How to define abstract art? Perhaps it is easier to define what it is not; it is not paint slung randomly on a canvas or a simple shape made into a sculpture without much thought or skill. While an abstract piece may look simple, it is actually an intellectual and compositional challenge. A work of art may abstract a landscape or human form, for example, or it may try to convey the feelings or expression of an abstract idea. In sculpture, the form and idea may be abstraction, but also in direct carving in stone or wood, the term abstraction refers to the removal of material. This process is tedious and extremely conscientious, as the artist must be focused intently on the amount and direction of such removal. The artist must be able to carry the desired image in their mind while carefully removing the stone. Abstract art may appear to not follow any rules or order, but quite the contrary, abstract art has a universal adherence to recognized qualities of good composition, space, line, form, texture, and color.