It's just a mess! Anyone could do that! They've just thrown paint around! What's it supposed to be anyway? Sound familiar? For years I didn't like or understand abstract art. Then I became an artist and now I think I get it. There's more to it than you might think.

If I'm brutally honest, I really didn't like abstract art. Many of those comments were probably things I'd said in the past. But then, I didn't always like classical music either. It may seem odd but the two are related. It's all about having an open mind and opening oneself up to something new.

My first experience of abstract art was an exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. My wife dragged me there, almost kicking and screaming! To me it seemed to just be pretentious nonsense. Random splodges of paint; chaotic; structureless (I like structure!) and seemingly pointless. Of course now I would argue that I was completely wrong and was simply approaching it with a closed mind and no wider thought or imagination. Put another way, I was trying to understand something in a very binary way when it wasn't possible. The abstract artist isn't trying to paint a single image or meaning. Abstract art requires a little effort from the viewer.

Feeling it

Take classical music. I spend more time listening to Classic FM than I do watching TV. I don't know the notes or understand how the composition was put together. I don't even hear all of the different instruments in a symphony. And I don't need to. I simply listen and allow the music to transport me. Each piece may invoke a different feeling or mood but this isn't something that was intended by the composer, it comes from within and is deeply personal.

Filling in the blanks

The same is true of abstract art. An artist isn't necessarily trying to show you a specific image. You, as the viewer, have the job of providing that meaning and deciding what feelings a piece invokes. It just requires an open mind and a little imagination. Do this and suddenly a whole new world opens up in front of you. Yes, I know, it all sounds very poetic and ideal. But, from someone who really didn't get abstract art I can safely say it's true. I don't just paint abstract art, I also enjoy it and spend a lot of time looking at, and enjoying, other artists’ work. I enjoy the process of trying to work out what I can see and looking for patterns and meaning that are personal to me. Quite literally, my job as the viewer is to fill in the blanks. The artist's job is to provide something for me to ponder on.

But is it art?

Okay, maybe you don't quite buy the poetry of it all and are not so convinced about moods or feeling. So why would you hang abstract art in your home? A recent client of mine explained this simply: abstract art can be used to decorate a room easily. Seriously?

If you think about it this makes perfect sense. If you're looking for something to decorate a wall in your living room and your decor calls for something red, blue or whatever colour you have in mind, abstract art can provide it. Moreover, abstract art tends to be more thought out than you might think. Often, complimentary colours are used to create a balanced image and these can be used to blend in with the decor in a room. A very plain wall in a minimalistic room could be transformed with a single, large and vibrant abstract painting. Equally, a busy room can be toned down with a simpler abstract painting.

Food for thought

Finally, abstract art can, and often does, provide a talking point. Not everyone will like it. Not everyone will get it. Not everyone will see what you see. And that's absolutely fine! So talk about it. Discuss and debate about it. Hang an abstract painting in your dining room and you can be certain that someone will want to talk about it. If nothing else, you'll have something to talk about if the conversation at your next dinner party ever runs dry!