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

 

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