Chris Osborne Art 
Fire Lady
The Story Behind the Painting
Same story as bush fireworks but different painting and photos.
It had been a busy day back burning to reduce the fuel around Possum Park in the event of future bush fires. As it happened two weeks later a few bush fires were burning out of control in the local forests, they lasted over a week and came within 4km of Possum Park. So our preparations were not in vain.
I had just cleaned up and was wondering what to watch on my iPad when I get a phone call from David the owner of Possum Park. “Do you like fireworks” my response was “yes”. “Bring your camera and a couple of ginger beers”.
I hung up the phone and immediately thought where has David gotten fireworks from. Anyway I jumped on my push bike with two ginger beers in each pocket and raced down to the dam.
As I rode around the corner I saw an orange glow and a tree on fire dropping sparks. David was stood next to his bobcat and pointed to a tree on fire and said “bush Fireworks” which was the name of my first painting.
I asked David for an explanation and this was his response. I was clearing a safe area around the dam wall and I couldn’t push the bugger over so I had to burn it. This was a dead tree by the way.
So for the next hour or so we sat in the bucket of the bobcat and drunk our ginger beer and watch an amazing light show and the best fireworks I’ve ever seen. I’m sure a few spirits came out of that tree that night and danced into the sky.
I thanked the tree for putting on such a beautiful show and think of it every time I walk up the spill way of the dam photographing birds most mornings.
My Painting Process
I was trying to recreate an earlier art work of this tree on fire called “bush fireworks”.
I stepped out of my comfort zone as this painting was much larger than I normally do. So I chose to paint in acrylics on canvas.
A light wash to get some tones in and a few shapes.
Starting to paint in the clouds.
A few more layers of clouds and I discovered this is much harder than blending oil paints, then adding the silhouettes of the trees.
I started to paint the highlights from the glow of the fire on the trees.
Adding some smoke, this meant painting over my nice clouds.
Next I painted the ground stones and grasses.
When I entered the competition I didn’t realise that we had to submit photos of completed artworks so I thought I still had two more weeks of painting.
So with this new knowledge I had to paint most of the night and get up at 6am and finish the artwork with very little sleep. Anyway it seemed to come together after a few false starts trying to paint with no paint on the brush or picking up the wrong pallet knife also without paint on it.
I wasn’t sure if I could paint the fire lady without making it too obvious and thought would it look a little stupid. I thought the people viewing my painting would not see the original reference photo and might think I’m loosing my marbles.
Anyway the people I’ve shown it too so far seem to love it.
So this is my entry to the Brigalow Art Festival 2023, wish me luck on opening night, Friday the 13th oh yeah.
Exhibition from 13/09/2023 to 08/12/2023
Closeup of fire lady.
Chris Osborne Art 
I love this, Chris. I love that you could see this lady in the sparks, and gave her a voice.
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