Paris-Roubaix in Acrylics

Watching the magical Paris-Roubaix bicycle race on TV inspired me to give acrylic paints a try:

I quickly discovered that acrylics allow you to lay the paint on really thick, which felt perfect for depicting Paris-Roubaix.

For me, the beauty of Paris-Roubaix is how the simplicity of the landscape contrasts with the gritty mayhem of the race.  Take the bikes and crowds out of the picture, and all you have left are cobblestones, land, and sky.  But add the race back in, and it becomes a piping hot stew of dust, noise, angry roads, rattling wheels, and screaming bright colors.  It's as if the sky mirrors all that's happening down below, absorbing the clouds of dust and carrying the vivid colors of the race upwards.