Defining art

What are the arts? Music, writing, painting and/or drawing, creating, is gardening an art? I'm sure the list is quite larger than this. 

What about the lost arts, what are some of those? Is listening a lost art? Is it even considered to be one? Is silence an art? Is art an art? 

I like Dictionary.com's definition: "the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance." I added the bold because I'm curious to know more about aesthetic principles and how they come into being. 

When art talks to me, I know it's art. It has its own sound, and can be interpreted to have more than one meaning. So, "according to aesthetic principles" formed from that which was spoken to me by art, I give you one example. ... 

"It Just Comes Naturally" 

I am often inspired by the work of others, thanks Ms. Marcia.

Marcia Furman's art has spoken, and I listen. 

Her blog.

A review of Duane Campbell's Best of Green Space

I really should read more. At one time I was a regular reader of Stephen King, but that was before I became a writer myself. I started writing about gardening, not horror. I'll admit that sometimes my gardening can be a little horrific, but I surely hope that my writing about it never is.

I should try to read more gardening books like this one by Duane Campbell: "Best of Green Space: 30 Years of Composted Columns." It's a collection of Duane's gardening articles. I self-published a book similar to Duane's, but I have only about 7 years of composted stuff.

Duane's composted stuff is composted just right. It's entertaining, extremely so because of his wonderful sense of humor, he hasn't skimped on pertinent gardening info either. Excluding the contents and index, there's about 200 pages. Duane separates his seasonal wisdom and humor into articles relating to each of the twelve months beginning with January. Subtitles are used, for example January has "Resolutions" and Duane says "It's time for the dismal chore of making New Year's resolutions. The positive slant is that this is a new beginning. The truth is that we are making a list of all those things that we habitually screw up." Indeed! That's why I rarely make new, old, or any other type of yearly, monthly, weekly, or daily resolution. I can think of only one that was successful - I resolved in July of 2003 to quit smoking and I haven't had a cigarette since!

Duane's book is not full of color photos so don't expect to see micro shots of your favorite rose or tulip. Instead you'll get tons of down home gardening advice, tips, tricks, anecdotes, and all of it an easy read. I like the fact that I can open his book anywhere and start reading, I don't have to start at the beginning, in January - brrrr!!

B.B. Mackey carries Duane's book and lots of other titles by award winning authors.
Their address:

B. B. Mackey Books
P. O. Box 475
Wayne, PA 19087
Email: bbmackey@prodigy.net