I'm sure many of you that know some American history, know of the Minutemen. They were the farmer/soilder of the revolutionary war that were said to be able to be ready to fight at a minute's notice. I was thinking about where that spirit is today and it dawned on me that it is safe in the hands of the modern firefighter. Ready in less than a minute, these brave souls, often volunteers, leap into danger without question. This September 11th marks four years sence 343 New York firefighters did just that and didn't return. This is a tribute to them and and to all those willing to put themselves in harm's way to save or defend another.

This drawing is 18"x24" on smooth bristol and features the helmet of a firefighter along side his boots, staged and ready to go. Fire fighters have a habit of staging their boots and pants so when the alarm sounds, they can literally jump into them, pull up their pants and be off in a flash. The boots and pants are arranged this way in the drawing. I got the photos from a visit to my local fire station. If you would like to visit their website, here's the link. [link]



Special thanks to the Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department for letting me take the photos I needed for this project.

About the drawing:

Size: 18"x24"

Paper: Smooth Bristol

Pencils used: From 6B to 4H

Blending: Tissue, Stump & Cotton swab

Time to complete: 40-50Hrs

Prints available: Yes (see website) [link]

Here's a link to a really good closeup of the boot area. [link]