FLAME AND COAL

Flame and Coal

Intense concern would be an understatement in trying to describe the feelings generated as I continue doing this series of coal paintings.  I am motivated because the more I learn about the negative environmental impact of coal burning, mining, and transportation, the more I know that I need to use my art to bring attention to this serious pollution situation. While coal is the largest source of energy for the generation of electricity worldwide, it is also one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide releases.

“Flame and Coal” is the third in my large acrylic works on this subject.  It is painted on 300 lb.gessoed watercolor paper and is 39” wide by 52” high.

I am very grateful for the numerous resources and photos about coal that are easily obtainable online.  This “Flame and Coal” painting is based on a photo from theguardian.com found in the category of burning coal photos.

Interestingly, after I had almost completed my painting, I found a version of the same photo on the cover of a recommended book entitled “The Silent Epidemic” by Dr. Alan Lockwood.  He simply states: “the dirty secret is coal kills”.