The Phoenix

When I was little I remember looking at a poster we had in our house, it was never hung up, but it was old and worn in the folded edges when I looked at it... My siblings must have liked it too. On the front was a beautiful painting of a stream running through a glade. A unicorn stood in the shallows, looking at me. Beyond the trees was a castle on a hill. A castle that matched the white of the unicorn. To complete this romanitc picture there was a perfect rainbow arching through the sky.

The best part though was the back of the poster. That was the side we all looked at the most. Mythical beasts were scattered across it with their names printed besides them and paragraphs of information. I had two favorites. The griffin, a fierce looking half eagle, half lion, and the fiery phoenix in the upper right corner. It was an eagle like bird diving through a flaming sky.

Several months ago one of my brothers asked me if I would paint him a picture of a Phoenix. I agreed. But then I had to decide what I wanted my phoenix to look like. I steered away from the bird flying out of flames, that was too common for a phoenix. If I was going to bother to paint one I might as well do one that was different. I also made my phoenix a little more swan like then the eagle of my childhood. In that regard, and the long tail feathers I was probably influenced by how J K Rowling wrote her phoenix. Also while researching a little about the phoenix I found something that said that it's name comes from the Greek word for Purple. I wanted some purple in my painting . Anyway here is my painting, it's done for good or ill.

And if you want a little extra information about the legends of the Phoenix check out this website. http://monsters.monstrous.com/phoenix.htm.

Happy New Years. When we can all burst from the ashes and begin again.