Hardy states: "A follow-up to a painting done in 1992 after the L.A. riots which was titled “Bad News (Tweeter is Sick)”. The tattoo bird skirts over the waves while trailing or pulling up a heart/anchor. The heart (firm foundation for our actions) is connected to the higher brain by passing through the royal crown of awareness (Tibetan Buddha eyes on crown). The crown shape was inspired by the roof of the new Denver International Airport, which I flew through the day before drawing this image. The bird has a diamond halo slung over one wing- a possible emblem of the Diamond Sutra and general Buddhist symbol of hard clarity and brilliance. Some kind of god figure is walking through the sky with his big hand projecting benevolent rays on the heart; his speckled flipper foot reminds us of our evolutionary roots and our species consciousness. A ghostly clipper ship approaches homeport of San Francisco with a view of the backside of Telegraph Hill on the right. The bird is flying blind on trust and instinct, but knows he belongs to the winning club."