Phoenix Rising from the Ashes, completed September 2025
The idea of a phoenix rising from the ashes has been percolating within me for quite some time. Initially, I rejected the idea as a tired cliche, but the concept refused to die. Even before I pulled out my art supplies, I knew I wanted to do things differently. The need to step out of my comfort zone and push for a heavier hand with colour was paramount. Creating textures and shapes I’d never faced before required research. Releasing reference photos to embrace the arena of invention, imagination, and creativity was another hurdle. The final challenge was to go big. Working on 8 ½ x 11 sheets is frowned upon in the art world - or so my instructors had told me - so I dug out an old pad of poster-sized watercolour paper.
The composition came together quite naturally, but the prospect of adding colour to the drawing stalled the process for several months. Filling such a large space with coloured pencils seemed an impossible task, so the drawing lived under my bed with the dust bunnies until fate stepped in to reignite the project. A random court-side conversation with a fellow artist and badminton player led to this advice, “The river of creativity is always flowing - If you feel stuck, just jump back in. Pick a spot, put down some colour, and see where it leads you.”
The Phoenix is not only a representation of my awakening journey, but a reminder that we are all in this together. We are connected not only through the elements of fire, water, earth, and air, but through the energy of unconditional Love. We are supported by Spirit, our ancestors, and an innate ‘knowing’ that inner peace is our natural state of being. Suffering is inevitable, but we have the choice to transmute this pain and rise from the ashes of ego into the freedom of the soul.
Shortly after choosing this lava rock photo for the foundation of the composition, I noticed that one of the rock formations looked spectacularly like the zodiac symbol for Scorpio, which happens to be my sign, so I took this as confirmation that the phoenix drawing was meant to be. Upon further inspection, I spotted an omega symbol and other shapes that could be morphed into the remaining signs and decided that the drawing should be about all of us.
As I worked to map out the texture of the lava rock, I saw the big heart shape beneath the phoenix which beautifully illustrated the belief that unconditional Love is the launching pad to freedom.
A large sword hilt on the right side of the rock stood out strongly, and could be seen as a fleur-de-lis or the top part of a stylized Mary Magdalene cross.
Just to the left of the sword hilt is (what I like to call) a mini-Mona Lisa being kissed by a tiny dinosaur.
A bear claw carves out space for the fire-breathing dragon below, whose chest houses the symbol for Capricorn and represents an inherent struggle with materialism.
To the lower left, multiple fish and, what looks like a seal or a turtle, push through waves and bubbles.
Elsewhere in the drawing, you may be able to find two tiny geese, which represent loyalty, teamwork, and community.
When I stepped back (squinting slightly to check tonal balance), I saw what appears to be a female form directly below the phoenix and carrying the heart upon her shoulders. She seems to be striving through the chaos, embodying the divine feminine energy in all of us, and leading the way to empowerment through courage, strength, and love.
