Natural Abstractions
Although simple geometric shapes can be defined by a single edge and surface, most biological objects we see, including plants and animals, are also comprised of an arrangement of shadows, highlights, and mid-tones that make up what our eye perceives.

By breaking both the background and foreground into these 3 distinct levels, and treating the shapes created in the foreground as well as the background with the same texture, the edges become obscured, abstracting where one object's surface stops and another starts.

With the addition of tiny details for a focal point, we easily recognize and recreate the original subject of the painting based solely on shadows. But as your eyes drift around the paintings, take note of the implied lines and shapes created to fill in the rest of the information. Where does the does the subject of the painting really end, and where does the background really start? Is that something the paint shows you, or is it something the mind filled in to create the image?