Superbike & Motorbike Paintings
Joey Dunlop at the Cookstown 100 road race on 29th April 2000.
William Joseph Dunlop OBE was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney.
The legendary Ballymoney rider holds the record for the most wins at the TT with 26, achieved across a range of classes from 125cc and 250cc two-strokes to Superbikes
That same year Joey Dunlop’s famous victory in the Formula One race at the Isle of Man TT in 2000 is regarded as his greatest performance ever around the Mountain Course and at the age of 48, Joey claimed the one win he wanted more than any other on the 1000cc Honda S.
Original photograph taken & commissioned by Pete ‘Rocky’ Constable.
Motorbikes & Military Aircraft
By Penny Richardson
Welcome to my studio world where speed meets sky, and metal meets memory. In my paintings of superbikes and military aircraft, I explore the beauty, drama and engineering of machines that have shaped lives, hearts, and history.
Why I Paint Machines
Growing up on a working farm. I’ve always been drawn to mechanical form and the energy stored in metal and motion. To me, a superbike’s roar or an aircraft’s silhouette is more than machinery—it’s character, it’s history, it’s spirit.
Every line in an engine casing, every rivet on a fuselage tells a story. Capturing that in oil paint means translating raw power into quiet moments on canvas. It means marrying precision with expression, engineering with emotion.
Kitty Hawk Finsbury Park London.
Commissioned by a London interior design firm, this pair of paintings celebrates the bold lines and atmosphere of the Kitty Hawk restaurant in Finsbury Park. The brief called for something vibrant, something with attitude—machine as art.
Painting of Hurricane, Spitfire & Lancaster over Rutland Water
Planes that shaped history take to the skies again across my Rutland horizons. This work evokes the weight of our wartime heritage and the enduring elegance of fighter and bomber craft.
Harrier at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland
In 2010, it was announced that the RAF would retire their remaining Harriers by 2011. In December 2010, the RAF’s Harrier GR9s made their last operational flights.
My Process
- Research & Reference
Whether motorbike racing heritage or military aviation archives, I begin every painting by digging into history. Photographs, technical specs, and stories from real people are my foundation. - Sketch to Canvas
I draft my composition digitally or on paper, studying lines of motion, shadow and reflection. Then I transfer that study to oil on canvas—layer by layer, paint by paint. - Emotion in Detail
I try to go beyond surface realism. The sheen on a chrome pipe or the curve of a wing should evoke not just accuracy but feeling: the roar of an engine, the roar of a jet, the hush after take-off. - Client Collaboration
Commissions like the Kitty Hawk restaurant painting begin with conversation. What atmosphere do you want to feel in the space? What legacy do you want to remember? My aim is always to create work that resonates—visually and emotionally—with both the machine and its story.
Why Choose a Machine Painting?
- They make powerful focal points — in homes, offices, or public spaces.
- They’re conversation starters: someone sees your painting and asks, “Where did that inspiration come from?”
- They can celebrate personal or historical passions: racing spirit, military history, local aviation landmarks.
- They preserve stories: the roar of a superbike, the legacy of an aircraft, the moment frozen in paint.
Commission Your Machine Painting
If you’d like to explore a bespoke painting of a bike or aircraft that matters to you, let’s talk. This could be a favourite model, a historic event, or a personal memory. I’d love to hear your story and bring it to canvas.