Ban Pony Painting Parties

I sounded off about the awful Pony Painting Parties on Monday on my Facebook Page - which seems to have contributed a little to getting the word out that these need to be stopped.

As the petition points out (my bold)

The 2006 Animal Welfare Act says that owners have a positive duty of care towards their animals and a responsibility to prevent the animal from becoming distressed. Animals have ways of communicating distress - horses show stress signs through swishing, flared nostrils, raised tail, sweating and a raised heartbeat. These subtle signals are not obvious to families/children and could even be ignored by organisers who are prioritising profits.

The issue for me is about

• showing respect for animals who are not in a position to say 'No' (remind you of anything?).
• reminding people that anything that makes a profit can also be taken up by those who behave in ways which are very much less than ethical
• how come we can have laws and nothing is done about their implementation?

The good news is that the petition is now up to nearly 160,000 signatures (from about c.25,000 signatures on Monday when I signed).  I'm really not surprised given some of the comments from those who read my post on Monday.

Signed. I’m staggered by this. Appalling

This is so sad that people think this is fun. I doubt it’s fun for the pony who has no choice in the matter. The UK really needs tougher animal laws on all levels !

that is awful, what a way to teach children how to treat and respect animals.

I have horses, and there's no way anyone is getting near them with paint. This is just stupidity, and no respect for the animal, and apparently no desire to actually learn something about horses. In other hands it can escalate to abuse - there was a case at an auction place where a poor pony was dropped off, after being used as a paint gun target, hundreds of shots taken at him. Someone was eventually charged.

O fer heaven's sake. I try so hard to teach children to RESPECT and VALUE animals - what lamebrain thought this was OK?

Interestingly the number of signatures to dare way exceeds some of those petitions already debated by Parliament eg Hold a referendum on the final Brexit deal!

Petition to Parliament

This is the link to the Petition to Ban Pony Painting Parties if you'd like to sign as well.

The rules on Petitions to Parliament are that:

• if a petition gets 10,000 signatures then the petition will get a response from the government
• if a petition gets 100,000 signatures then it will get a debate in Parliament

...and this one will be getting a debate in Parliament.

BUT - and this is important - the actions of politicians will depend on how many people sign it before it gets to the debate!

Hopefully at some point somebody will also think it a good idea to point out to parents that:

• grooming a pony is a very good and appropriate way to show you love your pony
• there are lots of art teachers out there who are very happy to give their kids painting lessons - without disrespecting dumb animals!

More about pony painting parties

If you doubt these are happening, here's the news coverage - all written before the petition topped 100,000 signatures supporting it

• BBC News - Pony painting parties: The summer's big trend that's causing controversy
• The Guardian - Pony painting parties: is it really OK to let kids daub paint on live animals?
• Evening Standard - Animal rights petition to ban bizarre 'pony painting' craze receives 60,000 signatures

£35,000 BP Portrait Award 2018 - How to enter and how to get selected

The value of the awards for the BP Portrait Award 2018 have been significantly increased - but that's not the only reason to consider seriously why it's a good idea to enter this exhibition.

Yesterday I wrote about What do paintings by BP Portrait Award winners look like? going back to 1990. That's because 2018 marks the Portrait Award’s 39th year at the National Portrait Gallery and 29th year of sponsorship by BP - and over a decade of me being invited to the Awards Ceremony and taking photos of and interviewing artists who win the awards

Below you can read about:

• why every aspiring portrait artist should enter the BP Portrait Award
• how the awards have changed for 2018
• my Annual Guide to the Call for Entries for the BP Portrait Award 2018 - how to enter
• how to improve your chances of being selected for the major annual exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery next summer

before you submit your digital entry prior to  the deadline of 22 January 2018. 

In 2017, 53 artists had their portraits selected for the 2017 Annual Exhibition of the BP Portrait Award - from 2580 entries from 87 countries. (2016: comparable numbers were 2,557 entries from 80 countries)

People who win prizes read this post every year. Maybe this year it will be your turn?

Giving the awards a polish before the BP Portrait Awards Ceremony 2017 starts

Why you should enter the BP Portrait Award

As last year's winner, Ben Sullivan, emphasised in my video interview with him the REALLY IMPORTANT important thing is to be INCLUDED in the exhibition rather than win a prize.

