Song without Words 10/01/08

Art is that which stimulates the senses or the mind by conveying ideas or emotions in a variety of ways.


Those of you who have been reading this blog from the beginning will know that this is pretty much my working definition of art. I don't want to get into any heavy philosophical discussions of what art is or isn't and who or what is capable of producing art. This definition could change at a moments notice if I suddenly decide that it no longer works for me. I think that is key: It works for me.

When I see something that touches my spirit and evokes an emotional response or causes some mental response in me, then I could call that an art moment, if you will. If I can have a senior moment or a blonde moment, then why not an art moment? One might also choose to call it a spiritual moment, a contemplative moment, or a religious experience, depending on the response. Take your pick. I suppose the idea of the experience being a contemplative moment is really the best way to describe it.

I have come to the conclusion that art is in all things, if you just take the time to look. At this point, I do not believe that art is only created by humans. Dante tells us that Nature is the art of God. Through the work of the Almighty, we have an entire universe filled with art. We should spend more time looking for it and enjoying it. Saul Bellow said, "What is art but a way of seeing?" This supports my idea of seeing with the heart to find that which touches the spirit. We should take time to seek out those things in the world around is that touch our hearts and minds. We should look for that contemplative moment in the things around us.

I spend plenty of time in the application of the spoken or written word concerning the things that I find around me and things that happen in my daily life. Sometimes, when speaking to my friends about my blog, I lovingly refer to it as "the daily drivel." Sometimes it just seems like so much blah, blah, blah. I have often wanted to post a picture or a quote that has given me an artistic or contemplative moment, but it has seemed that commentary is unnecessary and would spoil the experience. I have decided to start a new--what? feature?--when I feel that words are inadequate or not needed. I am using the title "Song without Words," borrowed from the collection of piano solos written by Felix Mendelssohn. These pieces occupied a goodly portion of my time when I was a piano student and often led to contemplative moments at the keyboard, although I believe that the first movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" always put me in the most contemplative place.

So, here's the first Song without Words. It is yesterday's (9/30/08) National Geographic Photo of the Day featuring a volcanic thermal vent. It reminds me of something Van Gogh would paint. I hope you enjoy contemplating it for a little while.

Of Herons and Other Things

It's about time I got back to the art thing. Remember--that which stimulates the senses or the mind by conveying ideas or emotions in a variety of ways? I especially like finding art in nature. Here is one of my favorite places. This is a view from Ditto Landing Marina of the Tennessee River at sunset. This is a lovely place. It is full of God-given natural art. I love to go there just to have a little peace from the cares of the day or to have a lovely setting for contemplation. I often head down to the river to knit or spin. Sometimes I even go fishing, where I use my worms from the homegrown worm farm that I started a few months ago.

One of the best things about being there is being able to enjoy the wildlife. Because I'm usually there during daylight hours when there are lots of people around, I don't often see much in the way of mammals such as raccoons, rabbits, skunks, deer and the like, but there is an abundance of birds, insects, and water critters such as fish, turtles, and snakes to enjoy. I especially like birdwatching. One of my favorites at this location is the Great Blue Heron. They are such majestic birds. I managed to catch this photo of one of my friends earlier in the summer. He seems to be standing guard as he patiently waits for the unsuspecting fish to swim by to be speared as his next snack.

I do wish I could show you a closeup of his feathers. They are lovely, especially the frill on his neck and wings. When the photos are enlarged and cropped, each makes a wonderful little work of art. These lovely birds are rather gawky in flight. They fly with their necks tucked into a tight S-shape and their long legs trail out behind them. Their call is somewhat less than melodious--a sort of raucous "Quark! Quark!" This is about as much of a closeup as I could get with my camera. These little, affordable digital cameras are fun and allow you to see instantly what you've captured instead of having to wait to get film developed, but I do miss using our nice SLR's with all the lenses. I really should dig those out and start using them again. I could have the photos put on CD's to minimize storage and for computer usage. Or maybe I'll save up to get a really nice, professional quality digital camera (yeah, in my dreams).

About three years ago, I had the opportunity to work briefly with Richard T. Bryant (www.richardtbryant.com), a professional photographer who used to be the photographer at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It was a wonderful experience. I have to tell you I drooled over the photographic equipment and dreamed of one day being able to have cameras like those. Although we were working on an industrial plant site located on Redstone Arsenal, Richard would take time to look at the wildlife of the area. One day as he looked through a telephoto lens, he spied a clutch of eggs at the base of a tower near the creek. We went to investigate. They turned out to be turtle eggs. Unfortunately, they had been partially eaten by some critter--maybe a coyote, a skunk, or a raccoon. Another time, a snake swam leisurely along in the creek near the buildings we were photographing. "Look! Look at that snake!" he exclaimed and we both ran as quietly as we could to the creek to get a closer look at what he thought was a banded water snake. We saw water snakes several times. On our lunch break, we often checked around for whatever animals we might happen upon or sat at a picnic table under the trees and did a little birdwatching or even enjoyed sharing the space with most of the insects that called the place home.

Now, back to my friend, Great Blue. He will stand motionlessly for minutes at a time while he fishes for his meals. When one location doesn't look too productive, as any good fisher will, he quietly moves along, walking in slow motion, then takes up his stance once again. There will be no movement at all, then suddenly he will strike out with his long neck and come up with a shiny fish wriggling on the point of his bill. I have not yet been close enough or quick enough to see any of them get the fish into their beaks, but they manage to somehow get the fish down their throats. Eventually, hoping for a better fishing location, he will extend his huge wings and magically lift off, flying across the river with ease.

Hmm. I think a trip down to Ditto is in order.