Creating ‘Big Fred’ & family

The Creation of the latest painting and prints for the 2026 Fred Whitton Challenge

In November when the ballot opens and everybody gets in the mood for next year’s edition of the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge – I start thinking about my painting for the next edition of the best cycling event in the UK.

Normally I pick a feature from the course (Hardknott Pass has been the fan favourite!), but this being my 5^th year as ‘Official Artist & Friend of the Fred’ I wanted to raise the ambition and do the whole course.

You can see the finished picture below – it’s a 91cm x 61cm shallow box canvas painted in acrylics framed in 95 x 65 white tray frame.

The picture is created from a sheep’s perspective from the ridge of Birker Fell looking down on the riders tackling Hardknott Pass and pans out across the Lake District to show the whole 112mile Fred Whitton loop highlighting key features & supporters along the route to create a unique summary of the event – I’m delighted with how it turned out!

I thought you might like to get some insight into how the picture was created, surprisingly similar to the flow emotions of doing the Fred itself

1.      Get a place: I’m full of ambition & excitement about the idea of tackling the challenge – how hard can it be?!

2.      Rolling out of Grasmere: The full scale of what’s ahead dawns on me!

3.      Crest Kirkstone: I’m into a rhythm – everything feels epic!

4.      The base of Honister: Silence reigns… OMG!!  This is really difficult!!

5.      The middle bit - keep ticking off the miles – eat, drink and keep turning the pedals

6.      Approaching Hardknott: This feels like an impossible task – why did I start this!

7.      Cresting Wrynose: Nearly there… but don’t lose it on the descent! 

8.      Rolling through the Langdales: We’re going to make it!

9.      Getting across the line in Grasmere: Super proud with the final result!

10.  Get it on the socials: Sharing the news about how its gone!

So using these as prompts – how does the picture come together...

Get a place: I’m full of ambition & excitement about the idea of tackling the challenge – how hard can it be?!

It all starts with a concept in head a rough design in my sketch book – I can imagine the finished result and it’s going to be great!

Rolling out of Grasmere: The full scale of what’s ahead dawns on me!

Faced with a blank canvas and the challenge of converting a small sketch into a full size layout is intimidating but armed with various references including OS Maps, The Fred Route summary & my own experience of the area, I start to sketch out the composition on the canvas using felt tip pens.

Crest Kirkstone: Into a rhythm – everything feels epic!

This point is when the layout sketch is complete – I am feeling excited about the forms that have developed and can see the path ahead – I’m brimming with confidence.

Then the painting process begins – this is a series of layers of paint, gradually building the forms and details from the back and building forward – it’s a constant push/pull process.

The base of Honister: Silence reigns… OMG!!  This is really difficult!!

The initial colour washes go in and the reality of the scale of the challenge I have taken on hits – the fear that this is going to be a green & blue mess with no definition and a big waste of materials sets in – experience says that you keep laying in the paint!

The middle bit - keep ticking off the miles – eat, drink and keep turning the pedals

The middle section of the painting is layers upon layers upon layers of paint, building the shapes, textures and details.

Approaching Hardknott: This feels like an impossible task – why did I start this!

This is the moment that the painting looks like it’s almost finished but yet I know there is still so much work to do because the balance isn’t quite there

Cresting Wrynose: Nearly there… but don’t lose it on the descent! 

You can see here I’ve changed the sky to increase the sense of depth – this is a scary addition, if I get this wrong could ruin the picture – but (happily) it Get it on the socialsworked!

Rolling through the Langdales: We’re going to make it!

More layers to get to the finished canvas – the route is made clearer with a white outline, The D&F Mountain Rescue Land Rover has been added and details like the Team XIII Water Station and Feed stations have been added

Getting across the line in Grasmere: Super proud with the final result!

The final step is to frame the canvas – it always amazes me how it really makes the painting pop!

Get it on the socials - Sharing the news about how its gone:

My aim is to share the new picture around the time that the ballot results are shared, and I get some A4 Limited Edition prints created ready for sale.

This year, because the original painting is 91 cm x 61cm this year I am adding some larger sizes:

A2 Framed 72 x 52 (Limited to 15 editions) - £345

A3 Framed 52 x 42 (Limited to 50 editions) - £185

A4 Framed 42 x 32 (Limited to 100 editions) - £95

The original and all prints can be found on the Fred Whitton Page of my website – as with all years, 10% of any sale goes to the Fred charities.

Click through to the Fred Whitton Shop