I live in a gorgeous, historic area. I want to photograph each home I pass when walking. The details!
Week 3: Explorations 21 to 30
Exploration #21) Your Favorite Street Go to your favorite street. (If you can't go there physically, then you can visit it in your mind.) Map it out on a piece of paper. Then describe (or otherwise document) everything in detail: the shops, houses, street signs, trees, etc.
Exploration #22) People Watching Sit in a public location and document people you see for one hour. Take detailed notes. Make sketches of one item that stands out most about each person.
Alternate: People Mapping
Visit a local park of public area. Create a color-coded map of the position of the other people in relation to you. Note what the people looked like (what they were wearing).
Exploration #23) How to Uncover a Mystery
1. Let the mystery find you- something that piques your interest and unleashes your rabid curiosity.
2. Research. This could be conducted through a variety of venues (library, interest, dictionary, interviews, etc.). Dig up as much info as you can on the subject/event. Collect clues.
3. Follow all "leads" (pieces f info that cause you to head in new directions). Contact people involved.
4. Get involved directly with the thing you are researching (got example, take a class, write experts, etc.)
5. Conduct a re-creation (of an object or event) use maps, dioramas, photos, diagrams, etc. Look at the situation from different angles.
Fort Clinch, Amelia Island
Exploration #24) Combinations
Combine groups of objects for visual or emotional contrast. You might try natural vs. human-made, contrasting colors, alive vs. decaying, light vs. dark.
Alternate #1: Take two different objects and try to create as many connections between them as you can. You may need to research them to come up with more ideas.
Alternate #2: Write about what it is like to combine two different activities such as eating and reading, or walking and drawing. How does one activity affect the other.
Exploration #25) Water
Study and document shapes made by water. Find as many as you can. Research shapes made by water. Come up with new ones.
Exploration #26) Becoming Leonard Cohen
Sketch or document things that you use in your daily routine.
Exploration #27) Accidental Art
For for a walk. Identify and document existing "art" that you find, such as things that are not created on purpose. Some examples include stains on the sidewalk, spilled paint, bird poo, residue, corrosion, rust, things that are damaged, random arrangements of objects that you find interesting. A bad caught in a tree.
Exploration #28) Blind Observation
Place an object or a series of objects in your pocket. Describe them using only touch. Alternate Go around your room in the dark and identify all the objects in it by touch. Describe them.
Exploration #29) Tactile Boards
Collect material based on texture. Glue the textures to a sheet of paper or cardboard (see diagram below) .Invite people to close their eyes and guess what different materials are. Experiment with touching the boards using different parts of your body. (such as your check or elbow).
Alternate #1: Create a tactile "map" of a place using textures to represent the different areas or qualities.
Alternate #2: Using a non-drying clay (plasticine), create reliefs by pressing the clay into different textures you find.
Exploration #30) Travel History
Collect objects that tell a story of your travels. Document where you found each object.
These challenges have me wanting to travel and collect from exotic places more. I need to save up and schedule some adventures. We've been talking about going to Washington to see the Cherry Blossom Festival this year. Hope we can make it!
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