiny. It’s a whole thing with me…. 😏I may be a shovel man, but this panhead sure caught my eye: simple, understated, with those stepped-up shotguns and a relatively unmolested wishbone frame. Be still, my heart! 🥰And speaking of unmolested, here we are right where we started, looking at a well-loved knucklehead with an OEM frame in what appears to be OEM condition!Days like these are why Southern California is considered a bikers’ paradise!
But what of the artist I drove all this way to see? There was a crowded food court serviced by an array of food trailers, and a long outdoor market of sorts that stretched from end to end of the fairgrounds, with all manner of goods on offer. I saw leathers, patches, jewelry, custom and vintage motorcycle parts, even rain gutters for your house!
There were also two huge exhibition halls. The first was filled with booths offering much of the same as those in the bazaar outside: parts, t-shirts, accessories, Jesus…. 😮 oh, yeah, the Lord was there and eager to make your acquaintance, if the motorcycle ministry boys surrounding the booth were to be believed.
Finally, in the last exhibition hall, I found the artists. I began with a quick walkabout, to see who-all was there. I spotted some future MMMoMMA acquisitions, and some real dreck.
First were the helmets. As noted in my previous post, Biltwell invites artists to paint and display painted helmets, which are then offered for sale.
I failed to make note of artists’ names. My apologies to them.This being the David Mann Memorial Chopperfest, it just makes sense to honor the man.Imma take a wild-assed guess that these were by Wayne Wreck! 😏Some gorgeous work!But then….….what to my wondering eyes should appear….….but Lyndell Dean Wolff’s contribution to the helmet show! I knew it was his even at a glance because I’d seen the prelim work on his Facebook page.
There were a great many artists’ work on display, and some great pieces.
David ‘Huggy Beahr’ Hanson, who passed away last year, was being honored at the 2024 Chopperfest. This is oil pastel on walnut by artist Cynthia Polk. Cynthia Polk’s tribute to David Mann.Anthony Hicks, who is also mentioned in a recent MMMoMMA Facebook post. I want to pay more attention to what this fellow’s doing!I failed to get this artist’s name, as well. The print is signed Bloody.TPN….? 🤷🏻♀️Finally, it was time to introduce myself to Lyndell Dean Wolff.
When I approached Lyndell Dean Wolff’s booth in the exhibition hall, I saw that my portrait was hanging on the portable chain link fence that backstopped the artists’ displays. We’d never met IRL, so with Lyndell looking on, I gestured at the portrait with my cane and said ‘That’s an ugly sumbitch right there.’
‘Sturgis Run, ’87’ by Lyndell Dean Wolff (2024) acrylic on foamboard
Lyndell said ‘That’s Bill James from Austin’ as he was getting to his feet. It seemed like he was prepared to defend his subject’s honor or his art, or both, and it took him a moment to comprehend that I was saying ‘I’m Bill James from Austin,’ but then all joy broke loose.
He and his sweetie, Sharon, were just amazed that I would travel that far just to meet him, but I told them, as I told you at the top of the post, ‘How many portraits of me are artists gonna paint in my lifetime? I couldn’t miss this!’
From left to right: artist Lyndell Dean Wolff, Early Rider Bruce Shroeder and your humble narrator, leaning on a cane his nephew Devon custom-crafted for him and looking utterly exhausted. You’d think I’d been bustin’ my ass all week, and then taken a hell-for-leather drive across half the continent! 😏 BTW, check out Lyndell’s artwork hanging behind us, and then check out his websites. Damn, he’s good, and I’d like to see him get the recognition he deserves!
This is Lyndell’s own page, with galleries, biography, et cetera.
We sat there and visited for a couple of hours — the great open-ended visiting I love best — talking about our lives, our motorcycle exploits, our work…. After a while we were joined by a fellow named Bruce, who rode with the Early Riders. Bruce could talk for England, as they say. He kept up a running monolog about people I’ve never met in places I’ve never been, and rarely paused for breath. I like a good yarn, but Bruce beat all I ever heard!
As we sat and visited, this fellow motored by. He claimed he was test-riding the prototype 2035 Harley-Davidson bagger, for when all us Boomers are too pooped to crawl up on our motorcycles anymore!
As the afternoon waned so did the crowds, and Lyndell and Sharon started to pack up. I gave them some Shovel Shop ‘Watch for Biker’ t-shirts I’d carried out there for them, we said our goodbyes, and I hit the highway east, retracing my steps back to Texas. It was a real pleasure to get to meet them both, and share that wonderful afternoon with them.
