It’s been a hectic week.
I am doing ‘okay’ and seem to be keeping up with everything.
I hate to admit it, but at some (low) points, I feel like I’m just going through the motions. This is not my normal framing – and I know I have to take action to shake the ennui and get out of the funk. Pronto!
When I feel like this I seek out bike art. It ALWAYS makes me feel better.
Previously I’ve shared some of bike-inspired artworks like:
- Bicycle Murals by Mart Aires
- Bike-themed tattoos and Cycle Ink (Part 1)
- Walt Cahill’s beautiful Inktober collection of bicycle inspired illustrations
- Bekka Wright’s comic series Bikeyface
- And last year, 2019 Bicycle-themed Inktober artwork
So this time, I head to a source that I know will lift my spirits and help me connect with all I hold near and dear – bikes, community, being creative, sharing positivity and having a sense of humour.
I turn to @Artcrank on Instagram
@Artcrank
If you haven’t seen @Artcrank on Instragram – it is great.
It is profile that showcases handmade, bike-inspired posters by independent artists.
I love it because you never know what is going to get posted and it is exciting to get a smorgasbord of weird, whimsical, technical, located, colourful, graphic, text/font-based, iconic and original artwork from a range of artists and disciplines that cover all types of bikes, riders and bike cultures.
@Artcrank showcases a wide range of artistic skills from painting, digital art, illustrations, collages, graphic art, graffiti, vector avatars, wash & ink, cartography, linocuts, and more.
Some posters are monochromatic, others classic black and white, some contrasting theme hues while others are bursting with colour and vibrancy.
I love how each poster tells a story of a ride, place, a person or a moment that is usually so relatable. Some types there are adventures, moments of stillness or well-heeled tropes that we all know and love.
It is also a great forum to support artists and give their work wider exposure.
I often click on the posters I like and check out who the artist is and follow them up online to see more of their work.
Often the posters come with additional snippets of cool information, links to events, nuggets of interesting bike facts, or offers something that you didn’t know about bikes previously – added bonuses (be sure to check out the comments as well).
Best of all, you can purchase any of the featured posters via @Artcrank – GOLD!
I appreciate the invitation to enter each artist’s bike-fuelled world. They are so inspiring.
I love how each poster vignette transports me into different bikey times, spaces and places.
As I take in @Artcrank images, I realise I am smiling.
I feel better and I feel more connected.
Suddenly my day doesn’t seem so drab and I got a bit more of my spark back.
Thanks @Artcrank! I needed you today!
Keep those amazing art bike posters coming!
All images included are sourced from Instagram @Artcrank.