Meet High Seas Rally Artist Motor Marc Lacourciere

September 22, 2022

By Dave Nichols 

For Born to Ride Magazine | September 2022 | Issue 115

Marc Lacourciere, the award-winning artist behind Motor Marc Art, is bringing his amazing art back to the High Seas Rally. A self-confessed “motor-head” sailing on the World’s Only Motorcycle Rally on a Cruise Ship™, this is Marc’s 18th time as a vendor. He combines his love for high-tech machinery, passion for music, and extraordinary artistic talent to create incredible fine art.

As and artist for the High Seas Rally, Marc is creating a special piece just for the cruise and will bring a full gallery of his current work for guests to purchase onboard. There will also be several of his favorite pieces in the auction benefiting the High Seas Rally Dialysis Fund. Marc has been a major supporter of the dialysis fund since its inception and the High Seas Rally tells us they are proud to have his artistic vision and rock ‘n’ roll energy back on board for the cruise this October.

Since 2005, Marc has created a special painting for the High Seas Rally every year and there are always hidden images within the paintings for you to find (like motorcycles under the waves). “I love mixing a nautical theme with pirates and motorcycles,” Marc tells us. Prints of his latest painting always sell out during the cruise. He calls these collectible paintings the “Hidden Treasures” series that feature pirates, mermaids, custom motorcycles, and lots of gold doubloons to discover.

Motor Marc’s excellent Hidden Treasures series took a turn into popular literature in 2014 when his daughter, Melanie, wrote and published a coffee table book called “Ocean’s Daughter.” Then, in 2019, Lacourciere sculpted his first bronze statue, “Ocean Treasures”, which was unveiled on the High Seas Rally motorcycle cruise alongside his featured fine art piece, “The Heart of the Seas.”

Marc continues his partnership with the High Seas Rally so you can come out and meet him in person on the cruise this October 29^th through November 5^th.

Born in Winsor, Ontario, Canada on January 29, 1960, Motor Marc is known around the motorized world as a fine artist and sculptor who captures the lifestyle we love. In high school her took auto shop as well as programs on painting and sculpting. He has had a love affair with anything with a motor since he could walk and has a lifelong passion for drawing, painting, and sculpting.

During his time at St. Clair College of Applied Artis and Technology, Marc learned CNC Manufacturing and Mold and Dye work. By 1981, he was the creative director for Arnold Manufacturing and began working as a freelance automotive artist painting for Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. In 1990, Marc started his own advertising agency Marc L. Tec, creating a series of exotic auto fine art paintings.

Then Marc created a series of collectible plates for the Bradford-Hamilton Collection featuring motorcycles. He worked alongside Easyriders magazine’s famous biker lifestyle artist David Mann and publisher Joe Teresi to develop this successful line. In fact, the series’ success led to more work with the Bradford Collection, creating and art series of famous NASCAR drivers including Dale Ernhardt Senior and Junior, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and others.

In 2003, Marc was commissioned to do a painting for Harley-Davidson celebrating the company’s 100^th Anniversary and Marc became an approved H-D artist. This led to no less a motorcycle legend than Willie G. Davidson granting Marc a commission to do paintings for Harley to be auctioned off in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Remember The Discovery Channel’s American Choppers TV series? Marc was asked to be part of Orange County Choppers’ American Tour in 2006. The non-stop action just kept coming as Marc became licensed by Indian Motorcycles in 2009 and did gallery shows from coast to coast. His painting “Spirit of the Open Road” was a particular favorite.

In 2010 Marc became a featured artist for the Barrett-Jackson car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, producing memorable posters and programs. One of his paintings for Barrett-Jackson was signed by automotive legend Carroll Shelby and Barry McGuire, fetching $90,000 from NASCAR team owner Rick Hendricks and the money was donated to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation supporting spinal cord injuries.

At about this time Marc became famous as a biker artist at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and was also a hit at the Rock Legends Cruise for his music fine art. In 2010 he introduced a new collection of music art licensed by Retna, “The Legends of Rock and Roll” beginning with his tribute to the Rolling Stones. Ronnie Woods and Buddy Guy inspired Marc to continue the collection to create new paintings every year.

For many years, Motor Marc could be found painting away in his booth out at Black Hills Harley-Davidson during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally every August. In 2014, his Sturgis Gallery had expanded to over 100 titles or art and he hit record sales. The following year, his inspiring painting depicting all the two-wheeled fun of the ultimate rally was showcased at the 75^th Sturgis Rally. Then for the 76^th Rally, Marc commemorated the 75^th anniversary of the completion of Mount Rushmore. He continued painting new pieces for each Sturgis Rally as part of his Legend Rider series, even during the pandemic. For the 80^th Rally in 2020, he did four special paintings to add to his popular series. You can still find his amazing art showcased each year in Rapid City at the Black Hills Harley dealership.

One thing you should know about Motor Marc is that he is all about giving back. That includes helping to inspire kids, giving back to charities, and honoring our veterans. In 2020, Marc created the YouTube sensation known as the “Motor Kids Club.” This animated series stars. Group of clever cartoon characters who live to draw. The series hopes to teach children how to draw and how to turn their creative dreams into a reality.

In 2018, he created a painting honoring our veterans at Rolling Thunder 30. “Legend of Freedom” was unveiled in Washington, D.C. during Rolling Thunder and over 300 veterans signed this touching tribute. It was just one of many, many tributes to our military service people that Marc has been a proud part of. In 2021, he created the “Champions of Peace” painting honoring our World War II veterans and their stunning victory in winning the war. The noble painting includes ten veterans from the American, Canadian, and United Kingdom Armed Forces.

No modern motorcycle artist has come close to creating the resounding legacy of paintings that capture the custom culture and motorcycle lifestyle as has Marc Lacourciere. His preferred medium is watercolor gouache and acrylics on illustration board and canvas. But he has also been known to create by engraving on raw steel, etching into granite, sandblasting and carving into glass, has developed stained glass projects, and has sculpted clay to create bronze sculptures.

The High Seas Rally is proud to showcase Motor Marc’s art and we look forward to joining him in October on the cruise. To learn more about Marc and see his astounding art, visit http://marclacourciere.com or call 519-735-7779.