The accidental masterpiece : on the art of life and vice versa / by Michael Kimmelman.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-236) and index.

The art of making a world -- The art of being artless -- The art of having a lofty perspective -- The art of making art without lifting a finger -- The art of collecting lightbulbs -- The art of maximizing your time -- The art of finding yourself when you're lost -- The art of staring productively at naked bodies -- The art of the pilgrimage -- The art of gum-ball machines, and other simple pleasures.

"The Accidental Masterpiece encourages us to live life with eyes wide open, because the drive to live life more alertly is instinctive, and, whether you are an artist by trade or by desire, the art of seeing well is one that can be learned." "To illustrate art's power to transform lives, Kimmelman describes a handful of people who regard art as life's great passion. A. few of the characters he portrays, like Bonnard and Chardin, are great artists. But others are explorers and obscure obsessives, paint-by-numbers enthusiasts, amateur shutterbugs, and collectors of strange odds and ends. Yet others, like Charlotte Salomon, a girl whom no one considered much of an artist until she secretly created a masterpiece before her death in Auschwitz, have reserved spots for themselves in history with a single work that encapsulates a whole life. What connects them to each other is their ability to find enlightenment and passion through the awareness their art provides."--BOOK JACKET.