Abstract paintings – when colour becomes language
Abstract paintings are extravagant & exclusive – and they speak a language no other medium can reach. Maria Moretti does not paint motifs. She paints states of being. Every painting begins without a plan – with a colour, a gesture, a feeling. What remains on the canvas at the end, no one has seen before.
Every work: painted, unique, unrepeatable. No second copy. No print. No scan.
The difference from a reproduction? You feel it immediately. A painting changes with the light, the time of day, the mood. It has layers, texture, history – things no printer can create.
What are abstract paintings?
No tree, no face, no recognisable motif. Abstract paintings show nothing – and yet they trigger strong emotions. Every viewer sees something different. That is not a flaw, that is the point of contemporary art.
What defines them:
- No motif, no template – every work follows its own logic
- In oil or mixed media – with brush, palette knife, sometimes bare hands
- Gold accents or texture paste possible – for a three-dimensional, sculptural effect
- Every piece exists exactly once – colour, texture and brushstroke cannot be copied
- Wide-format works show what a painting can truly do
- Portrait or landscape format – depending on the wall and the feel of the room
- Colour composition and pictorial structure emerge intuitively, never by plan
How abstract paintings are created
Maria Moretti never starts with a finished image in mind. Sometimes it is a colour, sometimes a mood. Oil or mixed media – the decision is often made only when the canvas is ready.
How a painting comes to life in the studio:
- First layer: colour, direction, energy – the brushstroke decides everything
- Intermediate phases: letting dry, reworking, sometimes removing again
- Up to five layers overlap – of which only the last one is visible
- Mixed media possible: oil paint, texture paste, pastel – sometimes all in one work
- Finished when nothing is missing and nothing disturbs
That makes every piece unrepeatable.
Where do non-figurative paintings work best?
Many of the works hang not in galleries but in living rooms, law firms, Office art and Art for your practice. Wherever a room needs to say something – but has no words for it.
A tip: the painting does not have to match the sofa. But it should not fight against it. One tone that appears in the picture and recurs somewhere in the room – that is enough. The eye does the rest by itself.
Room-filling formats have the strongest impact on walls of matching dimensions. A room-filling painting in the living room, bedroom or reception area is not wall decoration. It organises the entire room around itself. For art lovers, interior designers and collectors, that is the decisive difference from a poster.
Which colour suits which room?
Colour is not decoration – colour is the statement. What it does in a room is not theory:
- Red and orange: energy, warmth, presence – ideal for rooms that should activate
- Blue and grey: calm, concentration, space – good for bedrooms or offices
- Earth tones: lasting, harmonious – suit almost any material
- Black and white: maximally reduced, maximally effective
Two people look at the same painting and describe two different things. Both are right. In abstract art that is not a problem – that is the point.
Buying an abstract painting means buying not decoration – but a decision about the atmosphere of your room. Maria Moretti offers a free room visualisation – so you can see how a work looks in your own space before you order.
Those who prefer figurative motifs will also find Figurative art, Landscapes, Floral artworks or Animal portraits in the shop.
Styles and techniques at a glance
Not every abstract painting is alike. Which technique suits your room and taste?
Why buy directly from the shop?
No gallerist adding 50 %. Every painting comes directly from the studio – at a fair price, with personal consultation.
- Ready to hang – no frame needed
- Worldwide shipping – no extra charge
- Free room visualisation – the painting is placed digitally in your room before you order
- Commission possible – format, colour, idea – individually for you
The 7 elements of abstract art
Abstract paintings do not work with motifs – they work with the fundamental elements of visual language. Knowing these, you see abstract art with different eyes:
- Colour: The most dominant element. Colour creates mood, energy and spatial effect – before the mind has analysed the image.
- Form: Whether organically curved or sharply geometric – forms guide the eye and structure the composition.
- Line: The fastest gesture in painting. A line can create movement, tension or calm – depending on pressure, direction and speed.
- Plane: Format, proportion and distribution of colour areas determine the weight and rhythm of a painting.
- Texture: Texture paste, relief compound or brushstroke give a painting depth – visible and tangible.
