ab-stract: Without stract. Beyond that, apparently anything goes. A painting, as seen by one observer as an abstract, non-figurative painting consisting only of spacial arrangements of color and texture may be seen by another as their grandmothers rose garden complete with a statue of St. Francis, a bird bath, string beans and butterflies. Abstraction is a very personal pursuit, a collaboration between the medium and the artist, pursued without the need of a conclusion although a conclusion may be reached. The expressed freedom allowed by an abstract work is found in the ability to go ahead intuitively, without over analyzing what the work seems to be calling for next. Just load the brush and follow up, always open and willing to go forward trusting in your intuitive nature, or not!