Inspirations Calendar | May Project
24TH APRIL 2026 - ASU #522
Project: Greater Bird of Paradise Publication: Inspirations Issue #123 Designer: Helen M. Stevens
Next week it will be time to turn your 2026 Inspirations Calendar to May, and what a page to turn it to.
Some folklorists declare that the Greater Bird of Paradise - a resident of Papua New Guinea - is the creature that inspired belief in the Phoenix.
Looking at Helen M. Stevens' magnificent silk rendering of this extraordinary bird, it's not hard to see why: its smoky red flight plumage and wispy yellow display feathers glow against a background of sombre black like dying embers and bright flames, old and new together.
A project created to celebrate twenty years of publishing Helen's work in Inspirations, this is filament silk at its most spectacular. A masterpiece to return to all month long.
Print and digital publications for this project are available using the link below.
