Sonya Bacon McKay’s Line and Wash montage of the Northern Ireland North West 200 captures the raw energy, heritage, and human drama of one of road racing’s most iconic events. Through expressive ink lines softened by fluid washes, the work traces the sweep of the circuit itself—hedgerows, stone walls, and open roads bending through the coastal landscape—where speed and danger coexist with everyday life.

Interwoven throughout the composition are glimpses of the paddock: mechanics hunched in concentration, tools and tire warmers rendered with quick, confident marks, and teams caught in moments of preparation and anticipation. Racers emerge as both individuals and symbols of the sport—helmets bowed, bodies poised—while the legendary Dunlop family is given special prominence, their presence anchoring the montage in generations of courage, loss, and excellence that define the NW200’s history. Surrounding them are many more riders, each suggested with economy of line yet full of motion, forming a collective portrait of the road racing community.

The line-and-wash technique allows atmosphere to dominate: washes bleed and pool like coastal mist or engine heat, while decisive lines convey speed, tension, and commitment. The result is not a literal map of the race, but an emotional one—an homage to the circuit, the families, and the riders who have made the North West 200 a living legend