From left to right: your humble narrator with a portrait of a much younger him, artist Lyndell Dean Wolff and Sharon. Do I look sleepy? I think I look sleepy. 😵💫
Took it a little easier going home — a night in the same hotel in Palm Springs, and another in El Paso — but I did my best to make up that time on the road.
Leaving LA.It’s not just me, is it? Actually, just last week I saw a post about this ‘mountain’ on a Facebook page, so I know it’s not just me! 😎Gotta make up time somehow, right? I’d actually hit 110, but by the time I raised my camera I was already losing speed. However, in West Texas most of the traffic was running 95, so I wasn’t that far outta line!Welcome back to Austin. Just part of the reason we’re leaving after all these years, but this shyte definitely plays a part! 🤬
Some of you may have heard me mention that I am the founder, curator, chief cook and bottle-washer of a little thing I like to call MMMoMMA. New York City has MOMA, aka the Museum of Modern Art, and Central Texas has MMMoMMA, aka My Miniature Museum of Modern Motorcycle Art. 😎
The entryway to MMMoMMA featured works by (from top left) Norman Bean, Sara Ray, Jim Lightfoot, James Guçwa, Damian Fulton, John Guillemette and a piece titled Triumph of Love by an artist whose name escapes me in the moment (and my sincerest apologies to that artist for my brain fade). The collection is temporarily in storage as we seek larger quarters, or I’d just step out in the entryway and tell you their name. 🤷🏻♀️ At right, several photographs of your humble narrator, an original dealership postcard announcing the release of the 1953 model-year Harley-Davidsons, and a fine miniature of a slabside shovel by yet another artist whose name escapes me. I swear I’ll be better about this when we reopen the Museum, honest!A small sampling of the rotating exhibit at MMMoMMA, including David Uhl’s The Enthusiast, a long-time fave, and the piece at lower right by Ian at HotRodPencil on Etsy, personalized with the Shovel Shop name.
One of my favorite tasks at MMMoMMA is spotting those excellent artists who capture our lives and lifestyle (and motorcycles) in their chosen media, be it painting, photography, sculpture, film….
Veer Left by Lyndell Dean Wolff is the painting, more than any other, that I’m craving for my collection
….and an artist I spotted a while back is one Lyndell Dean Wolff, a California-based artist who has done some incredible work in that field.
Beautiful Buzzard from Berdoo by Lyndell Dean Wolff
What first caught my eye, naturally, was his series of paintings inspired by Bill Ray’s famous 1965 photographs* of the Hells Angels and other California MCs, like Beautiful Buzzard of Berdoo, seen above. Others in the series include Tickle It, Bakersfield Run and Berdoo Salute.
Tickle It by Lyndell Dean WolffBakersfield Run by Lyndell Dean Wolff (2024)Berdoo Saluteby Lyndell Dean Wolff (2024)
However, Lyndell isn’t confined to just reimagining Ray’s iconic photographs. He has another series of works — a near-to-photorealist collection titled Wabi-Sabi — that feature historic motorcycles in OEM and custom trim.
Wabi-Sabi, No. 12 by Lyndell Dean WolffWabi-Sabi, No. 11by Lyndell Dean WolffWabi-Sabi, No. 3 by Lyndell Dean WolffWabi-Sabi, No. 4 by Lyndell Dean WolffWabi-Sabi, No. 5 by Lyndell Dean WolffWabi-Sabi, No. 6 by Lyndell Dean Wolff
One of my personal favorites is Lyndell’s portrait of this motorcycle queen, a shovel rider from Japan whose photos appear regularly across the interwebs. I don’t know her name, but I admire any woman who rides her own, and especially a rigid kickstart-only shovelhead like hers.
Wabi-Sabi, No. 13 by Lyndell Dean Wolff….….and the young woman who inspired it!
