Aristotle, Horses and Art

Yes, another school post here. However, this one needs to be read. First, a little bit of Aristotle.

 

Aristotle's taught that a successful persuasive argument is one that is build on three pillars he calls Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Ethos is the integrity or ethics of the speaker. Can you trust the speaker?Logos is obviously the logic of the argument. Is the argument based on sound facts? Pathos is the emotional appeal to the audience. What state of mind does the argument put the audience in?

Here is a visual breakdown of it:

 

 

 

Okay, so with that knowledge now, apply this to life. Wait, what? apply some old dude's philosophy to today's techno world? What does Aristotle know about Facebook?

 

Aristotle didn't know about Facebook, however what he did know about was humans and our thought processes. Daily on Facebook we are bombarded with images and persuasive arguments that are meant to move us. Unfortunately not all of them are worthy of our attention. Coming up soon we'll be seeing tons more. Politics and the Election in 2016 will present us with multiple arguments moving us to vote for one candidate over another. It is our job to look at each one with Aristotle in mind. Is the candidate trustworthy? What is their ethics like? Their character? Can we trust this person? Is their argument based on facts? Is the logic sound? And with that please do not become impassioned by the emotional appeal.

 

Okay, enough of the Public Service Announcement. Onto the art....with a little more Aristotle!

 

 

I found this quote and love it. This right here is what I strive to achieve. I love painting horses and love sharing my passion with you. To me horses are beautiful both on the outside and inside. Yet it is the significance to my life that truly makes them special.

 

Speaking of significance, here are some of the photos I took at the Breeders Cup Show a couple weeks back. Horse people know that just the smell of the arena alone can soothe one's soul. I am really falling in love with these Saddlebred horses. They have such an eager way of moving and their owners/riders seem so happy! In fact, while I was doing a bit of research on saddleseat shows, this is one of the main characteristics of a good pair, the smile and ease of the rider and the eager, happy look to the horse!

 

Beautiful isn't it?

 

 

I'll leave you with this last word from Aristotle. Choose excellence and strive for it.

 

 

Aristotle Memes. Quotefans.com. 9-20-2013. web. accessed: 5-25-2015

Aristotle Rhetoric. Do It Like Aristotle. www.florianmueck.com. web. accessed: 5-25-2015

 

WIP of next Dressage piece

Okay, maybe not wicked....

Regardless, there is little rest here!

A little light into my life, Serenity (our 3 year old) came down with something Monday night. I have no idea what it was, but it certainly sapped all the energy out of her. Trust me that was one powerful "cold?" since this kid is normally bouncing off the walls. So she starts feeling better after a few days of R and R....and the little one spikes a fever. Joy joy (heavy sarcasm here). Needless to say this momma is a bit worn out and feeling a bit under the weather myself, cause of course I have to get it too!

Regardless, I consider ourselves lucky. Not only do we have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, but we also have family and in general are in good health. So I'll count our blessings and rest up as much as a momma can.

Enough about the dull drums, onto the art! Yea, I know that is why most of you are here. You want to see pictures of pretty ponies. Hopefully this next piece on the easel will not disappoint!

Meet our next big piece:

 

This is the sketch after I fixed it. Sometimes it takes a few comparisons to make sure that I have the perspective correct. I then started with his eye.  

 

 

 

This guy is a dark bay so most of the colors I will be using are earth tones. My reference photo is one taken by Karen Duplantis from Fiore Photography. Her original photograph the horse is coming from the left. However, since my Andalusian Templado is already coming from that direction, I wanted this one to come from the right. So I flipped it! Hopefully they will look amazing together. MY goal is to finish this bay by the deadline for the Equine Jubilee in Delaware, Ohio this fall. They will make great entries!

 

For those that are keeping up with my eBay listings, here is the latest! This is May's Close Encounter. I know I haven't kept up very well with my monthly pieces, but I hope I can get back on track here soon!

 

I definitely think that the ACEO work is helping with my smaller pieces! This one is a 6x6 on boxed canvas. Though smaller in size, it will still make quite the impression! May's Close Encounter ends on Weds so you have plenty of time to place your bids! The auction starts at the $0.99 bid. Follow the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/201345830181?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2648 for bidding!

 

Hope everyone is having a great week! My focus is getting a bit more of the bay done and one of the dressage pieces based on the photographs from last weekend. Wish me luck haha!