That's because being included in the exhibition is the best possible marketing of your work to those who may be thinking of commissioning a portrait. 

Ben exhibited in 13 exhibitions in total and every one for the last 11 years prior to his win this year. His style is very attractive for those who want a realistic but not photographic portrait and he has earned a lot of commissions over the years.

Now that's he's won first prize we won't be seeing his portraits in the exhibition any more....

It's time for someone else to reap the benefit of being included in the exhibition.

8 Reasons to enter this competition

Art World not immune to harassment and misconduct allegations

ArtForum reported and ArtNews asked awkward questions

It emerged this week that the art world is not immune to allegations of sexual misconduct / inappropriate behaviour. This post covers:

• the NEWS articles about the alleged misconduct by Knight Landesman, now an ex-publisher of ArtForum
• why it's more complicated than just misconduct
• why it's unlikely to be limited to one individual

At present, the ALLEGATIONS all seem to relate to one named individual who has been various described as

• a pillar of the international art scene, 
• a well-known and powerful figure
• a longtime publisher of Artforum magazine and a power broker in the art world
• a man-about-town known from the galleries of Manhattan to the Art Basel fair in Switzerland for his primary-colored suits and deep connections in the industry.
• accused of very Harvey Weinstein-like behavior 

Below are links to the newspaper articles which this week closely followed the accusations of alleged misbehaviour - after a complaint was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York accusing former Artforum publisher Knight Landesman of years of sexual harassment.

I've ordered them by

• general news titles and then art news titles
• the prominence of the publication and 
• the date order of the published articles

It's been difficult keeping up with who said what and when!  

However there is a much bigger picture about abuse of power which also needs to be highlighted - and the debate now seems to be moving in that direction........

I HATE the beta format for The Art Newspaper

The new format for THE ART NEWSPAPER IS just awful. 

I'm hoping that "beta" means they still have things to sort out in relation to the new format for The Art Newspaper.
I'm not a subscriber but I am a regular reader of their website online.

Here's a comparison of the "before" and "after" - as seen on my 27" iMac screen.

I much prefer their old format - which can now be seen at http://old.theartnewspaper.com/ 

The "old" version of The Art Newspaper which finishes on 31 August 2017
This is readable - content is centred

I HATE their new format - http://theartnewspaper.com/ - it feels like the content is falling off the edges of the screen

Have these people never heard of margins - or big screens?

The new beta version of THE ART NEWSPAPER which seems to have started at the beginning of September 2017
- and stretches from one side of my 27" screen to the other with absolutely no margins at all
LUDICROUS!

Maybe I'll have to stick to reading it on my iPhone where it is at least presentable - i.e. they remember to include the white space at the sides!

P.S. The website reminds me of the format for the Royal Academy of Arts which, while some may think it looks good, too often feels to me like a full on frontal assault of my eyeballs. I have to stop looking much more quickly than I did before they changed their format.

Do these people never ever test their formats on wide screens or are they glued to their laptops?

Trump inauguration - artists to strike or not to strike?

An interesting development in the run-up to 20 January and the new President Elect's inauguration is the notion of artists going on strike!

I was amazed at the number of articles this idea has generated and I'm guessing most of you won't have read them. Some are worth reading if you want to get an idea of the pros and cons for this idea which seems to revolve around when is a strike just a posture rather than an act with real impact.

I decided to line them up in terms of whether they are

• broadly supportive
• think the action is futile and/or there are better ways of making a stand
• just want to report the news and/or haven't made their minds up yet

The article most quoted by other articles!

But first the facts...

A document entitled ‘J20 Art Strike Letter’ has been published for circulation. The letter is addressed to museums, galleries, studios, art schools, and other cultural institutions and is signed by various figures in the art world. These include:

• artists - including Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman and a lot of people I've never heard of
• art critics and educationalists - again the names mean nothing to me so I've no idea of their weight or otherwise.

The Art Strike Image

The letter states

We, the undersigned artists and critics, lend our support to the call for an Art Strike on Friday, January 20, 2017, the day that Donald Trump will assume the presidency of the United States.
The call reads:
#J20 Art Strike

• An Act of Noncompliance on Inauguration Day.

• No Work, No School, No Business.

• Museums. Galleries. Theaters. Concert Halls. Studios. Nonprofits. Art Schools.

