Cane Creek’s Will Hart just put the finishing touches to an absolute stunner of a custom Murmur. Painted by Grant Fanning, AKA No Tourists Mag, the one-off Murmur uses purple alcohol inks to create a super custom, one-of-a-kind.
Time to chat to Grant about how we create this beauty.
Photos: Will Hart
Hey Grant. So who are you and what’s your background in custom painting?
Hey, I’m Grant. I’m a photographer and cyclist and I’ve been painting bicycles for a number of years. Mostly painting them for myself, but after getting laid off from a grown-up marketing job, I decided to start taking small commissions and painting bikes for others.
And how did this project with Will come about?
Will is an old bike shop friend of mine and he seemed to like my work enough to ask me to paint his Murmur. Thanks Will!
And how did you come up with the design, colours etc? Where did the creativity come from for this one?
Oh, just like with everything, I try to emulate other artists that I admire and put my own spin on things.
Pretty much every paint job I’ve done has derived from another piece of art I’ve seen. Will wanted some purple to match a few anodized components and I went to town with some purple alcohol inks.
The rear triangle I decided to do silver smoke to provide some contrast and to keep things a little simpler in the back, where most of the dirt will probably accumulate.
And how did you set about making this one happen?
I had the old paint sandblasted, then I painted the front triangle white and started painting with purple alcohol inks to get the watery look.
It’s a process you can do with a paint brush and a little handheld air blower to move the inks around before they dry. Alcohol inks can be re-wettened, if that makes sense, so you have a lot of time to move them around to get them to look the way you want.
Can you tell us a bit about what was particularly interesting or challenging about this one?
These particular ones are a bit time-consuming but I knew what I wanted to do from the start so it came together as planned pretty easily. I’ve painted a few things in this style before and there’s nothing too challenging other than picking the right colors.
What do you love most about creating projects like this?
I love seeing the final product. Everything tends to really come together at the end, after weeks of “ohh, I dunno how this is going to turn out.” conversations with myself.
Where does your inspiration, creative energy and passion for all of this come from?
That’s a great question. I don’t think there is anything pompous to say about creating art other than it really massages a part of my brain that needs stimulation.
Scratching that creative itch, as some people say. I think everyone has got it in them, we just have to find what it is that brings it out of us. Being able to spend my free time creating stuff like this is a very rewarding, fulfilling feeling that is made even greater when others appreciate the work.
And, before we go, it’d be rude not to ask the bike’s owner what he thinks of his new dream build. Take it away, Will:
Love this! Thanks for sharing it.
You can probably imagine how much attention this thing gets out at the trailhead or waiting in the lift line, people find it to be STUNNING! Seriously, I never thought precocious DH Groms would ever compliment something that I would be doing. People seem to be genuinely interested in something like this that’s a bit outside the box.
At Cane Creek we’re proud to consider our components as alternatives to the mainstream offerings. Antidotes to the everyday, and the mundane. This build to me is the antidote to off-the shelf builds that lack character and individuality. After all, if we’re lucky enough to have the means or the opportunity, the bikes we choose to ride really are reflections of who we are as people.
I didn’t build this bike to garner attention, but I love to see the genuine interest that it sparks in people. I hope it inspires someone else to build something just as unique. Bikes can be for more than just going fast.
Couldn’t agree more! You can follow Grant on Instagram here and Will on Instagram here.
