This painting was abandoned in my home in Bermuda Dunes when I bought
it in 1997. I took it with me when I moved to Indio in 2005. I do not know
the artist so I can only speculate as to what message he or she was trying to
convey through the piece.

On first glance the painting appears to be a random splattering of colors.
Looking closely, however, the shapes of a heart, a hummingbird and at
least two faces can be found. (see details below) One face looks down
and to the left as if dejected. The other seems to look with wonder, curiosity,
or perhaps innocence to the right.

The dominant yellow and orange pigments and the hummingbird image appear
to be references to the desert where the work was most likely created. The
heart and the faces may be an expression of the artist's spiritual , emotional, or
mental distress, but the positioning of the hummingbird bursting from both heads
seems to suggest an awakening or enlightenment. This observation is further
supported by the heart image.

I suppose the shapes could be unintentional coincidences...the product of my
own imagination in a process akin to cloud gazing. I don't think this invalidates
the observation. In fact it may support it. If we define cloud gazing as the act
of looking into the infinite to find patterns of order in what appears to be kaos,
then perhaps this painting is the product of the artist's own introspection into
the blinding light of his or her soul and a search for the infinite within. After all,
we are talking about an artist here. Having been one, I can say that soul searching
was part of the job description back in 1978, though to say so might be somewhat
un fashionable in our post millenium secular society.  

I do not have a PHD in Art, Art Criticism, or Art History. In some circles, this
may invalidate my opinion. In others it may simply be ignored. You are advised to
seek  an objective, third party appraisal if interested in aquiring this or any work
of art. And by the way, I am not an "Art Attorney," though I understand there
happens to be one by the same name living in Manhattan.

Lance Frank
Editor, HWY111.COM