Bridget and I have burned many fire tools on beaches in the PNW together over the years. When she reached out about a logo for her new fire troop, High Desert Fire Artists, I immediately had dancing flame imagery come to mind. Bridget’s description of what the fire troop wanted made my job simple: a fire design that represents the natural beauty of the high desert in Bend, OR.

Bridget is an avid hiker and with the trailhead pictures she provided, I quickly put together a color palette. From there, I started to capture textures in a landscape that reminds me a lot of where I grew up (the Sonoran desert). Once I had the backdrop highlighting Bend and all its gorgeous, earthy hues, I started on the fire design.

I wanted to capture fire light similar to what you see through a camera lens at slow shutter speed. The light traces the path of the flame so the naked eye can see the whole journey. It’s beautiful and spotlights the artistry a lot of us miss when watching fire dancing. There’s so much focus and flow in fire dancing so to create a design that holds its own was the goal.

The design is inspired by a feeling of being grounded while letting breath carry you off the ground. I wanted it to compliment the flames of a fire while holding a flowing shape at the same time. Lastly, I wanted the shape to be bold and demanding, much like Bridget is when she fire-dances with double-staff or nun-chucks. Bridget is a Boss and if you’re lucky enough to see her fire flow, you know I’m right.