Every Painting is Abstraction

A painting is just dots of color on a surface — until our brain transforms it into meaning.

Take the image of an apple tree, for example. You can’t touch the tree or pick its apples. What you’re seeing is not the tree itself, but an abstracted representation of it. In fact, every painting, whether realistic or abstract, simplifies reality into forms and shapes that our minds interpret.

This understanding of abstraction is central to how I approach painting. Instead of asking myself, “How do I paint a tree?” I focus on a different question: “What shapes do I see, and how can I represent them?”

It’s a shift from thinking about objects—like a house or a tree—to seeing everything as a series of shapes.

As William B Lawrence writes in his book “Painting Light and Shadow”, painters are essentially “shapemakers.” (If you’re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend it!) For me, this concept forms the foundation of abstract painting. For me, this concept forms the foundation of abstract painting.

So, how do you train your eye to see abstractly? One simple technique is squinting, as suggested by Matt Smith in this podcast. When you squint, you block out the details and see only the larger, essential shapes. This makes it easier to focus on the broader composition rather than getting lost in specifics.

When we begin to see the world as shapes instead of objects, we unlock a new way of interpreting and simplifying reality—one that offers endless creative possibilities.