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doesn't tell me what to think - it keeps asking me new questions.

Abstract art is not mere decoration - it's an active presence. It shapes how a space breathes, shifts the emotional temperature, and invites an ongoing conversation between the tangible and intangible. A well-chosen piece doesn't simply match your décor; it changes how the room feels. A quiet corner might become a place of reflection, or an open space might take on a hum of energy that lingers.

When choosing abstract art, look past the surface. At first, you may be drawn to colour or composition, but stay with the piece long enough to notice what stirs beneath that initial attraction. 
Is there a controlled chaos in the brushwork that keeps your eye moving without losing balance? 

Do layers of paint hint at buried colours and decisions-like a hidden history only the canvas remembers? 

Does the piece hold tension between harmony and dissonance, making you want to return again and again to resolve it? 

These are signs of intentional skill-choices made not by accident, but with purpose.

Abstraction invites you to participate. Unlike representational art, which tells you what you're looking at, abstraction offers space for your own narrative. A piece you once saw as bold and defiant may later feel tender and quiet, depending on the season of your life. That's its quiet magic-its meaning is never fixed.

Selecting with discernment means recognizing the difference between work that is simply "pretty" and work that breathes intention into every brushstroke. Trust your emotional response first, and your intellect second. The right piece will not only belong in your space-it will belong in your life.

Here are some of the ways I create my abstracts, see how many of them you can discover!

1. Controlled chaos in brushwork

The painting may appear wild and spontaneous at first glance, but closer inspection reveals deliberate repetition in mark-making-a rhythm that keeps your eye moving and creates balance, even within disorder.

2. Purposeful use of negative space

I may may leave large areas untouched, not out of neglect, but to give the work breathing room. This restraint shapes the energy of the piece and invites the viewer to "enter" through stillness.

3. Layering to create hidden histories

Multiple veils of paint, scraped back and reapplied, hint at something beneath the surface-past decisions, changes, and buried colours that contribute to the emotional complexity of the final work.

4. Tension between harmony and dissonance

Skilled abstraction often walks a line between pleasing symmetry and unsettling imbalance. That tension keeps the piece alive, asking you to return again and again to resolve it in your own mind.

5. Intentional colour relationships

Rather than randomly applying colour, I might pair hues to evoke specific moods-deep blues to ground, sudden flashes of orange to electrify, soft golds to warm the composition.

6. Gestural authenticity

Every mark carries the movement and emotion of my hand. A sweeping stroke done in a single, confident motion communicates something entirely different than a slow, deliberate drag of the brush.

Ultimately, abstract art is for anyone willing to see with more than their eyes. Choose a piece that speaks to you, and you're not just filling a wall-you're beginning a dialogue that will continue to unfold for years to come.

We welcome you to our retail gallery in Sidney BC or our online gallery here: https://www.marionevamy.com/

All sizes and prices are available online. Payment plans and 'sleepovers' can also be arranged. Shipping within Canada is complimentary.