I’ve been wrestling with my mind about these fires and the impact it’s had on our country, it’s people and it’s wild life. And I always come back to one thing. Those men and women who willingly put their lives on the line to preserve life and homes in our country, Life of human and animal even when their own homes are under threat they go anyway. On top of it it all we have lost three brave volunteer fire fighters in these fires. Three fathers, three husbands, three true Australians, one the same age as myself who’s life had only just begun. These are real life heroes, angels within the inferno and it humbles me to see Australia get behind their heroes in so many ways and we must continue this support !
I came across an image Last year when the fires in Sydney started. It was the kind of image that makes you stop and stare, So simple but so powerful. It has a quality that pulls you into it as if all the noise in the world shuts off and you are the fire victim seeing a heroes hand emerge through the smoke like some ghost leading you to safety. Faceless, nameless but you know you can trust this person with your life even though you have no idea who they are.
Fire fighters are the light in this tragic time of darkness. We owe Our country to them and yet the RFS take nothing in return.
And that’s why I name this artwork “Not all heroes wear capes”.
Created with pastel pencils and pan pastels on black colourfix paper.
