The Poetry of Abstraction

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.