Augmenting Art Practices and Inspiring Creativity : Enhancing Observation Skills by Utilizing New Technologies View Digital Media

Workshop Presentation
Anna Zusman,  Rhaelene Lowther  

Technology allows artists to document the images we see and to collect a library of resources that serve as artistic inspiration. For this workshop we provide a variety of natural artifacts that will serve as a starting point for the participants’ artistic explorations. We recently completed a collaborative art project, Quotidian Moments through Different Lenses, where we created and then displayed different interpretations of shared visual experiences. The source for these experiences was our walks in rural Arkansas, during which we took photos, video, and occasionally audio recordings of our observations. These became part of our inspiration and preparatory process for the final works, which took a variety of forms, including watercolor, acrylic paintings, digital drawings, and 3D models. In this workshop, we model this process by showing examples of our work and the images of the experiences that sparked the work. We then guide participants through various tools, technologies, and thought processes to help them develop concepts for their own artistic work—no matter the medium—and they will leave with rough sketches, photographs, or written drafts. Our objective is to enhance creativity and to augment traditional sketchbook practices used by artists, writers, or crafters. The workshop aims to help participants to strengthen their observation skills and to spark their imaginations.