I wanted to do an image that symbolizes the Victorian bushfires that started on Saturday the 7th of February 2009, but I didn’t want this image to be sad (although we all know how devastating it has been), I wanted this image to be about the loss, the lives saved, how Australians came together and the growth to come.

The Bird symbolizes all the lives that were saved, but this bird has no nest, so it also symbolizes all the homes that were lost and the nothingness some of these people now feel.

The Birds claw clinging onto the tree branch is there to symbolize the fire fighters thoughts of hanging in there, and putting all these fires out.

The Heart is there to symbolize all the heart ache and love, which us Australians have felt and will never forget.

The Flower is there to symbolize all the help, support, donations and everything that us Australians have given to those affected, just to let them know that they have got support, and us Aussies are all here to help.

The Music symbols are there to symbolize (all the lives lost) all the spirits flying up into the sky.

The Leafs symbolize the growth to come, with rebuilding these affected communities.

And I did not want an actual image of a fire in my design, so the swirls of the bird’s tail are there to symbolize the raging fire that affected so many.

Inside the heart there are a few words i put in using photoshop.