Exploring Nature's Majesty On Two-Wheels: Douglas Roulston and the Artist Edition Claymore
In the realm of art and adventure, there exists a rare combination of a passionate artist and an avid mountain biker. Meet Dougie Roulston, an art and design teacher from Glasgow whose love for both painting and mountain biking has shaped his unique artistic journey. Inspired by the romantic landscapes of the 19th century, Dougie's artwork captures the awe-inspiring power of nature and the sublime. In this blog, we delve into Dougie's story, exploring his artistic process, his adventures on two wheels, and the fusion of his passions that sets him apart as an artist, leading to one of the most incredible custom mountain bike paint jobs around - The Artist Edition Claymore.
How it all started:
Having been inspired from a young age by his Dad, David Rolston, who was an architect that had a profound appreciation for art and music, Dougie followed suit and developed his own love for the arts. From a young age Dougie was creating and selling art, at 14 he had already sold a piece he had created to his teacher for £40 and his competitive nature spurred him on to continue with this trend, with his work now selling for thousands. Ever since then, Dougie has been striving to set his work apart from the rest.
The Interplay of Art and Mountain Biking:
Dougie's artistic odyssey began with his fascination for 19th-century paintings, which inspired the rugged scenery and the piercing rays of light that evoked a sense of spirituality and remoteness in his own work. His studies in art, including an honours degree and a master's degree, further deepened his appreciation for the Romanticism movement. Drawing inspiration from these classic works, Dougie sought to create his own paintings that conveyed the dominance of nature over mankind, a theme imbued with a spiritual and tranquil ambience.
Simultaneously, Dougie's love for mountain biking took root during his time as a ski instructor. However, a knee injury sustained while skiing redirected his focus toward biking, a sport that allowed him to explore remote and breathtaking locations more efficiently, which left him with lingering stories and ideas that he would then go home and recreate within his art. By combining his passion and using his mountain bike as a tool to facilitate this, Dougie found a unique way to infuse his artwork with first-hand experiences and elements of the natural world, adding a deeper dimension to each piece he created.
Artist Edition Claymore, The Story:
With a goal to push artistic boundaries, Dougie had the idea of creating something extremely special, namely the Artist Edition Claymore. But how did that come to be? Dougie being a Scottish artist who already used his bike as a tool to help create his art, wanted to delve deeper into this connection between the two worlds by potentially working with a Scottish mountain bike company to create something special. Having been in contact with Mike Boyd and an agent of Dougies, the plan was to reach out to Deviate Cycles - who already had connections with Mike - to see if they were interested in working together. Ben, the co-owner of Deviate, spoke to the agent and arranged a second call with Dougie. Slightly more relaxed after the initial communications had been made, Dougie had a chat with Ben about what they could do together. Strangely, Ben's brother had brought a piece of Dougie's artwork two weeks prior to this, having no knowledge that Dougie was going to reach out to Ben. Ben, having already seen his brother's newly purchased piece of art, was fascinated with Dougie's work and was keen to make something happen between the two of them. It was here where the idea of painting a bike came to mind, to depict a story of humble beginnings, more specifically, a story of how Deviate came to be. To do this, the two of them arranged a ride within the Cairngorms - the place where Deviate was conceived - so that Dougie could get a true feel of the landscape. This led to numerous sketches being produced out on the trail by Dougie, which he would then go on to combine into one when painting the bike frame.
Artist Edition Claymore, The Process:
Dougie's goal was to feature as many stand-out areas of the Cairngorms as possible, combining multiple pieces of his work into one. The final result showcases some stand-out features, such as the green loch of Aviemore cascading along the downtube next to a stream which represents the stream that runs down Ben Macdui. The pine and birch trees carefully placed on the seat-tube representing those seen in the Cairngorms Caledonian forests. Also, the long flowing vibrant heathers seen throughout the piece, pay homage to Scotland's famous heather. In order to achieve this, Dougie used non-conventional methods to paint the frame such as utilising paint brushes rather than airbrushes, as he felt this represented his established style more closely. Some spray paint was used initially to create layers onto the piece, which was then topped by paint brushes and rigger brushes to achieve the intricate detail seen on the final piece. Finally, once this had been done the frame was then sent to JMJ Designs to apply gold leaf to the coil and the decals, taking the frame to another level. In total, from conception to completion this project took around one year to complete. So far, this piece of art has been displayed at numerous events across the UK and even won 1st place in the Jaw Droppers Competition at the London Cycle Show. Dougie will have the Artist Edition Claymore along with his other pieces of art on display at Fotheringham Gallery in Bridge of Alan, Stirling, on the 1st of July 2023 where all are welcome to visit.
Artistic Triumphs and Memorable Adventures:
Dougie's artistic journey has been punctuated by exhilarating adventures and noteworthy achievements, the Artist Edition Claymore adding to this. One notable milestone was the "Maggie's Penguin Parade," where he and a friend took the penguin statue named Sid on a mountain biking adventure up the Sidlaw Hills where Dougie then painted a panoramic scene of the Sidlaws accompanied by the penguin statue. This expedition attracted its fair share of media coverage and interviews, and in turn, sparked the idea of taking his artistic endeavours to even greater heights.
Soon after, Dougie received a commission to create a statue of the Scottish cartoon character, Oor Wullie, which led to an ambitious goal of climbing Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK, with the statue. Dougie and his team set off to climb to the top and while he was there the project gained recognition from Visit Scotland, and with the added excitement of having renowned cyclist Danny MacAskill sign the statue at the Fort William Downhill World Cup, Dougie's work began to intertwine with the realms of art, mountain biking, and filmmaking.
Dougie Rolston's artistic journey is a testament to the seamless fusion of his passions for art and mountain biking. Inspired by the landscapes of the past, left unchanged even today, he embarks on daring biking expeditions, sketchbook in hand, to capture the essence of nature in its raw beauty. His artwork, with its vibrant colours and carefully crafted compositions, transports viewers into a realm where the majesty of the outdoors converges with mountain biking - his tool to reach new ground.