• Close For The Day.

• Hit The Streets. Bring Your Friends. Fight Back.

This is the Facebook Page for the event. I have to say that it doesn't look very promising in terms of numbers who have said they will be involved so far (if you remember these people will be spread across the USA). Thew comments are worth a read!

These are the media articles about the letter and the proposed strike - divided into the different camps.

PRO - it will make a difference

• ArtNet News | Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, and Dozens of Others Call for Action on Inauguration Day 'This call concerns more than the art field.' Written by one of the signatories
• Dazed | Cindy Sherman & Barbara Kruger go on strike against Trump - Over 80 artists and critics are encouraging the art world to stop work, school and business, on the day of Trump’s inauguration (specifically critical of Jonathan Jones)
• Hyperallergic | Should the Art World Strike on Inauguration Day? - Will the art world in the US close down on Inauguration Day? What will that mean? #J20. Good discussion of various perspectives on a strike but less balanced in the lack of consideration of alternative options

AGAINST - People are posturing and/or there are better ways of making a stand

• ArtNet News | Artists Criticize Proposed Strike for Inauguration Day - The divisive event has art world players debating how to effectively protest Trump. (This is the counterbalance to the first article listed above) 
• The Guardian (Jonathan Jones) | has responded from across the pond with this article The 'art strike' against Trump is futile – cultural elites cannot effect change - Calling on cultural institutions to close on inauguration day only serves to make the likes of Cindy Sherman and Richard Serra feel good about themselves Very widely quoted by other articles. Maybe significant he's the only art critic who is not American who works for a liberal newspaper? I'm very much behind a lot of what he says - see below for an extract.

Yet an art strike is just about the least effective idea for resisting Trump that I have heard. The American left is in for a long, wretched period of irrelevance if this is its idea of striking back. I admire some of these artists greatly, but the notion that museums will help anything by closing their doors, or students will scare middle America into its senses by cutting art classes, tastes not of real hard-fought politics but shallow radical posturing by some very well-heeled and comfortable members of a cultural elite.

• CultureGrrl | “Staying Strong” to Get Over the Trump Hump: Whitney Director Adam Weinberg Makes His Stand Adam Weinberg went all Meryl Streep on us tonight.

I like this response by Weinberg (must be the "child of the 60s" connection!). So much so I'm going to quote his words - with my emphasis in bold

Everyone knows there’s the J20 Art Strike and we’ve been asked what we are going to do. Are we going to be closed?…We are opening our doors as wide open as possible. We are not closing down. We’re actually going to do the opposite: We’re going make the museum free—pay what you wish—all day Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Being a child of the ‘60s, all I could think of was the teach-ins [the response on college campuses, including mine, to the controversial Vietnam War]. So we are going to have a series of discussion groups that will be going on all day long. It will be open for people to bring their own contributions to this, whether their readings, artworks, songs or performances.

This our territory. This is America. And we really need to express what we believe….I feel strongly about the Whitney’s role in that. It is our role not to let them own what we think of as America but to express what we believe is America….

INDEPENDENT - we just report the news

• a-n | US artists plan to strike on Trump’s inauguration day - comes across as more ambivalent than independent
• Apollo | Artists call for cultural strike in protest at Trump inauguration
• ArtBlouin | Artists and Critics Support Anti-Trump #J20 Art Strike - reads like a direct lift from a press release!
• Art Forum | Artists and Critics Plan Widespread Art Strike During Day of Trump’s Inauguration
• Forward | The Art World Responds To Trump’s Inauguration With A Call For Strikes
• Huffington Post | Artists Call For Global Culture Strike On America’s Inauguration Day -
  The J20 Art Strike asks museums, galleries, schools, non-profits, theaters and concert halls to refrain from conducting business as usual. Fairly balanced with a hint of a slight lean towards those favouring strike action
• New York Times | Artists and Critics Call for Culture ‘Strike’ on Inauguration Day - a balanced piece with a wider range of sources for comments than most
• The Art Newspaper reports on Strikes, closures and public gatherings: the art world gears up for Trump’s inauguration - More than 80 leading artists and critics have called for museums and galleries to close on 20 January - a more intelligent piece of comment.

