For example, in your picture you have a crystal heart that works as a kind of lense for a light source.
Maybe then the idea is that the rays of light are life and the heart symbolises not only love but also how you refract that what life 'throws' at you.
Art is what you make it Prometheus; and though I didn't think of that myself, it is a very good idea.
And you're right, I did this on a whim without completely thinking through the idea. What you've said has really enlightened me, and I thank you for that. Nothing you have said can I retort with (in Little Britain style) "Yeah, but..." or "No, but..." You speak the goshdarned truth.
In light of what you have explained to me, I shall go back to the very beginning and stick with the idea of love still lying deep in a seemingly (on the surface) cold and spiritless heart. As before, the love that burns within will be shown through the vivid colour of the caustics. I would like to also create a small but bright burning spot in the center of the heart, but I feel that will destroy the idea that the love is cold and dead on the surface as the viewer will be able to see a clear colour inside the heart, whereas the colour is supposed to come from inside the heart but not be visible inside it, which is where the caustics come in. They allow me to show the love that lies invisible within.
And yes, love does lie in the mind and the heart is just a symbol for love, and a very obvious one at that. I could exchange the heart symbol for something which has more value to me, but then I wouldn't be able to portray the idea to others as the object would only hold value to myself. I would love to be able to choose a symbol which would mean something to everyone, or at least to the majority of those that view it, but I can't think of anything better and broader than a heart.
As I said before, art is what you make it, and so I hope that others may find links to their own experiences and feelings as I have done so.
And about the floating of the heart: I wanted it in that position because otherwise you would not see the caustics falling onto the ground. And even if you could, they wouldn't lie inside the shadow of the heart, which would not be the same shape as the heart as the angle would be different if it were flat. So I made a simple box to lean the heart against, but that also disrupted the shadow and caustics so I deleted it, and left the heart as it was. A reason isn't needed for the heart's gravity defying capabilities don't you think? After all, this isn't supposed to reflect reality: it's a symbolic piece of art.
So, in light of all this all I need to do now is possibly decorate the border around the heart, or at least improve the material. And I might also go in and refine the shape of the heart as it's quite bumpy, but then again from this view you cannot see that and so I think it's fine as it is.
Thankyou so much Prometheus, you have been a great help. You've really enlightened me, and I hope you enjoy the final image I produce, which I'll render overnight tonight so you'll get to see it tomorrow.
Henrah