 

No Rest for the Wicked meme. Gallery for>No Rest for the Wicked. imgarcade.com



SNHU Eng 555 week 1- Significant writing experience

So...my first Journal entry for class.....

A significant experience I've had in my formal instruction on writing....hmm.... This is actually a tough one because my focus has not been on my writing. Heck most of the time I rarely believe that my writing is anything special. I really don't believe I am very good at it. So why am I focusing on an English Masters degree? I know crazy isn't it?

I do have to say that I did have one experience that made quite a difference on me through writing. It was actually a poetry contest that I entered when I was 12? 13? essentially young enough to be completely enthusiastic and naïve. I won the contest, or at least won my section of it....I actually don't remember much about the actual contest. What I do remember is the honor they bestowed on me by having me read my poem at a special poetry reading at Muskingum college (the local college) in front of a whole bunch of people.

 

Fear, you want to talk about scared out of my mind! I'm still not much of a public speaker, though I am not

 

in fear anymore.

 

What I did learn though was that any creative endeavor included presentation and speaking with people about my creation. This is something that has carried over into my art career as I present my artwork to others. I have to talk about my creations for people want to know about my art.

 

So...if I have such little significant writing experiences what am I doing pursuing an English Masters degree? Honestly my interest in English focuses most on the literary aspect. I love reading other's writing. Stories are works of art created from words. Literature allows insights into the soul of a writer just as much as a painting on the wall can. As Freud taught me last class, even a small novel can allow for some of the greatest insights into the author's mind and the reader's.

 

 

Art helps us realize our dreams. It gives us an avenue to express that which is subconscious and conscious. Art also allows us to connect with others that also feel and think some of the same things we do.

 

The more I read the more I want to write. Often I have considered, and am currently constructing, my own series of literary novels. I know I'll definitely have to have an editor and someone to proofread my writing though!

 

Okay, I believe I may have become sidetracked a bit. However, now you know a bit more about me, the literary lover. Next post here I'll show you guys how my Equine Jubilee piece is coming along! Until next time!

 

 

Works Cited:

 

Frozen Fear collage. Starwished Dreams.tumblr.com. Published 12.30.2013. Starwished-dreams.tumblr.com/post/7. May 2, 2015. web.

 

Frozen logo. Disney Frozen movie. 2013. www.fanpop.com. May 2, 2015. web

 

Sigmund Freud quotes. Meetville.com. 2010. www.meetville.com/page9. May 2, 2015. web

Empire State Arabian Show

 

Boy was it a gorgeous day yesterday! I got the wonderful opportunity to attend the Empire State Arabian Show yesterday. Can you say giddy, over-excited female? For that is exactly what I was on my drive down to Syracuse, NY! My first trip to use my camera to photograph horses! Not to mention the day surrounded by horses and away from home for a bit. Felt like a kid on my first field trip!

 

Unfortunately I'm not sure of the horses' or riders' names. They were doing announcements in the big arena for the other shows, but not the dressage arena. All I know is that I got to see some amazing ladies and their beautiful horses. I think what makes these photos even more special is that this was an Arabian show.



 

 

 

Why does that make it more special to me? Well my first experience with dressage (coincidence that yesterday's trip and my first experience both fell on Derby Saturday) was watching the White Lipizzaner Stallions perform at a racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio. They were amazing! However what really made me breathless was watching the bay Arabian they had with them. The Lipizzaners made the moves look beautiful. The Arabian however was pure poetry in motion. They performed. He danced. Though dressage has always been something warmbloods and baroque breeds seem partial to, I definitely think that the Arabian dressage is where the magic is.

 

 

I mean just look at that extended trot! I'm sure there are many dressage riders and judges that know the sport much better than I do and could find the faults in these rides. However, to the less trained and less critical eye, these ladies and their horses were performing a magical dance routine fit for Dancing with The Stars! I honestly can not wait to work on a series of paintings featuring these beautiful horses! So be prepared to see artwork with dancing Arabians in the near future.

 

On another note, (those that follow me on Facebook might know this already) I am in the process of finishing my Master's degree. The class I am in currently has me working on a journal. The professor enjoys blogs and has encouraged us to share our blogs and our journal entries on our blogs. Because of this learning experience I will have a few "school related" blog posts from time to time in the next couple months. Some of you might enjoy learning a bit more about me. For the rest of you, the artwork and horses will still be here too, I promise! 

Oh and I have yet to show you what I am working on for the Equine Jubilee!! Next post I'll share that one, so come back soon!