‘Racing Lines’ is the online collection of pen and ink drawings and watercolors made by Maxine Dodd, who lives and works in Leicestershire in the UK.
‘Racing Lines began in 2012 as a way of recording my daily drawing routine – I draw every day, usually in the morning – before I do anything else. The focus of my drawings in 2012 was my favourite sporting event, the Tour de France. I watched and drew the action from the race every day. I chose to draw with my favourite ink pens, working quickly to keep up, hence the name, ‘Racing Lines’.
The subject guided me to the style, I have long admired many French artists, from Delacroix and Géricault, David and Ingres, Lautrec and Degas, right through to Matisse and Dufy. They all have great freedom of expression and draw with beautiful lines.
The theme of ‘Racing Lines’ developed to portray speed and movement, often with sport, especially cycling as the subject, (La Vuelta de España and the Tours of Britain and Yorkshire followed), along with rugby, horse racing, cricket. I love the spontaneity of line and working quickly, the challenge to keep up is another race in itself!
The medium of pen and ink with watercolour is intense and risky, but quick and responsive, suiting my subject with its twists, turns and bursts of energy.
At times, I’ve added new materials to the pictures, sometimes pastel and watersoluble crayons, acrylic paint and gouache, but I always start my pictures with the flowing, uncompromising lines of the pen with washes of watercolour. They are the backbone to every piece.
For me, these subjects have great abstract qualities, showing colour and graceful lines. In cycling, the teams’ colours have a rhythm as the riders move – singly or as a group, the flags and banners waved by the crowds of fans, set in the open landscape is perfect for me. It is these elements, along with the energy of the race itself, that I try to show in my pictures.
Lately, I have turned my pens to new subjects, closer to home including the wildlife in our garden, our cat, our local landscape, and scenery from holidays – anything that catches my eye really.
There’s always something going on and drawing is a different way of creating memories… I put the camera phone down and pick up my pen!
Recent Solo Exhibitions: ‘Racing Lines’ Cank Street Gallery, Leicester, Alfred East Gallery, Kettering, jGallery, ’20 Stages’, jGallery, Moulton, Northampton
Private collections: UK, France, Switzerland, Canada and US
Affliations/Groups: Leicester Society of Artists, Leicester Sketch Club and Harborough Artists Cluster
Follow on Facebook Maxine Dodd – Artist and Twitter at @maxine_dodd
Your hands are wands. Horses, Borzoi would be a great topic as well as dancing shadows.
All the best.
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Thank you so much for lovely comment. Very kind indeed, All the best to you too
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Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate it very much. I’ve enjoyed my visit here and look forward to following your work. 😀
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Thank you – I liked your blog too – I especially love your description of being lost in thought and armed with a camera. I feel much the same with my pens and watercolour, it’s a great state to be in isn’t it?!!! 🙂
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Absolutely! 🙂
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Thank you – I’m much obliged! 🙂
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Not to worry – I’ll go back and have a look 🙂
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Hi Maxine. Thank you for following HoB. Much appreciated!
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My pleasure 🙂
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Hi Maxine,
Thank you for stopping by my blog and checking out the worlds smallest political quiz. Glad you liked it! 🙂
You have some really nice artwork here.
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Many thanks Capt Jill! 🙂
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🙂
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Absolutely wonderful artwork……I’ve always wanted to paint more “freely” and loosely but have been stuck in the slow, careful, detail to the point of losing out on the loveliness of being “in the moment” as you have. Thanks for vistiing Sammy’s blog.
Pam
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Thank you so much for your lovely comment and I will definitely visit Sammy’s blog again. I hope you and Sammy are having a good day! 🙂
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Hi there Maxine, how can I purchase one of your prints of ‘Le Tour’ as a suprise present for my husband? A friend has one which is how I found out about you and the drawings are just gorgeous
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Thank you very much indeed for your enquiry and lovely comments. I think that you have done the best thing, which is to send an email to maxine@maxinedodd.com and I can give you the details from there. 🙂
Update: There is a new page giving full details about buying original pictures from me. Click Picture Information from the menu 🙂
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As a cyclist and a (hobby) photographer, I really appreciate your work and passion Maxine.
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Thank you so much – a great compliment coming from someone who rides, very much appreciated 🙂
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I like the blog! Alot 🙂
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Wonderful and thank you! 🙂
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Such lively and vibrant paintings and sketches in every post! I enjoy your carefree and playful approach to movement and colour. Thanks for sharing!
Your blog doesn’t fit the rules, but I had to mention you in my Liebster Award post here, https://carolineylipaa.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/my-liebster-liebster-award-part-2/
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Caroline, thank you very much for your lovely comment and the mention in your Liebster Award post. Very kind and much appreciated. Thanks for looking at my blog, Maxine 🙂
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Thank YOU. 🙂 All the best!
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Your work is absolutely lovely, I will be spending the next hour completely living in a world of your art. 🙂
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Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the paintings 😀
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Hi Maxine,
Thank you for liking my blog.
I wanted to say that I found your pieces beautiful and fresh and I love your ability to give the viewer the impression of movement and speed with your instinctive brush strokes on paper.
I look forward to your new work.
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Thank you, my pleasure 😀
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lovely and free
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Bless you! Thanks 😀
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you’re very welcome!!
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Happy New Year, Maxine.
I love your images and drawing style.
It crossed my mind to ask whether your six nations sketches are for sale, or might be in the 2016 contest? I was thinking of a gift for my brother.
Neil
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Happy New Year to you too Neil! All the Six Nations pictures are for sale, l think that if you search through the posts under the category of ‘Rugby’, you should see them all. I am in the process of creating a gallery gathering them all together, so I can let you know when that’s done, but at least a search will get you started, and just email me when you find one that your brother will like and we can take from there. The price for framed piece generally around £150-£250 depending on size. Have a wonderful celebration today/tonight, and thanks so much for your support of my work. It means a great deal! Maxine
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I love your pictures. 🙂
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Most kind, thank you! 🙂
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I liked your blog, I invite you to my blog:
http://dishdessert.wordpress.com
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Found my way here via Google and ‘Team Sky riding to victory.’ Great images!
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Hi Tim, thanks for your message! Great to hear that Google guided you, I try to make work easy to find, so that’s really reassuring. Even more delighted to hear that you like the pictures. I’m working on this year’s ‘Paris moment’ which I hope to publish in the next day or so. Hasn’t it been an engrossing Tour? There’s been so much to inspire, I shall be busy until La Vuelta! Thanks so much once again 😀
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Look forward to seeing the ‘Paris moment’ Maxine. I’m a photographer and as a result of seeing your paintings, I’ve spent the day using the oil painting mode in Photoshop in a bid to be more artistic. (Geraint Thomas and the Tour of Qatar boys now look much more striking!) Don’t hate me – it’s just that I couldn’t paint a decent picture if I tried!
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Fantastic! My pictures wouldn’t be possible without the inspiration of the images created by the cameramen on the motorbikes. I make my own interpretation but I wouldn’t see anything without the photographic/video imagery that I see from them first. I’m delighted to hear that you’re turning your photos into oil paintings. Artists have worked with cameras since Durer and Vermeer to Hockney, the disciplines are interwoven as far as I’m concerned, brilliant! 👍
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PS. A travel photographer; not the glamour photographer online who shares my name!
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😊
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