What's also very interesting is the number of institutions and media outlets which have not taken a stand on this or written about it. I think it's presenting a number of them with a bit of a conundrum in terms of which way to lean!

....and what do I think?

My own take on it, for what it's worth, is that a strike only works when it represents a groundswell of opinion which has been grown over time.  

A strike has to be big and it has to be solid to count for anything.

The danger of a strike organised by those who like taking stands on things they feel strongly about - without any existing connection to a wider community - is that it can become a damp squib. In which case it only serves to undermine the perspective of those taking part and emboldens those they may be protesting against.

That's why for my part I think

• there are more effective ways of making a stand
• the action taken by the Whitney Museum is far more effective in the long run. 

£30,000 BP Portrait Award 2017 - How to enter and how to get selected

This is my Annual Guide to the Call for Entries for the BP Portrait Award 2017 - how to enter and how to improve your chances of being selected for the major annual exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery next summer!

In 2016, 53 artists had their portraits selected for the 2016 Annual Exhibition of the BP Portrait Award - out of 2,557 entries from 80 countries

Will you be one of those artists in 2017?

The wall of prizewinners in 2016 - left to right First, Second and Third

What this post covers

People who win prizes read this blog post! ;)

This post covers the Basics

• a review of the entry details 
• what's different this year - the deadline is earlier! (If any of you spot anything else that has changed please leave a comment and I'll do an update.)

Plus context and background (this provides an answer to the question "What do the portraits that get selected look like?")

• The Judges - I tell you something about each Judge and give you links to find out more
• I also link (at the very end) to all my blog posts about the BP Portrait Award in the last 10 years - covering selected artists, interviews with the prizewinners and exhibition reviews - and my videos of past exhibitions.

Plus - at the end of this post - you can find my take on

• how to get selected - my suggestions for ways to improve your chances of selection - in terms of both your art and your approach to the competition
• reasons why this is a competition worth entering - including details of the significant prize money.

How to enter for those who don't like the small print

The website contains:

• The rules 
• The Digital Entry / Registration Form
• a FAQS document about the the digital entry process and judging process
• a helpful pdf document about how to photograph your work

What's different in 2017

The most important thing to tell you is that

• the closing date has been moved and is now a week earlier!
• The closing date for entries is 26 January 2017.
• Entry forms and payment of entry fees must be completed by 23.59 on Thursday 26 January 2017.

If any of you spot anything else that has changed please leave a comment and I'll do an update.

The RULES

There are no changes to the entry process or eligibility for this year’s exhibition.

..however they have moved the deadline for entries back a week!

The Rules provide the full and complete information for every entry.

They are complemented by The FAQs about How to Enter which focuses on:

• the digital entry
• the judging process
• your entry

Both are much easier to read now they're on a white background.

We can only live in hope that at some point the competition organisers will make the rules even more readable by

• increasing the font size still more (it's online - no need to be concerned about how much paper is being used!)
• increase the line spacing - so words are more readable (i.e. the font size has increased since 2016 but the line spacing remained unchanged so the words are now even more compressed)
• and/or convert The Rules to a pdf document like the FAQs!

I recommend you read The 2017 Rules three times! That's because the worst mistakes you can make when entering art competitions is to

• create a work for a competition 
• and then realise that it isn't eligible 
• submit it before you realise you breached the rules eg signed it on the front!
• or you can't present it in the right way by a deadline
• and/or you're in a rush at the end and are not quite sure what you need to do - which is when mistakes get made.

All due to the fact YOU didn't read the terms and conditions and/or the rules properly.

Note in particular that works can be disqualified - even if selected for exhibition - if they have not adhered to the rules!

Every year I try and make the rules more accessible. I review and revise it each year. I've split the rules up into sections relating to

• the artist
• the portrait

Grayson Perry vs Jonathan Jones

I read an article today which  was just plain weird.

It's is a massive snipe by Jonathan Jones who is feeling rather aggrieved with Grayson Perry. A classic case of "dealing it out but not being able to take it". READ Quote me on this, Grayson: you're not a true artist at all by

Grayson Perry has quoted my dismissal of him as ‘suburban popular culture’ on a new pot of his. But I’m no snob – and this is typical snark from an artist who makes dry jokes instead of feeling anything

This followed two things

First an announcement by Victoria Miro (his gallery) that the Serpentine Gallery has invited Grayson Perry to present The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever! next year (between 8 June - 7 September 2017 to be precise) - and the release of an image of a new pot for this exhibition. This quotes remarks made in the past by Jonathan Jones (who is also somewhat irate about the fact Grayson Perry spelt his name wrong!) who has something of a history when it comes to "not being nice" about Grayson.

