Studio art major Suzanne Laverty has created a new avenue of art in her painting titled “Fish,” which she created for her painting class at SF State. She said her curiosity has helped her explore her surroundings and create new narratives within her paintings.

“It’s an interesting experience,” Laverty said. “I’ll start working on it and then I’ll get into a trance-like state. I’m just absorbed in pushing the paint around on the canvas.”

Laverty said she approaches her pieces as a blank canvas with a series of problems that need to be addressed, similar to writing an essay.

“I start big, throw everything on the page first and then go back in and fix all the little problems,” she said.