To me and many others, the hummingbird represents true joy. The sight of one is said to bring good luck. It can also be a symbol of a message from above. When I first began painting the Dance of Hummingbirds, I let the profound happiness these creatures stir up in me lead the way.
Modern abstract art allows artists such as myself to portray a complex mix of emotions through color, which is why the light background was so essential in the creation of this piece. Artworks for interior design demand a subtle balance of neutrality and boldness, which is what I was going for with this piece.
Hummingbirds stand out in nature because of their unique beauty, so it was important to me that the figures in my work did the same. I chose to use bold colors and heavy brush strokes on one side of the huge figurative painting and gentle, softer tones on the other. My reasoning behind this was to portray the two sides to convey the tricky balance of maintaining joy throughout life. The movements of a hummingbird are so frantic and almost panicked, yet their bodies hover perfectly still in the air.
Just off the center of the painting, a small solid black bird is facing another less-noticeable golden brown bird. They are surrounded by an intense mix of color and texture swirling around them, but they remain absolute. In my eyes, the golden-brown bird is being pulled out of the mayhem surrounding it on the darker side of the painting and drawn into the calm and light by its partner.
It represents how essential others are in our lives to maintain an emotion as delicate as joy. Depending on who views this painting, the hummingbird could represent a loved one, past or present, or it could symbolize a higher power that helps them stay joyful every day.
See the earlier paintings from this series: Vitality Of Color The Humming – Bird And Exotic Flowers The Rooster and Harp The Gold Turtles Trace of Salamander
