Messenger

I decided to simplify the sunset in the background using large brushstrokes because I wanted the focus to be drawn to the hummingbird. I used warmer tones to the left of the composition and cooler blues to the right, with the colours of the hummingbird's head complimenting the colours of the sunset. The circle towards the lower part of the composition acts as a reflection of the sunset and suggests a different reality. I intended to convey an ambivalence about where the hummingbird had come from; whether it was from the 'mirrored' reality or belonged to the actual scene. Hummingbird's in South American culture are seen as messengers from ancestors and as healers and bringers of love which seems especially pertinent in todays context.