Creative experiments are a great way to jump start your ideas and give you a break from routine creative work patterns and flow.

“Leone On Shore”

Low tide in Madagascar

The last couple of  weeks I have had a very out-of-box experience. I had been a little fatigue from working digitally and thought I would stretch myself and try a little analog work, so I enrolled in week and a half art class at the local college of art and design.  It was a Mixed Media class taught by Brian Haverlock, who is an outstanding artist and teacher.  I took the class with an open mind,  hoping I may  find new ways to take my work to a different level.  Needless to say it was harder than I anticipated, especially since I found my actual painting and crayon skills were at perhaps a kindergarten level and advanced maybe to 3rd grade during the class. However despite my inadequacies in some areas, I did gain valuable lesson in other areas. Here are some of my insights:

Exposure to the work of accomplished artists outside of photograph, such as Max Ernst, Scott Eagle, Joseph Cornell or  Brain Haverlock will stimulate ideas and inspiration.

I look at my own art different and for more ways to take even a simplistic image a step further, whether that be with lighting, color, texture and or combining multiple images.

A lot of photography is based in facts and computations so take time to let loose and experiment. I plan to continue trying several methods that were taught to stimulate creativity, like Decalcomania or  drawing and cutting with my non dominate hand. Never know what might emerge.

Each exposure to something new helps me craft my vision for my own body of work.

Lastly, a deep appreciation for the undo button.

More of my work can be viewed at www.susanmcanany.com.