n.1. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature.
2.
a. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.
b. The study of these activities.
c. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group.
3. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value.
4. A field or category of art, such as music, ballet, or literature.
5. A nonscientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts.
6.
a. A system of principles and methods employed in the performance of a set of activities: the art of building.
b. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: the art of the lexicographer.
7.
a. Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith's art.
b. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties: "Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice" Joyce Carol Oates.
8.
a. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks.
b. Artful contrivance; cunning.
9. Printing Illustrative material.
The art is the thing that takes the work, the time, and the dedication. It's the human effort to imitate the works of nature. All perfumery is art, and natural perfumery is different because of the artists choice of materials. So as a perfumer one must first of all study all aspects of perfumery and smells everywhere. A perfumer must have highly developed sensory acuity when it comes to the complexities of smell. The tricks of the art of perfumery are not easy to grasp. Often a novice could spend many years trying to figure out something that seems impossible. If they could just be shown some little trick or other it could turn the insurmountable into a mere trifle. This is why it is important to have a mentor or an experienced perfumer to consult with. However perfumers are often covetous and are not often willing to share their secrets. Studying old manuals and books is a way of picking up techniques and Internet groups are also worthwhile for the student. However great care must be taken that one is not led astray. Skill is acquired through practice, that is a certainty, as with all arts we can be taught the techniques, but without endless hours of practice the skill will never be mastered. Of course intuition plays a large part in the art of natural perfumery and the creative side of the brain must be tapped into in order to produce works of art.
