Phoenix was the Greek name for the mythological bird that was sacred to the sun-god in ancient Egypt.  An eagle-like bird with red and gold plumage (as described by Herdotus), the phoenix lived in Arabia and had a 500-year lifespan.  At the end of that period the phoenix built its own funeral pyre, on which it was consumed to ashes.  Out of the ashes a new phoenix arose.  The cycle was repeated every 500 years.  Symbolic of the rising and setting sun, the phoenix later appeared in medieval Christian writings as a symbol of death and resurrection.

The nucleus of each piece of artwork in the Phoenix Series is a piece of metal that once was the key to a lock on a door somewhere in this physical plane.  The door was torn down and the key had to be destroyed.  By heating the keys to 2200° Fahrenheit and reducing the metal to a molten state, one creation gives rise to another as the resulting "blobs" (when cooled) are wrapped in 14kt rolled gold or sterling wire and adorned with beads, stones and feathers to form pendants or brooches.  Some molten shapes have become enhancements on handmade bowls or parts of collages.  No matter which piece of Phoenix artwork you choose, you can be sure that it is a truly unique, one-of-a-kind piece.