Those offended by Anglo Saxon should not read the words!

Sketch of two pots for the exhibition

What the Gallery says

Perry's exhibition will tackle one of his central concerns: how contemporary art can best address a diverse cross section of society, confronting subjects that are universally human. 

What Grayson Perry says

The new works I am making for this show all have ideas about popularity hovering around them: What kind of art do people like? What subjects? Why do people like going to art galleries these days? What is the relationship of traditional art to social media?"

What Jonathan Jones says

He really is not an artist at all. No true artist can be so calculating, so stagey, so conscious of playing to the gallery. There’s a rational dryness to his art that makes it dead on arrival. His incorporation of my criticism is exactly the kind of oh-so-knowing gesture that he offers instead of any true creative fire.

Methinks the man does protest too much!

The next article I read was by ArtNet - commenting on the Guardian article READ Grayson Perry and Critic Jonathan Jones Embroiled In a Heated War of Words by Caroline Elbaor, October 12, 2016

For the record - the tweets on this article by Jonathan are gathering tweets and retweets.  Here are some of the best

This is Murial Gray, who is the first female chair of the board of governors at Glasgow School of Art as well as being a a Scottish author, broadcaster and journalist.

Jonathan Jones being egotistical, embarrassing and wrong

Quote me on this, Grayson: you're not a true artist at all https://t.co/Yx0Ci24LYz

— Muriel Gray (@ArtyBagger) October 11, 2016

She was retweeted by critic and broadcaster Waldemar Januszczck

@victoriamiro @Philippa_Perry @SerpentineUK Appalling! Quoting the arriviste, Jonathan Jones, instead of ME! Have you no shame Perry!

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) October 8, 2016

also who in turn was retweeted by Jonathan Yeo, the artist - which is where I picked it up!

What a prize idiot Jonathan Jones has turned out to be. https://t.co/ZXemYvyiHh

— George Szirtes (@george_szirtes) October 10, 2016

Then there was the poet and prizewinner George Szirtes's comment

What a prize idiot Jonathan Jones has turned out to be. https://t.co/ZXemYvyiHh

— George Szirtes (@george_szirtes) October 10, 2016

I think the general consensus is that Jonathan Jones hasn't got a clue!  I've been noticing his articles have been very variable in recent times. This was something of a nadir!

The second thing that happened was that Grayson Perry met the Queen last night at a major celebration of the arts at the Royal Academy of Arts Queen honours Grayson Perry and other leaders in fields of visual arts and architecture (although I think the Telegraph writer misunderstood what was going on!) - which of course made for a spendid visual anachronism!

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh listen as Grayson Perry RA introduces Martin Parr, his nominee for a @royalacademy award pic.twitter.com/dyRluQ1iH2

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 11, 2016

I wonder why Jonathan wasn't covering that?

For the record - my view on the article is as follows (as posted on my Facebook Page earlier today)

Let me be very clear - if I ever had to choose between Jonathan Jones and Grayson Perry, I'd choose Grayson every time for bringing some genuine original thought into commentary on contemporary art and society.

£30,000 BP Portrait Award 2016 - How to enter and how to get selected

The Call for Entries for the BP Portrait Award 2016 was published yesterday on the National Portait Gallery website - so it's time to write my Annual Guide to how to enter and how to improve your chances of being selected! Many of those who've been selected in the past have told me they've found it very helpful.

The closing date for digital entries from artists all over the world is 2nd February 2016.

BP Portrait 2015 - after the Awards Ceremony
Second Prizewinner Michael Gaskell (for the 4th time!) (link is to a video interview with him)
with Peter Monkman (2009 Winner) who was one of the Judges in 2015

This year the image which will feature on the competition website's home page is that of second prizewinner Michael Gaskell who has now won second prize a total of four times!

