Hometown Hero

Hometown Hero
Oil on masonite, 8x10
sold

On the last afternoon of the open painting time in Fairfield, I still had one category for which I had not entered a painting - "hometown heroes".  With a misty sky threatening rain, three of us decided to head to the Fairfield Fire Station, to see if we could paint an engine.  I was drawn to this 1923 engine right from the start - and wanted to zoom up on it for a dramatic composition.  Totally foreign subject matter for me, it was so fun blocking in those bright, juicy reds!  Dragging through cad red light, alizarin and cad orange for so much of this, I then balanced the warms with some cool blue tones.  This engine was originally purchased here at the Fairfield station, and was barely unloaded when it was called right out to a large house fire - the first gas powered truck on the force!  This painting has been purchased by the retired fireman who lovingly restored it, and it will be hanging next to an old fire bell like the atop this engine.  How cool is that? This painting makes number 1013 in 1013 days :)