Blues and Twos – Original Painting

Blues and Twos – Original Painting

About the Image

Do you have a Firefighter in your life? Or maybe someone who loves Fire Engines. Capturing the moment the engine speeds past with sirens blazing, is Blues and Twos but this time there’s no noise. Rounding the corner by Warren Street station a fire engine leans – the only indication of its speed in this snapshot of time.

You cannot hear the sirens blaring or see the blue lights flashing, but you know the drill. Once they receive a shout that there’s an emergency the blues and twos are put on and they’re off as quickly as they can go. To whatever the emergency might be. In a city as large as London it’s a common sight and one with all rather see less frequently when we consider what they might be headed to. For the people whose lives will be altered by whatever situation they might find themselves in.

It’s time to count your blessings and hope that this is the closest you’ll ever come to needing their services.

There’s a romance about fire engines that taps into a primitive need. Children love to see flashing blue lights and look to see where they are when they hear the sirens wailing. We all need our heroes. In the background is the BT Tower. Or the Post Office Tower as it was originally known, and I’m showing my age now. It’s an odd shaped Building and by far the tallest in the immediate area. Although not in London itself.

Creation The picture is painted on watercolour paper. Cathy draws the lines with masking fluid to a planned arrangement before painting it with a watercolour wash which gets covered with clingfilm. Once this is removed the picture is further developed using acrylic inks which are left to dry before the masking is removed to reveal the final picture.