- Space: Even on a flat canvas, space is created: through overlap, colour contrast and perspective.
- Composition: The interplay of all elements. A strong composition holds the eye in the picture – without knowing why.
What styles exist in abstract art?
Abstract art is not a single style – it is a family of movements that all share one thing: the detachment from the image of visible reality. The most important currents at a glance:
- Abstract Expressionism – emotion and gesture take centre stage
- Art Informel and Tachisme – free, spontaneous application of paint without plan
- Geometric abstraction – shapes, lines and construction as visual language
- Lyrical abstraction – flowing, emotional, painterly
What are the best-known styles of abstract art?
Die wichtigsten Richtungen: Abstrakter Expressionismus (Emotion und Geste, z.B. Kandinsky), Informel und Tachismus (freier Farbauftrag, Spontaneität), Geometrische Abstraktion (Formen und Konstruktion), Konstruktivismus (strenge Komposition), Lyrische Abstraktion (fließend, emotional) und Minimalismus (Reduktion auf das Wesentliche). Im Atelier von Maria Moretti fließen mehrere dieser Strömungen ineinander.
What do you need for abstract art?
Essentially: paint, a surface and the willingness to let go. Professionally, Maria Moretti works with oil paints and mixed media on canvas, supplemented by texture paste, modelling compound and pigments. The canvas is stretched on a stable frame and the finished work sealed with protective varnish. What no material can replace: your own eye.
How can you learn to paint abstractly?
The easiest starting point: do not begin from a motif, but from a colour or a feeling. Generous gestures rather than small corrections. Build up layers – and have the courage to paint over something. Anyone who wants to understand the process first-hand will find insights in the Art blog.
FAQ – frequently asked questions about abstract paintings
- Abstract paintings speak to everyone – no prior knowledge needed
- No motif, no story – only colour, form and effect
- Every answer applies to original paintings from the studio
- Further questions: personal consultation available on request
- All works are shipped worldwide – at no extra charge
What defines abstract art?
An abstract painting dispenses with recognisable motifs. It works with colour, form, line and composition as independent means of expression. The content emerges in the dialogue between work and viewer.
How do you recognise quality in art?
Quality shows in the choice of materials (professional pigments, stable canvas), in the craftsmanship and in whether the work is a genuine painting by the artist. More on the techniques: Painting techniques.
Where does abstract art work best?
Wherever a room needs character. Large-format paintings have the strongest impact above a sofa, in reception areas or as a central wall element. In the bedroom, calmer colour compositions work best – in the office, abstract works set a professional, personal signal.
What format suits the living room?
From 100 × 80 cm upwards – the bigger the wall, the greater the impact. Formats from 150 cm wide work particularly well above a sofa or as the central wall feature. Portrait or landscape format depending on the wall proportions.
Does an abstract painting suit my interior?
Usually yes – when the colour palette works. Abstract paintings suit modern, minimalist, rustic and classic interiors. What matters is that the main colours of the painting recur somewhere in the room. A free room visualisation helps.
What does an abstract painting by the artist cost?
The price depends on format, technique and time. Smaller formats start at a few hundred euros. According to the Art market report 2024, 86 % of all collectors buy exclusively works under 50,000 USD – the market for accessible original art is growing. All information: Art shop.
Can an abstract painting be commissioned?
Yes. Through the Paintings order, format, colour world and mood are coordinated. The result is a work that exists only for you – one of the most personal gifts you can give.
Original or art print – what is the difference?
A painting by the artist is unique and unrepeatable. Wassily Kandinsky wrote: "Colour is a force that acts directly on the soul." That works only in a real painting. A print reproduces colour – a painting creates it. Every work by Maria Moretti comes directly from the studio.
What to look for when buying online?
Is the work really painted by the artist? Is there a free room visualisation? At Maria Moretti: every work from the studio, worldwide shipping, free room visualisation shows the painting on your wall in advance.
Maria Moretti studied as a master student at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and has since exhibited in Augsburg, Stuttgart, Innsbruck and Milan. More at Artist.
