Up and running once more !!!!!

As I posted here recently, I haven't been able to edit either of my blogs' layout recently due to problems with Blogger Layout page. This has been going on for several weeks and AT LAST I have found out what was causing the problem .... many months ago I added a scrolling bar feature to the top of my art blog (a rather nice banner showing a selection of my paintings) and apparently it was this that was preventing the Edit features on the Layout pages from working properly. And the reason? ..... all because I had not written the widget in Javascript on my Template!!!! [Not that I would know how to (!) and, in any case, everything worked fine initially until Blogger added some Super Dooper Whooper something or other .... so much for progress! ]

Anyway, I've deleted the scrolling banner from the other blog and am now able to access ALL the editing features on BOTH blogs. Happily this means that I have been able to UPDATE and ADD all the new artist members data to Art Blogs 4 U .... my apologies to ALL who have been patiently waiting ........ we now have 177 member artists!!

Hendrik Kerstens: The distant view of the other

Hendrik Kerstens is one of those artists who have managed to develop a career seemingly concentrating on one subject throughout the years. In his case, the model has been his daughter Paula. How different is she as a subject because of being his daughter? Not very. Which is as powerful a revelation as any. After all, one would expect some closeness, some special insight. Nothing of the sort. What we get is a serious young lady, as serious now as she was on the pictures being only a few years old. A gaze that refuses to talk. Our only partner in dialogue seems to be the light that paints the face gently, yet at least on surface, without the love one would expect. We see all the Vermeers and other 17th-century Flemish painters participate in this creation, yet this, here, is darker, less inviting. It doesn't pretend that something can come out of this encounter. Nothing more than a picture, a gaze, a world that is forever there, for us to admire, but not to discover.

Valentine's

I found this at Happy Famous Artists. It was dated February 14. How come this seems fine on Valentine's Day, but has something offensive about it today?
Maybe it's because VD is for the individual, while today is for the group. And so, today it implies that this is the value I find important in a woman. While on February 14, it is about this one individual being gorgeous. Yet, isn't there something disturbing even about this appearing on Valentine's? The fact that what we celebrate is beauty?
Beauty. Can't live with it, but would have a hard time ignoring it either.

How To Join Art Blogs 4 U ....

The purpose of this blog is to provide a centralised List of artists who write about their art on their blogs. The layout of the site may change from time to time but the List itself will remain on the main page so will always be easily seen by visitors. I will be posting to the blog at regular intervals in order to maintain its 'visibility' and raise its profile, and artists who add their names are invited to send me a short description of their blog or their art work (e.g. their Art Bio) to include in these posts. These short 'bios will also be linked into the main list. Artists are also invited to send me the URL of an artwork that they would like published as one of Art Blogs 4 U's 'featured paintings'.

HOW TO JOIN - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

This list is open to anyone practising 2-dimensional fine art (i.e. drawings, paintings, wall hangings) who writes a blog about their work, but please no blogs about digital art or photography.

All you have to do is leave a comment to this post which includes your name exactly as you want it to appear in the list, e.g. Sarah Doe, or Sarah Doe's Art, or The Complete Doodler, etc.

Also please type out the URL to the blog you want listed (sorry, no websites will be accepted).

Please state which category you wish your art blog link to appear in (in addition to the main list) from the following - please choose ONE category only from:

Watercolour, Oils, Pastel/Other Dry Media, Acrylic, Mixed Media, Landscape, Abstract

Links will be added to the main list on a regular basis.

IMPORTANT .........

You must place a reciprocal link on your own blog to be listed ...... the continuing success of the site depends on every member displaying the link. If you cannot do this then your details will not be listed/will be removed.

Blogs will be added at the Blog Owner's discretion, no correspondence will be entered into.

Blogs will only be added once they have been in existence (and have had new posts added regularly) for at least 3 months. This is standard practice for Lists ... although many require 6 months or longer.

Blogs which cease to post on a regular basis will be removed from the list.

The Blog Owner reserves the right to remove the link to any blog that is not mainly about 2-dimensional art or which contains lewd, libelous or otherwise offensive material.

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