Susan Gallacher-Turner

Portland, Oregon, USA

Phoenix

I’ve crocheted for years but only recently combined my masks with crochet. I started out sculpting a tropical bird mask, but burned out on it. The Freeform Challenge inspired this bird’s rise and rebirth as a Phoenix.

My life and artwork have gone through difficult changes over the last few years. Just as the Phoenix is consumed by fire and rises from its own ashes to live again, my art and life have gone through the cycle of creation, growth, burn-out and back to creative rebirth once again. As I worked on the Freeform Challenge, repainting and sculpting the mask, I felt energized. I looked around my studio and saw every surface covered with new work in progress.

To me, this beautiful, amazing mythical bird symbolizes living a life with passion and even when it feels as if that passion has burned out, it can be found again.