The *Florida Chess Set* was created while I was living in Florida, where my passion for birds met my son’s love of chess.

Royal peacocks became the kings and queens, noisy flocks of little green parrots inspired the pawns, cormorants drying their wings became bishops, elegant flamingos became rooks, and migrating white pelicans inspired the knights.

The set grew from firsthand encounters—hand-feeding wild peacocks, spending time among flamingos, hearing parrots overhead, and watching cormorants and pelicans along the water.