This is a complex picture for me for a number of reasons that are probably of little interest to others. The first is that I have always had a great love of the symbolism of the phoenix - rebirth through fire, hope and ecstatic joy derived from catharsis. So my muse has always been a fire bird, though I tend to draw the gothbunny more. I decided to merge them.

This is also something of a tribute to the gothic artists who I admire, Arphalia and Edward Gorey being amongst them. While not trying to actively mimic their styles, they were in my mind at the time.

When starting this piece, I wanted it to be about being trapped, unable to escape to the scenes behind, but I found myself growing more positive while working on it. I often feel as though my art is not up to 'standard' and that I'm missing much in what I'm trying to achieve.