"Spring Ride"

By Mike Boss
Oil on Masonite
30" X 24"
$1750.00 Framed

Motorcycles? In 1999 and 2000 I decided to see if I could do something a bit different and sure enough the first, an early Harley-Davidson, was certainly not in the norm for the several I had planned. After searching in old photo archives and one or two private collections, it was plain as day women were "riding free" in early bike times.

One artist I admire to this day, was the late British painter Terence Tenison Cuneo. Being well versed in his style and humorous story telling, I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to paint. An irked farmer and his scattering flock of chickens.

My late brother, Richard, a retired professional costume designer, supplied ads from our local newspaper c. 1910 which illustrated the fashionably new sailor dress and pump shoes! With my thoughts, it seemed natural to have the woman driving the bike and her guy on the back.

I had the painting all but finished, and my friend Patty Hunsicker stopped in to look. After a big smile and laughing, she looked again at the original dog I had painted. Her brows furrowed and with sort of clenched teeth said, "Michael, get rid of that butt-ugly farm dog and immortalize Buckwheat!"

With Patty's "advice" I razor bladed the original farm dog from the panel. Buckwheat, my dearly-departed little white poodle was painted in...and that was the painting debut for my "trademark," Buckwheat. If you look closely, you will find Buckwheat hiding out somewhere within every one of my paintings.