the Ladies ’ Automobile Club is a key theme of the annual Londonto-Brighton odyssey , Anna-Louise was asked to produce a painting that would be the signature image of the day . You hold it right here in your hands , actually , on the cover of this programme .
“ The commission arose from conversations with the Royal Automobile Club , and although they supplied me with some reference material , the cars were static and the women were standing beside them ,” says the Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art graduate . “ The traditions are important , of course they are , but I ’ m drawn to colours and some freestyle movement , and for me the driver had to be at the wheel and be very , very competitive . I didn ’ t want her smiling – there could be no grinning , because male drivers aren ’ t ever depicted grinning …”
Apart from adding her own interpretation of action to the painting , which Anna-Louise realised in oils on a large canvas , it was vital to suggest the essence of an important veteran car without being specific . As all competitors and spectators know , the diversity of machines taking part is enormous ; and so the car in the painting is tantalisingly hard to pinpoint .
“ I did look at a lot of car posters from the past , but I was very aware I didn ’ t want a recognisable car , it has to be something pretty generic so it could apply
to a lot of different people and also not take away the focus from the women . So , yes , the car is an imaginary one , but it has many of the distinctive features of the veteran era , such as the carriage lamps . I worked on the painting for a few weeks in my studio , changing the background colours , losing myself in the imagery .
“ I like mechanical objects . In the past I have been commissioned by the Royal Navy to paint their helicopters and ships , and I was often in the engine room or the ops room sketching all the dials and knobs . I like all that and find it very visually stimulating .”
Anna-Louise was most recently asked by Saudi Motorsport to design its poster for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah , and during the race she also created a huge 2.5x3-metre canvas to capture the excitement of the event . Over some 20 years her work has appeared in dozens of exhibitions and onewoman shows , and her subject matter has ranged from elite concours d ’ elegance displays to captivating views of Lake Como and whimsical cityscapes .
“ I have done the London to Brighton before and I loved it . Many more women are becoming interested in cars and motor sport at all different levels and in different ways , which is I think probably down to social media . The younger generation , I feel , is much more interested in classic cars , and social media has been brilliant at getting them talking about them .
“ But I must admit I wasn ’ t even aware there had been a Ladies ’ Automobile Club like this until I got the commission ; I ’ m not a historian and my family wasn ’ t into veteran cars or anything . So I ’ m thrilled that my painting will be the first thing many people have even seen of these ground-breaking women .” -
Veteran Car Run Limited Edition Posters signed and numbered by the artist and postcards featuring the artwork are available from the Royal Automobile Club Shop here : https :// shop . myclub . co . uk
Commemorative hats are available directly via the master hatters at Mister Miller , see : www . mistermiller . co . uk / product-category / royal-automobile-club /
www . veterancarrun . com F / veterancarrun . I @ veterancarrun 39