Howard Finster is a very unusual artist. His work can almost be confused with that of a young child, but that simple style combined with the striking spiritual messages that often appear in his artwork are what make Finster one of the most memorable artists of all time. He uses his art to spread the word of "God" in a bizarre manner.
One of the paintings that I found to be interesting is called "All Roads One Road Headed the Same Way." This painting depicts the many roads that can be taken to enter Heaven. There are five roads that intersect at one point or the other that all lead to Heaven, and these roads illustrate the different spiritual paths that one might choose to take to reach Heaven. There is even one road called the "Odd fellows way." This, to me, shows that Finster believes that it does not matter what religious or non-religious background one follows as long as one has faith because that is the key Heaven. Some of the messages that he has written on the painting include: "I seek to help all unbelievers in God", "There is no living thing that is left out in my daily prayers", "All the money I wish for is to benefit others.".
When looking at the painting from an art perspective it is clear that Finster uses lines to grab the viewer's attention. The roads consist of diagonal and vertical lines and this automatically focuses the eyes to that direction. There is also a horizontal line that acts like the gate to Heaven and distinguishes the paths from Heaven. While most of the painting consists of cool colors, there are touches of warm colors that stand out in the predominantly green background. The angels and the roads are painted white and this helps the roads, especially, to become the focal point. He uses a red and yellow frame around the painting. The painting near symmetrical and has an illusion of depth.