The teacher for the day, Carolyn Fredericks, who goes by ‘Aquaa’, led more than 40 artists into their deepest psyches to begin a truer appreciation of the abstract concept.

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“The rules are simple: No scenes and objects from the real world. Yes to shapes, colours and textures to convey your feeling, ideas and moods,” Aquaa explained.

An indispensable assistant to set the mood was Aquaa’s playlist, varying from slow and relaxing to upbeat.

Some artists danced as they put paint to canvas.

Many painters shared the initial reaction to abstract art, bemoaning its apparent difficulty.

However, when pressed for why, they had to confess, in their own ways, that the problem was in letting go of the photorealistic imagery life has trained them to accept.

Some painters may have unearthed something buried deep beneath decades of psychological repression, but the vibe of the room itself was palpably positive, due, in part, to the quasi-cathartic emotional release that abstract art constitutes each canvas becoming a window into the deep recesses of each artist’s mind, perhaps as terrifying as it is piquant.

“I love the freedom of expression, but some people have trouble letting go of reality,” Aquaa told NOTA.

“Abstract painting is hard because you are creating something from the beginning, unlike representational painting, which uses shapes and scenes that you have seen before.

“Abstract is technically a different form of art, those who know art appreciate that, but our artists should try not to be hard on themselves when starting out, try thinking of your painting as ‘not quite finished’.”

A brief insight into historically famous abstract artworks proved that colour is quintessential, not just in choice, but in strategic limitation.

“Too many colours makes it too busy, and many use only three colours with white and black, otherwise it can be overwhelming for the viewer,” Aquaa explained.

“The artist creates with colour to convey emotion, but there are no rules to say that the viewer should or will receive the same feeling – we all put ourselves into abstract art, whether making or viewing.”

Examples of Aquaa’s abstract art for inspiration included ‘Echoes of the Water’s Edge’ (produced over four hours listening to music), ‘Skyfall’, and ‘Horizon’, which was actually painted up-side down from the orientation on display, proving that even the artist may not know what they are painting until the last moment.

By Thomas O’KEEFE