Heya.
I’m looking to make some odd and mostly abstract animations… Flowing patterns, chaning colors that sort of thing.
I’m mostly using fractal explorer now, but it’d be great if I could find some other software…
any ideas?? 
It sounds like fractals, or some Photoshop/Gimp filter that employs fractals, would be what you are looking for.
3D packages, such as Blender, are built around the notion of describing three-dimensional models in mathematical space and rendering pictures of them from a chosen viewpoint. This does not sound, not at all, like what you are trying to do.
Screen-saver engines might also be useful.
sundial… why do you think I posted in the other software section???