'Field of Fire'

This is the latest painting from my easel. I must admit that I was surprised by the reactions it generated when I posted it in the WetCanvas acrylics forum.
It drew associations ranging from the bush and forest fires, which cause such devastation in other parts of the world, to memories of 9/11 in the USA. Others found it just plain scary. What it represented to me was contrarily benign in comparison.
For many centuries man has harnessed fire and employed its purgitive powers in order to clear land prior to, or after, the raising of crops. Here in the UK it used to be a common sight to annually witness the burning of corn stubble after the harvest was complete. It was the way by which the farmers would rid their land of disease, and return nutrients to the soil quickly. In more recent years this practice has mostly given way to the use of pesticides and chemical nutrients. I'm unsure which of these practices is the more environmentally friendly or harmful.
Here though is my description of such an event.


Field of Fire (24x20") Acrylics painted on canvas.