a wind has blown the rain away and blown
the sky away and all the leaves away,
and the trees stand.

~ e.e. cummings

There is no abstract art. 
You must always start with something. 
Afterwards you can remove 
all traces of reality. 
There's no danger then, anyway, 
because the idea of the object 
will have left an indelible mark.  

~ Pablo Picasso