The Poetry of Abstraction
with Susan Burnstine
September 4 – 25, 2026
Course Description
Viewing the world indirectly offers us a golden opportunity to express ideas and emotions in ways that move beyond the usual representations of a subject. Whether our inspiration takes root in grand landscapes or the smallest of microscopic organisms, the possibilities are endless when we examine the world from different perspectives.
This online workshop with Susan Burnstine gives participants the skills to identify key abstract elements and skills to create compositions that bear little or no resemblance to the subject at hand. As we explore how metaphor relates to nonfigurative images, we effectively uncover the best approaches for realizing our personal visions, delving into techniques such as selective focus, multiple exposure, reflection, intentional camera movement, light and shadow, and context.
We discover innovative ways to reimagine the world around us through real-time presentations, group critiques, portfolio reviews, and weekly assignments that can be completed anywhere—your home, your backyard, your street, your city, a local park, a nature walk, or any place that sparks inspiration.
By the end of four weeks, your mind has expanded and you feel confident creating abstract images that reach beyond conventional graphic form to achieve distinctive poetic representation.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
What You Should Know:
Participants must be able to select and organize images using image editing software for class sessions.
Special Notes:
Class will meet 10:45 am – 1:15 pm (Mountain Time) on Fridays starting September 4 and ending on September 25 (four online group sessions). Enrollment is limited to 12 participants.
Zoom Video Conferencing software (available for no charge from Zoom.com) will be used to facilitate the class sessions. Further details will be emailed to registrants.
These live online sessions take place in the standard Zoom meeting format. Students can use their microphone and camera, see and hear the instructor and other students, and participate in live discussion and interaction throughout the sessions.
Santa Fe Workshops always aims to produce a high-quality experience for our online attendees. That said, variables including regional and local internet provider speeds, traffic on Zoom's servers, and your own computing hardware can contribute to a less than ideal streaming event. While we do our best to minimize the impact of these variables, they are outside the control of Santa Fe Workshops.
Policies:
View Withdrawal and Transfer Policies for online programs.
Recording class sessions using personal devices or third-party tools is not permitted. Session recordings are provided by Santa Fe Workshops and are available to enrolled students for two months after the class. This policy helps protect the intellectual property and privacy of both instructors and students.
about
Susan Burnstine is an award-winning professional fine art and commercial photographer who builds homemade cameras and lenses using plastic, vintage camera parts, and random household objects. She’s represented in galleries across the world and widely published globally.
She has had over 35 solo exhibits internationally, her work is held in numerous museums and private collections, and she has had two award-winning monographs, Within Shadows (Charta, 2011) and Absence of Being(Damiani Editore, 2016). Susan teaches workshops internationally, has curated over 30 exhibitions, and has written for several photography magazines, including a longstanding monthly column titled “American Connection” for Black & White Photography Magazine (UK).
A popular workshop instructor, Susan is also part of our Mentorship Program »
Get to know Susan in our Inspiration Series video »
Website: susanburnstine.com
Instagram: @susanburnstine
