Appreciating Abstract Art

I was asked to speak at a luncheon where I suspected that most of the attendees might not be "into" abstract art and a quick show of hands confirmed that. A second show of hands determined  that many of the attendees were gardeners. There are many different styles of abstract, some of which appeal to me and while others don't. I once heard someone say that in the end all paintings are abstract, just a series of dabs of paint. Folks that "don't get" abstract work usually mean that they don't understand art that doesn't contain things they recognize. This type of art might be labelled as non-objective or non-figurative and is most likely trying to evoke a feeling in the viewer.
Using the analogy of a flower garden I tried to explain my style of abstract paintings.
Gardeners who like to have beautiful gardens spend a bit of time planning their gardens. Gardeners have various preferences when it comes to the looks of their gardens. There are those who like a very manicured look with perhaps nicely trimmed up boxwoods. And then there is the  kind of wild look where a package of mixed seeds have been scattered willy nilly. There are those that have a preference for certain colours or colour combinations. Flowers are chosen because of their unique qualities of height, size, shape. There is probably a variety of greens in the foliage to keep it interesting. Placement is important, tall at the back, short at the front, positioned so that each one can shine and be in harmony with what's around it. Sometimes you don't get it right the first time and you make a note to adjust it the next time. In the end the goal is to create a pleasing composition, full of colour, texture, movement, contrast. The viewer should want to see the whole garden, not just get stuck in one area. No one looks at a garden and says "I don't get it". They look and appreciate all the beauty that exists in the elements of the garden itself, the colours, the shapes, the contrasts, the textures. The garden makes you feel good just by looking at it. It lifts you up.
And so it is with my abstract paintings. In the paintings below which were inspired by the change of season, I want you to look at them, notice the various elements: colour, line, shape etc. and feel the wind blowing the leaves around. It is a blustery day (thank you Winnie the Pooh), the maple leaves are swirling around, the grape vine is bare, the temperature is cooling down, perhaps you can hear the leaf blower in the background? Colours were carefully chosen, contrasts were created in just the right spots, lines were added to drawn your eye around the painting, there is a variety of visual texture adding to the "atmosphere" of the piece. Now, how fun is that?!

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