This artwork was created for a Design Contest commissioned through Talenthouse.com by the legendary rock band Queen. The winning design is not only eligible for a prize as well as esteem and notoriety, it will benefit the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charitable organization founded by Queen devoted to AIDS awareness.

Queen has been an absolutely adored and revered musical favorite of mine from a very young age. Their music was an inspiration at a time when I was truly discovering myself, as an artist and a person. It only seemed natural that it should be an imperative honor for me to participate in this contest.

I found expressing 40 years of Queen's music and majesty in one design none too easy, but certain iconic images (such as Brian May's famous guitar, Freddie's enterprising yellow jacket, and the Queen crest) make an immediate impact.

I wanted to convey a classic sense of grandeur, as well as a traditional rock n' roll t-shirt vibe, while expressing the idea that while Queen has left such a significant mark on the past 40 years, their legacy lives on and looks to the future.

At the heart of the piece is the Red Special, traversed and embraced by the 40 Year Anniversary Queen Crest and banner detailing the 40 years spanned. Nestled vibrantly within the design is our Freddie, never truly gone, emanating energy and saluting with a mighty rock fist the celestial night sky (as though the stars are the fans whose hearts he touched through song.)