What this post covers

This post covers:

• 12 reasons why this is a competition worth entering - which includes details of the significan prize money
• How to enter for those who don't like the small print. I won't cover every last detail - so you still have to read ALL the conditions but sometimes it helps to have an introduction first! :)
• The Judges - plus a video of a judge explaining how the process works
• How to get selected - my suggestions for how to improve your chances of selection. Plus a video of a past winner explaining the process and how it worked for her.
• The Exhibition
• links to past posts about previous BP Portrait Award winners and exhibition reviews on this blog going back to 2007

What's different in 2016

The major change this year is that the conditions and the rules now have a white background and are a lot easier to read. 

For those who didn't enter last year the major change in 2015 was that postal entries are no longer accepted and the entry is process is digital.

If any of you spot anything else that has changed please leave a comment and I'll do an update.

BP Portrait 2015: Judges's Choice for First Prize on the left
'Annabelle and Guy' by Matan Ben Cnaan,  
Winner of the BP Portrait Award 2015 Visitors' Choice on the right
'Juanito' by José Luis Corella
Photo © Katherine Tyrrell

12 great reasons to enter the BP Portrait Award 2016

This is a "game changer" of a prize. It typically has a very positive impact on the careers of artists who win the top prize - for all the reasons listed below

Ten Facebook Pages about Art in 2014

I decided to do a round up of 10 Facebook Pages I enjoy for the end of the year.  It's very difficult to choose just ten and I have to emphasise there were many others I could also have chosen.

I tried to get a split across the different categories of art on Facebook.  I also decided to leave out specific museums and art galleries and art societies as it seemed invidious to choose!

So here is my final choice. You can see what other people chose by looking at the tag #ArtOnFacebook2014

Art News

The Art Newspaper 

https://www.facebook.com/theartnewspaper

The Facebook Page for The Art Newspaper is one of my favourite places for alerting me to what's going on in the wider art economy / context.
It links to articles on its website - which in turn are derived from articles in the actual newspaper - except some are just online!

The Guardian Culture

https://www.facebook.com/guardianculture
One of my favourite sites is Guardian Arts and Design section - which gets a teeny bit lost within Guardian culture. I do wish they'd give it a feed all to itself! Here's an example of the sort of post I like - it's all about the National Gallery in London - National Gallery review – Frederick Wiseman focuses on the minutiae

Hyperallergic 

https://www.facebook.com/hyperallergic
Hyperallergic is one of the Facebook Pages I like - for consciousness raising posts like:

• this one Deaccessioning Crisis Has UK Museums Group Contemplating Stricter Guidelines
• ...and this one - Penguin Group Targets Artist Over Satirical Art Book - even though Hyperallergic's repeat of this post dated March 2014 failed to highlight the fact that Parody laws came into effect in the UK on 1 October 2014!

Art Fund Facebook Page Photos

The Art Fund

https://www.facebook.com/theartfund
This is a wonderful site for a wonderful organisation which supports museums and galleries and helps them to buy works of art - and allows me as a subscribing member to see them at reduced rates! It also has one of the best managed and best written pages relating to exhibitions, art galleries and museums. It works hard at arousing interest and sharing what's happening around the country.

Art Materials

Jackson's Art Supplies 

https://www.facebook.com/JacksonsArt
I'm a fan of suppliers of art materials and Jackson's Art Supplies - based in Stoke Newington has one of the best pages. It's closely tied into their blog and regularly features interviews with artists, artwork by artists who are clients as well as highlighting lots of different aspects of art supplies which are new, changed and/or are worth highlighting.

Most of all it's INFORMATIVE and you don't feel like you're being hitover the head by the marketing end of what is a commercial operation. I'll be interested to see how it tackles the new rules re Facebook for 2015 - I'm guessing they won't need to change much.

I can also recommend their blog http://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/ which is also one of my regular reads often via the links which pop up on this Facebook Page.

Unison Colour Soft Pastels

https://www.facebook.com/unisoncolour
I regularly "tune in" to the Facebook Page to get my dose of colour. Plus all those lovely pastels make me want to get mine out!

Artists

Botanical Artists Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/botanicalartists/
The Botanical Artists Group on Facebook is now huge ( joined when it had much less than 1,000 members). There is a very high standard of art being posted by its members. What marks it out as well as a good place for art on Facebook is the very high quality of the moderation (no spam or spammers here!) and the tremendous helpful and collegiate nature of the posting. The group is closed - and I've learned over time that this tends to be the best way of operating a group of like minds.

