I made this painting during my recovery after a near death experience around the time of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011. In this painting, I am exploring the dynamic interplay of universal themes evoked by both ancient mythologies and contemporary personal epiphanies. Phoenix Rising (After the Fall) suggests the death and resurrection myth and the idea that we can recover after a catastrophic event. We mortal beings are constantly falling, picking up the pieces and starting all over again. I see optimism in that drive to survive.