WITHOUT WHOM

Let’s face it, a beautiful classic motorcycle is a rolling work of art. Meet Bob Spendlove, the biker who can put your pride and joy down on canvas for posterity.

Bob Spendlove paints perfect classic bikes.

“Ihave been painting and drawing for most of my life. When I was five I can remember drawing a Foden lorry at primary school things,” says Bob Spendlove.

For many of us, doing what we truly love as a day job means we are blessed – and Bob knows how lucky he is. “I love doing what I do, really, I do and I’ve been lucky enough to do this for 40 years,” he says. But how did it all start, Bob? “Things moved on from that first drawing. I served an engineering apprenticeship with good old Joe Lucas (well, Lucas Engineering) and continued painting as a hobby in my spare time. I moved to Telford, Shropshire (lovely biking roads) and painted in my spare time. I had a few different jobs and was asked by a local college to run art classes for mature students. One of those students asked me to paint her Triumph 500. This was many years ago, but that’s how it started, really.”

Bob’s already hinted that he’s a motorcyclist at heart, having first had a BSA Bantam. “It was a D7 Deluxe, bright red and chrome tank with gold line work, wonderful in the eyes of a 16-year-old kid. I sold it for £50, but look at the prices now! This was followed by a much faster and more reliable grey Honda 175, followed by various Yamahas, Suzukis, Hondas and more recently, Hinckley Triumphs.”

We’ll allow him this admittance: he claims that a Hagon-suspended Honda CB500 twin from 1999 was his favourite, or at least ‘best’ bike he’d ever owned. He says: “That suspension helped my rather vertically challenged stature! I have toured Scotland, Wales and Ireland with friends and with my Japanese friend Tada. I have been on many adventures to Europe over the years with many tales to tell and memories of the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Route de Napoleon. My present daily bike is a Triumph Street Twin, which is a great bike that I’ve fitted out for touring. The brilliant low seat sold it to me.”

So, how does one go about getting a beautiful Bob Spendlove original hanging on their wall? He explains: “All my paintings are commissioned by customers who would like their motorbikes immortalised in water-colour. I’ve been painting classic bikes and cars for four decades and just enjoy the whole scene. The customers are charming and really appreciate the time and skill that goes into creating one of my paintings. I have found that my display of full-size paintings enables perspective customers to see the detail and the range of colours used. It’s always interesting discussing with the customer their ideas and the different scenarios that we can come up with to help create the different compositions.”

When commissioned, Bob will visit the customer and do a photoshoot of the vehicle – this can take a whole day. “The visit starts with a chat over a coffee as to any ideas that they may have and any props that they may want included in the painting,” says Bob. “These vary from an old Avery Hardoll petrol pump to vintage enamel signs advertising Park Drive Cigarettes!”

Sometimes the customer will know exactly what they want – perhaps the bike needs to be placed in a local beauty spot, or perhaps they want their machine to ‘go back in time’ and be placed in a setting typical of the days when the bike was new.

“Once we’ve established some rough ideas it’s time to start the photo shoot,” says Bob. “This is best done on a dry, sunny day so that we have interesting shadows which give greater clarity and contrasts and helps me to produce a more striking painting.”

Anything up to 40 or 50 pictures are taken during the shoot, from a number of different angles for more varied lighting effects. One of the pleasant perks of the job when it comes to painting classic cars is that Bob often gets invited for a spin! He says: “I’ve been lucky enough to drive in old Bentleys, E-type Jaguars, Healys to a Messerschmitt, and even a 1954 Birmingham City Corporation bus – that was great fun!”

Together Bob and the customer will look at the pictures, decide on the right angle and get an idea of what they want in the finished painting.

“The main object of the day is for me to understand what the customers envisage and to get this down on paper,” says Bob. “I then produce a pencil drawing to show the composition of the final painting. At this stage we can move things or add objects, rub out areas or change the position of the vehicle, etc. Once the customer is happy with the sketch then we discuss the size and where they want to hang it. I then sort out a price and once agreed then a deposit is paid.” Then the real hard work begins.

Bob uses top-quality water-colour paints, which are hand-made by Wallace and Seymour, based in Horton, Yorkshire.

“I find their intensity of colour helps me to get the effects I want,” says Bob. “By using only high-quality materials it means that the paintings could last for hundreds of years!”

So, how long can a commission take to complete? Bob says: “A painting normally takes two or three weeks to complete, depending on size and complexity. Some very large paintings have taken up to four weeks to complete or just over a month to finish.” And – like a full-size restoration, there is that feeling of trepidation when it’s complete… eh Bob?

“You more get that feeling at the start, actually,” says Bob. “I always feel slightly apprehensive when starting a fresh picture, as you’re trying to get the under-drawing right first; the proportions and perspective. There’s generally plenty of rubbing out before I’m happy to continue with the water-colours.”

With different bikes from different eras, how can he accurately replicate the colours, hues and mediums that make up a motorcycle? He says: “Over the years my painting techniques have developed, and I have honed the skills and ideas to reproduce the effects of chrome surfaces, such as exhausts, wheel rims and car bumpers. Painted surfaces are also very challenging and much of this is achieved using wet-into-wet techniques and layering of washes.”

However he works his magic, Bob knows he’s a lucky chap. “I find the process of taking a blank sheet of paper and creating a 3D scene still very exciting and very rewarding. I feel privileged to be lucky enough to earn a living doing something I enjoy.”

• Bob Spendlove will be at the Stafford Classic Bike Show on July 3/4 and again on October 9/10. For more go to: www.bobspendlovearts.co.uk

• Do you want YOUR company to feature in a future ‘Without Whom’ article? Perhaps you supply engineering services, stock classic bike parts, paint bodywork, or create amazing artwork like Bob? Either way, we want to hear from you. Email: bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk