“Parade“, oil on canvas, 48×36 in., originally uploaded by ahtravis.
Just before we left for our trip out of the mountains I completed the last actually painted canvas in my series of mountain life, “Parade”. (Several others are in the planning stage).
An important aspect of our life in the mountains is the role played by the volunteer fire department. Each community has its own and the organization wears many hats: it assists residents in time of calamities such as fire, flood, crowd control, accidents, you name it and the volunteers give tirelessly of their time.
In addition the firefighters donate their time and equipment to community efforts such as parades! Not only do our own local volunteer firemen drive the fire fighting and emergency response equipment in our own parade, but each community’s group participates in every other community’s parades. It is an enormous commitment of time and energy but one that brings the members of a community together to celebrate and enjoy each other.
In my painting the red fire trucks wind over the mountains and through the vallevs to the encouragement and applause of the waiting villagers. There is always candy for the children.
bragg hollow studio 