Acrylic/mixed media, 24 x 30 inches

Artist: Fred Gilmour PA

I witnessed firsthand the devastation of the fires in Rist Canyon and Poudre Canyon, Colorado in 2012 and was compelled to respond to the 2012 Ashes to Art Project that was organized soon afterward. Again in 2020, fires in the Cameron Peak area, including Rist and Poudre Canyons, destroyed much of the new growth.

This painting portrays perhaps the oldest and simplest piece of firefighting equipment known to man...a bucket. This particular bucket was photographed while inspecting a homesite destroyed by the 2012 fires. It seemed appropriate to immortalize this "lone survivor." The beauty of its charred, rapidly oxidized and deeply textured surface is a tribute to the art we can find in even a destroyed everyday object. Charcoal collected from the recent fires was finely ground and incorporated into the dark pigment. 

Artist Bio: Fred Gilmour is an award-winning artist/designer with over 45 years of experience in fine art, illustration, photography and graphic design. He is a producing artist with a strong interest in watercolor and acrylic painting. His artwork covers a wide variety of subjects and techniques, from hyper-realistic to abstract.

www.gilmourarts.com