A kid could paint that! Or could they? (p.s. abstract art is hard)

Have you ever walked past an abstract painting and thought, “I could totally do that,” or “a five-year-old could paint this”? Honestly, I don’t blame you! At first glance, abstract art can look like a bunch of random shapes and doodles thrown onto a canvas without much thought.

Well, as it turns out, abstract art is harder than it looks!

Usually, when you start painting, you have something to look at. If you want to paint an apple, you grab an apple, set it on your desk, and look back and forth at it while you paint.

With abstract art, you don't get a reference point. You start with a totally blank canvas and a big idea, like: “I want to paint what art feels like.” But what does that even mean? What shapes does a feeling have? What colour is an emotion?

That’s the real challenge of abstract art: trying to paint something that doesn't actually have a physical shape.

So, what is abstract art?

Abstract art is a style that doesn't try to show a realistic picture of the real world. Instead of copying an object, the goal is to express pure ideas and feelings.

Who are some famous abstract artists?

Here are 3 famous abstract artists, each with their own totally unique style!

• Wassily Kandinsky

• Piet Mondrian

• Jackson Pollock

Wassily Kandinsky

Composition VIII, 1923, Wassily Kandinsky 

A Russian painter, Kandinsky is known as one of the first artists to create abstract art in the Western world.

His paintings are full of bright colours and energetic shapes, almost like a colourful dream. He used geometric shapes, like squares, rectangles, and triangles, and if you look closely, you might even spot shapes that look like musical notes.

Many people believe Kandinsky had synesthesia, a condition where one sense triggers another (like seeing colours when you hear music). Through his work, he wanted to show what his inner soul felt like.

Piet Mondrian

Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, 1930, Piet Mondrian

A Dutch painter, Mondrian is considered one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.

His most famous works are made of straight black lines and colored rectangles. He used only primary colours: red, blue, and yellow, along with black, grey, and white. His main goal was to create balance and order, showing how different colours and shapes can work together in harmony.

He believed that the truest form of art comes from keeping things as simple as possible: just simple lines and bold colours.

Jackson Pollock

No. 5, 1948, Jackson Pollock 

An American painter, Pollock was a huge leader in the abstract art scene.

He became super famous for his “drip technique.” Instead of using a brush on an easel, he laid his canvases on the floor and poured or splashed paint all over them. He used his whole body to paint, moving around the canvas in a fast, energetic dance. Because of this, his paintings are packed with motion, texture, and energy.

Through his art, Pollock sought to explore the hidden thoughts in his mind.

Even within abstract art, every artist does things totally differently.

Some people love it, some people hate it, and that’s completely fine!

But now that you know a bit more about what’s going on behind the scenes (aka abstract art is hard), hopefully the next time you see an abstract painting, you'll take a second to pause and take it all in :)