Outside the Wabi-Sabi and Bill Ray collections, Lyndell creates some brilliant images of vintage motorcycles like these:
Knee-High by July by Lyndell Dean WolffHarley-Davidson WL by Lyndell Dean WolffDavid ‘Huggy Beahr’ Hansen, 1948-2023 by Lyndell Dean WolffExcelsior Super-X by Lyndell Dean Wolff
Another Cuppa by Lyndell Dean Wolff features New Zealand Indian rider Burt Munro, whose story was memorialized in the film The World’s Fastest IndianDavid Mann Tribute by Lyndell Dean Wolff
However, if you visit Lyndell’s gallery, or his website, you will see that he is not limited, any more than David Mann was, to ‘just’ motorcycle-themed art. Lyndell is truly a fine artist in every sense of those words, accomplished and acknowledged, endowed with wide-ranging vision, and possessed of a keen eye for dramatic vignettes and an exquisite hand for detail.
Embodied Cognition by Lyndell Dean WolffCognitive Phenomenology, No. 13 by Lyndell Dean Wolff
For instance, his series titled ‘Cognitive Phenomenology‘ (seen above and below) is a brilliant exploration of human form and cityscape, reflection, light and shadow. The works bring to mind one of my personal faves, Edward Hopper, and yet frequently surpass Hopper in depth and emotion. Those who know my love for Hopper are probably shocked to see me write that, but it’s true.
What can I say? 🤷🏻♀️ I calls ’em as I sees ’em! 😏
Cognitive Phenomenology 5 by Lyndell Dean WolffCognitive Phenomenology 11 by Lyndell Dean Wolff
He has other works, as well. Here is one I love, that appears to be an homage to American artist-cartoonist Robt. Williams. Part of the draw for me may be that Lyndell here reimagines traditional representations of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Jackie and I were married at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church here in Austin, and the lay ministry we were involved in at the church featured Our Lady in much of its iconography.
Spiritual Gentrification, No. 1 by Lyndell Dean Wolff
I’ve been saving my milk money for a while now, hoping to acquire one of Lyndell’s paintings for MMMoMMA, but in the meanwhile we’ve struck up a friendship, and just today he did me the incredible honor of releasing his newest work, entitled “’87 Sturgis Run” (16×20 inch, acrylic on panel). Some of you may recognize that handsome devil standing beside his trusty shovelhead, with the stone faces of Mount Rushmore peering over his shoulder.
’87 Sturgis Run by Lyndell Dean Wolff (2024)
That handsome devil is none other than your humble narrator….
….although it’s damned hard to be humble when a talented artist like Lyndell Dean Wolff makes your mug the subject of a painting! 😎
This painting is based on one of my favorite photographs. Every time I see it, I am reminded of the young man I was, and the adventures I had on my beloved shovelhead. I might not be smiling in the photo, but you can bet your bottom dollar I was one happy biker!
Me and my shovelhead at Mount Rushmore.
Lyndell has been invited to exhibit at the David Mann Memorial Chopperfest Motorcycle, Art and Kulture Show taking place next weekend, February 11th, on the beach at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. He has been a featured artist at this prestigious event for several years running, and his latest paintings, including “Bakersfield Run”, “Berdoo Salute” and “’87 Sturgis Run”, will be on display.
20th Annual David Mann Memorial Chopperfest
Lyndell has also been invited (again!) to contribute a custom painted helmet to the Biltwell Helmet Show, which is a regular part of Chopperfest. His helmet and paintings will be available for sale on-site.
The lineup for the 2024 Biltwell Helmet Show at Chopperfest
I am very proud of my friend, Lyndell Dean Wolff, and sincerely hope you will check out his work, either online or in person at Chopperfest. Better yet, take a piece home. I know I’m dying to! 👍🏼
FOLLOW-UP:
I actually made it to last year’s Chopperfest – the 20th Annual – and tell the tale here. Now it’s time for the 21st. My friend Lyndell Dean Wolff will be there again. This year. he was asked to paint a poster (below) for the event. If you look hard, you might see a familiar figure limping along in the crowd! Thanks, Lyndell!
Read about my trip to the 20th Annual David Mann Memorial Chopperfest, and my meeting with Lyndell Dean Wolff and Sharon, at I took a little drive one night…
JUSTFYI:
*Bill Ray, mentioned above, was on assignment from LIFE Magazine in 1965, in response to the spate of news reports about the Angels and other ‘outlaw’ clubs. His photographs were ultimately rejected for publication at the time. The editors wanted visual reinforcement of the stereotypical larger-than-life ‘biker thug’ that pearl-clutching news reports were describing. Bill Ray disappointed them when he handed in images of everyday women and men on motorcycles, enjoying their lives. His iconic photographs showed the bikers in too good a light. 😎
The Shovel Shop 
