As the lactose-intolerant son of a son of a dairyman, young Kevin Nierman was ostracized by his family. He kept to himself and observed the world, then regurgitated his feelings out through his sketches. First it was birds and bunnies and ducks and kitties, but inevitably it became planes and guns and tanks and bombs. Cats were blowing up mice. Dogs were blowing up cats. That dark period ended with the arrival of his first bike: a second-hand Schwinn knockoff. But its pitted chrome fenders still had enough reflection to mirror a bit of blue sky. And with its paint coat of many colors, Kevin felt like Noah seeing the rainbow after 40 days of rain.
Years later he went off to college, enrolling in flight school to get even closer to that blue sky and that rainbow. After many, that novelty wore off and he realized the dream he was flying after was right there in his hands all along: His hands. Through writing, sketching, painting and sculpting he could create anything he could possibly imagine.
He still sneaks away with his sketchbook for moments of solitude, but these are happier times. He spends most of his time with his young squirrelly children and their lovely mother. He still finds time to create little pictures of happy animals discovering the joy of cycling, perpetuating that feeling he experienced so long ago and hoping to share it with others. Still lactose-intolerant, he starts every painting by covering up the milk-white canvas with a base color to hide the scars of childhood. The frustrations of a life of dry morning cereal and cheeseless pizza are easily released with a good night of Holstein-tipping, and if you are ever in the Kansas City area he invites you along for the fun and some beer.
Kevin's limited riding time mainly allows for roadie miles in and around his home in Lee's Summit, MO – thus, having to live the singletrack vicariously through Dirt Rag contributions. His singlespeed remains his true love – a love that curvy drop bars and sleek carbon forks can never eclipse. You can view more of Kevin's work at www.kevinnierman.com where he has select prints and originals available for purchase.
