I try to paint about 1/3 of my paintings as abstracts. It stretches me as an artist and as a person. It teaches me to see beyond the limits of my normal perception. It helps me to “see” abstractly- which I hopes encourages me to think outside the box in my daily life as well. Some of my abstracts are “non-representational.” They are not attempts to paint a natural scene abstractly, but are simply trying exploreing the beauty of shape, line, & texture in a pleasing compositional manner. Others of my abstracts are “respresentational.” You will see hints of landscapes, or people, or even penguins! Often people will see an abstract painting of mine and ask, “What is this painting “of?” I will always ask them, “What do you see?” And they might say, “I see a mountain valley in the winter.” Then I tell them, “Well, there you have it!” Abstract paintings allow the viewer to interpret the painting in their own way from their own vantage point in life.