steampunk chronicles

I'm a proud member of the Maine Illustrators Collective, a group of illustrators that call Maine home, or pretty darn close. This Friday we'll be showing our version of the theme Steampunk, a topic that seems to come up with increasing frequency. I happened to be thumbing through Maine Magazine and came across a sweet little ad for Portland Velocipede. Voila, my idea came to life.

Hence, my rough thumbnail of a speedy cyclist with gears flying...



Always in search of mo' better reference, I got Someone to pose on a bicycle with appropriate determination:



And because this coincided with our own motorcycles coming out of the barn after a winters' hibernation, my collection of vintage postcards added some inspiration.



My better half suggested some styling that would enhance the penny farthing handcrafting:



I grew up in the White Mountains, not far from the famous Clark's Trading Post where the familiar whistle of their steam engines punctuated every summer afternoon. Funny how life repeats: now I can hear the whistle of the Narrow Gauge Railway in Portland, across the bay.

So, a locomotive had to be part of the race. Here's the Vixen Velocipede!



The Steampunk Chronicles will open this Friday, June 4 at The Green Hand in Portland, from 5 - 8 PM. Hope to see you there, goggles optional.