Study the symbolism in art; learn what the pictorial message means. In ancient times, certain objects represented concepts. Some common symbols in art include cows, roses, doves, snakes, apples, insects, wheat stalks, corn, goblets, shoes and bare feet. Certainly, the symbolism in art isn't limited to these items; this represents only the beginning. If you wish for the messages in your art to speak in symbols, learn what the common symbols in art have been throughout the ages and incorporate them into your work.
Hide dates, initials and other symbols in your pictures in plain sight. American Artist Thomas Kinkade regularly does this by working his family's initials, birthdays and anniversaries into his paintings. They're found as the numbers on the mailbox or house, as love letters carved in a tree or as the tracks left in the mud. If you want to send messages to your loved ones, use this technique of hiding symbols in logical places in plain site.
Learn the art of camouflage. Artist Bev Doolittle does this masterfully. She routinely camouflages wild animals, American Indians and earth spirits in her work. She accomplishes this by cleverly painting her scenes in such a way that these camouflaged images don't emerge from the picture until you've stared at it for awhile. Patches of dirt, craggy rocks, blowing wheat fields and other natural scenes become the hiding places for these symbols. By studying such artists as Doolittle, you can learn to replicate these works and hide messages about nature and people in your art.
Create your own symbolism to convey messages. Study dream symbolism, for example. Meaningful art should begin with icons that mean something to you personally. If you're interested in sending messages that are more akin to the surrealist images found in the works of Dali or Magritte, learn what certain objects represent from dream symbol dictionaries. These images represent the messages of the unconscious.