Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Painting

The Creation of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Release

Every Summer is Scott’s opportunity to really show the world his artistic talent.  When he comes out with a new Sturgis Motorcycle Rally piece each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors rush to the Gallery to see it in person.

I can only imagine the pressure Scott feels knowing that everyone is anxiously waiting on him.  If you think about it, the completion or lack of completion of a painting can make or break an entire edition.

When considering the Release for our largest event of the year, it requires the ultimate focus and patience from Scott.

Stepping outside the box and recognizing Indian Motorcycle’s recent re-opening, Scott decided to paint an Indian bike rather than his usual Harley-Davidson.

Also being that Scott has only painted two other Indians for previous Sturgis Rallies, he thought it was time to do one again.

Over the last four months, Scott has been working on and off this painting to get it finished in time for an end-of-July Pre-Release.

The Backstory

As you know, many of Scott’s research photos have a fun story behind them.  This one isn’t any different.

Scott first saw the photo when it was sent to our Facebook Fan Page by a Pennsylvanian named Tim Burger.   It instantly caught Scott’s eye because it reminded him of his 1990’s style when he painted full motorcycles with interesting backgrounds.

Before writing this blog, I called Tim to get the full story.

Apparently his sister Jolene took the photo on their family’s farm one cool Fall day.  The subjects include their father’s 1952 International pickup and Tim’s 1937 Indian Chief.

We had a nice conversation where he mentioned his family’s love for art and vintage motorcycles.  He also shared the story of when he first saw Scott’s work on a cruise ship over a decade ago.  Since then, he has followed Scott’s career and our business.

When Jolene took the photo, he immediately thought of a Scott Jacobs painting, so he sent it over not thinking much of it.

Months later, he got a phone call from Scott himself asking if he could use the photo in his upcoming Sturgis piece!  How cool is that?!

He claimed that his father’s pickup has spent most of its life sitting on the Burger Farm Market property.

“In one of Scott’s videos, he mentioned that he wanted to make it look like the truck sat outside for years, when in reality, it’s been sitting in the same spot for more years than I can remember,” Tim laughed.

Tim and his father Lenny fully restored the 1937 Indian Chief in 2015 at their shop.

Little did they know as they were revamping their motorcycle that it would be in a world-renowned image!

The Process

Once Scott finished antiquing the pickup, he was able to build out the flower pots that sat in the bed.

He several different sized sponges to layer the greens; a dark first, then lighter to add texture and depth.  Next came the yellows to really make the flowers pop!

After the flowers and most of the background were completed, he began finishing the handlebars in the foreground.

When Scott gets closer to the finished product, that’s when he really has to pay attention to what he’s painting.

As you see above, he places his finger on the part of the engine that he’s working on.  He doesn’t want to lose his spot and start referring to the wrong part!

Can you imagine if he painted the wrong bike part in the wrong spot?  It would be terrible …and pretty funny.  (It would be a new inside joke we’d tease him about, but I’m sure he still wouldn’t find it to be very funny.)

With detailed paintings like this, it isn’t unheard of for Scott to use over ten reference photos.  The image below shows one of the six reference photos Scott used in “Indian Summer”.

Sometimes, his photos aren’t even clear enough, so he searches the subject on his phone in hopes of finding a photo at the same angle to get a better idea of what it should look like.

Our Gallery has been super busy already, so he decided to move his easel and paints downstairs for visitors to enjoy watching him work his magic.

I always find it funny when I see people watching him from afar.  I joke by telling them that he wouldn’t bite and that they could get closer …as long as they don’t chew in his ear.  (That has happened to him before with a popcorn eater!)

Getting so close!

As soon as Scott finished the painting, we took it outside to get photos before we shipped it to our publisher.

No wonder why I don’t remember all of his paintings; they leave the building as soon as they dry!

It was only seconds after walking outside that Scott was stopped by a man walking down the sidewalk.  He was in awe of his beautiful masterpiece.

The Finished Product

“Indian Summer”

Three Sizes Available:  Small 24″ X 17″  /  Large 34″ X 24″  /  Over-Size 48″ X 34″

Edition Sizes:  Small 78  /  Large 25  /  Over-Size 5