In the first video, The Stakeout, to me it's more about what the act of observation reveals about the observer (or in this case, the artist) than what is actually discovered. Like Sokolow said, it's really important to be curious, and especially to be aware of what's going on around you. Even when nothing really interesting happens, like the anticlimactic end of the video where a guy walks by and just steals the book and the money; doing absolutely nothing exciting or unexpected. Even if you don't get what you want out of your "observation," of course there is something valuable to be learned.
In the second video, "Katie" describes some of her work that includes setting artwork up around various places in her city, and then observing until the right moment where someone walks by her art and she snaps a picture. To me, the video's main idea is that the actual act of "observation" IS the art that Katie makes. The shadows and thought bubbles set up around town only come alive when there is someone who interacts with it (whether they do so willingly or not).
In the second video, "Katie" describes some of her work that includes setting artwork up around various places in her city, and then observing until the right moment where someone walks by her art and she snaps a picture. To me, the video's main idea is that the actual act of "observation" IS the art that Katie makes. The shadows and thought bubbles set up around town only come alive when there is someone who interacts with it (whether they do so willingly or not).
Here are 3 pages of my favorite timed sketches that I did, I couldn't fit all of them for the time being.
(Please excuse the horrible iphone quality lighting) The artist I chose was David Hockney, specifically his dachschund paintings. I love them because they are all created in observation of his own dogs, while still maintaining a stylized, loose sketchy quality. The finished artworks are beautiful and vivid renderings of the dogs you can tell the artist cares a lot about, and you can see his own individual perspective. I also feel a deep personal connection to this series of paintings as a dog lover myself, and especially appreciate the way he immortalizes his pets forever as paintings.
Challenge #1: Realistic Eye
I chose to draw this picture to relate to this unit of observation because I combined my observations of shape (gathered in the timed sketch challenge), and value (gathered in the sphere and object sketches) with the observations I made in the world around me. This summer I've spent my time working at a dog kennel every day, and meeting lots and lots of beautiful dog faces that inspired me to make artwork. This particular dog (named Sammy) was one that I absolutely fell in love with at first sight. I happily spent my days letting him sit on my lap, giving him belly rubs, and absent mindedly petting his head. All things come to an end, however, and Sammy eventually had to go home. I missed him dearly and wanted to make a little piece to remember him by.