Fire Bird Art House

Maria Carvalho Sandoval & Maiz Vargas Sandoval

We are artists and free-thinkers in the School of Life, on this planet Earth. Our diverse paths converged in the heat of Costa Rica 13 years ago. We are a force of creative energy & love to collaborate.

We bridge together:

Visual Art, Ritual Fire Dance, Music, Healing Crystals, Circus Arts, Energy Medicine

We create:

Jewelry, Installations, Performances, Workshops, Ceremonies, Leather & Fiber Art, Healing Sessions

We speak Spanish and English. We come from The Americas. Our roots are in the stars and our hearts beat the sound of the Universe. Nature is our guide. We are here to remember our true selves. We are here to encourage others to follow their hearts. Everyone begins this life as an artist. Every human holds the spark of the divine within their crystalline core. Each person holds the potential to help raise our collective vibration. Thank you for helping us heal the world through music, art, and love. Fire Bird Art House strives to always leave a small footprint on Mother Earth. We are open to world-wide travel and artist collaboration.

In’Lakesh

(I am another yourself)

About Maria:

Maria Carvalho Sandoval – Jewelry Designer, Sculpture & Fiber Artist, Reiki & CranioSacral Practitioner, Massage Therapist, Ceremonialist 

Maria studied ceramics at Mason Gross University & Alfred University. She graduated from Alfred U in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on ceramics & fiber art. Since 2009 she has been traveling all over Central & North America making jewelry & art to sell at different festivals, events & markets. Her healing path began because of working with crystals to make jewelry. She studied with Ecuadorean Medicine Woman Andrea Atekokolli who initiated Maria, taught her how to access her own ancestral wisdom & the sacred art of ceremony. In 2015 Lynne Reed of Vermont trained Maria in the ways of Reiki – an ancient healing modality that is accessible by all & deeply beneficial for mind, body & spirit. In 2016 Maria graduated from a 300 hour yoga teacher training with Laughing River Yoga of Burlington, Vermont. In 2017 Maria became certified in Lomi Lomi Massage by Wayne Kealohi Powell. Maria was trained in CranioSacral Therapy by the Upledger Institute in early 2018, which is a perfect compliment to Reiki & massage. In the Fall of 2018 Maria’s Kumu (teacher) Kealohi returned to VT & initiated her into the Temple Style Lomi practice of joint rotations & Shamanic bodywork. In 2018 Maria graduated from a 9 month herbalism apprenticeship with The Gaia School of Healing. In early 2019 Maria recieved her Reiki Master level attunement from Annette Gringras & began to initiate others into the Reiki lineage. She has continued her Hawaiian Lomi healing & Breathwork trainings each year with Patti Miller, Harry Uhane Jim & Sila Jim.

Maria’s current artwork includes: Healing crystal jewelry with macrame & crochet, leather bags & belts, wire earrings, rings & bracelets. Maria’s jewelry combines healing crystals which bring balance & harmony to those who wear them. She loves to work with clients to design pieces unique to their tastes & desires. Maiz & Maria sell their artwork at different festivals, farmers markets & in their online shop.

Maria currently teaches classes on personal growth, crystals, healing, art & jewelry making. Maria leads nature rituals to help people pass through different cycles of their lives & to bring more honor to the Earth. She also dances with fire & collaborates with other artists to create events & performances. She creates womxn’s circles as a way to help them find their voices & empower themselves. Maria gives healing & massage sessions for clients that involve crystal body layouts & channeling Reiki energy. She has been working with crystals and healing for 13 years. Her art & healing studio is located in the Old North End of Burlington.

About Maiz ::

Maiz Vargas Sandoval – Musician, Fire Dancer, Jewelry Designer, Circus Performer, Event Coordinator, Installation Artist, Band Leader, Visual Artist

Maiz studied Sociology & Anthropology at the National University of Costa Rica (UNA). He specialized in the study of the cultures & sub-cultures of Latin America with a focus on music & art from Indigenous creations to post-modern perceptions. Maiz traveled around Central America learning the Cosmo-vision of the vast Latin American heritage through weaving, music, oral culture & art. This helped him to build his personal artwork through historic sub-realism. He was accepted into many Indigenous communities as an active member & fire keeper. Maiz also worked for different non-profit social groups doing historic restorations from civil war in El Salvador, helping at-risk youth & marginalized people in El Salvador & Nicaragua.

Maiz comes from a long lineage of healers, herbalists, story-tellers & curanderos originating from the Central Valley of Costa Rica near Turrialba Volcano. Their ethic group is called Huetar & they flourished between 800 to 1500 AD & were well known for their volcanic stone sculptures. After colonization their language & practices were almost eliminated. There is a small group remaining today, about 1000 people, who are continuing to reclaim their traditions of art & healing. Even though the Huetar have lost their original language, there are people such as Maiz who are preserving the artisanal/medicinal methods & reclaiming their ancestral knowledge.

The call of Grandfather Fire (Abuelo Fuego) came to Maiz at a young age. He has been answering the call by going deep into the world of fire dancing, and the sacred fire has changed his life.

Maiz has been traveling all over Central and South America and Mexico since the year 2000. His most influential experiences stem from circus and theater performance in the streets, traveling as a part of circus and music groups, creating art with crystals and the meditation of Macrame (hand-weaving). Maiz has been working with the crystal kingdom for many years creating wearable artwork & sculptures. He continues making & selling his jewelry to this day, with his wife Maria, in their home base of Burlington VT. He is involved with a circus performance group in Burlington & collaborates with Maria & various fire dancers to create unique performances.

Maiz has dedicated most of his life to music & continues to develop his skills as a multi-instrumentalist. His musical signature is influenced by the mix of African Diaspora in Latin America with Indigenous musical practices & traditions, developing narratives within the popular culture. Maiz currently leads a well-loved local band in Burlington VT called Mal Maiz.