Ester Roi 

https://www.facebook.com/esterroiart
Ester Roi is an artist who I know well. Except she's not just an artist she's also an inventor - and she has mastered the art of promoting her art of Facebook. Check out the number of likes for her page - and how many people are talking about her page.

Sophie Ploeg Art

https://www.facebook.com/sophieploegart
I've been following Sophie Ploeg for a while. Sophie is great at spotting interesting exhibitions about the type of art she is interested in and for giving you close up details plus showing you all the different ways she gets her art out and about - which this year included an award-winning display at the National Portrait Gallery. We just need to persuade her to move some of the interesting discussions on her account over to her Facebook Page!

Robin Purcell Paints

https://www.facebook.com/robinpurcellpaints
I just LOVE looking at the watercolours painted by Robin Purcell. I want to know how to paint like this - and keep thinking that if I stare at her paintings for long enough I'll be able to work out how.

some of the images on Robin Purcell Paints Facebook Page
- now and again we get a demo of how it's done!

Alan Woollett Art

https://www.facebook.com/alanwoollettbirdart
Alan's approach to sharing his art - before, during, on its way to the customer, in exhibitions and after it's been hung in its new home certainly has a lot of fans. That and the fact he's drawing birds! What I find fascinating is Alan has neither blog nor website and I rather suspect a lot of his art sells before it's even finished!

[OK - so for those who are counting - there are in fact 11 Pages. I told you there were lots of good pages out there and it was very difficult to choose - plus I lost count!]

Hennessy Portrait Prize 2014 - shortlisted artists and winner

I've just discovered that if you are in the UK you can access RTE - and hence you can watch a short preview on RTE of the inaugural Hennessy Portrait Prize 2014.  Here's the link to the programme. It should start at 4 minutes 42 second.

Hennessy Portrait Prize 

This is a new prize open to artists resident on the island of Ireland or an Irish citizen living abroad

The Hennessy Portrait Prize was launched in March 2014. Open to artists in all disciplines, the competition’s aim is to showcase and encourage interest in contemporary portraiture, and to raise the profile of the long-standing and constantly evolving National Portrait Collection at the National Gallery of Ireland.

These were the Rules of the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2014. (pdf). Entry was digital. The only condition on media is that

The portrait must be of a size and medium that could reasonably be exhibited. 

Shortlisted artists

Educator Dr Declan Long, artist Donald Teskey RHA, art critic Cristín Leach Hughes and art author Janet McLean selected the shortlist of twelve finalists

Photograph courtesy RTÉ Presspack

The short-listed artworks and artists for the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2014 - according the official website - are listed below. You can see all shortlisted works in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland until February 8th, 2015

Note that the artworks chosen are a mix of oil paintings, photographs and videos.  I rather like the idea that paintings are supposed to look like paintings and photos look like photos!

What do YOU think of the notion that a portrait competition should include photography and video?

Shortlisted artists - highlighting the winner

• Links to the artist's website (if discoverable) are in the artist's name. 
• Links to the artwork are also provided - and you'll find these also provide more details about the artist.

How to enter the £30,000 BP Portrait Award 2015 - and improve your chances of being selected

The website for the BP Portrait Exhibition 2015 is now online - complete with information about how to enter. As I have done in previous years, I've compiled my very popular Making A Mark Guide to help make sure you have spotted all the really relevant "need to know" facts.

Read my guide (below) first and you'll get the hang of the official pages more quickly! Or at least that's what a lot of the artists who enter tell me every year!

Thomas Kanter, winner of the BP Portrait Award 2014
meets Winner of the 2013 Award Susanne du Toit

This post covers:

• the major change to the entry process for BP Portrait Award 2015 is the introduction of DIGITAL SUBMISSION for 100% of the entries. There is no more postal entries - which I've already alerted people about in BP Portrait Award 2015 entry goes digital
• why this is a competition worth entering 
• how to get selected
• a review of the entry details for those who don't like very small white print on a black background! 
• links to past posts about the BP Portrait Award and exhibition reviews on this blog

It is of course no substitute for the real thing and I won't cover every last detail - so you still have to read all the conditions.

Don't forget to let me know if your entry gets selected!

What's different in 2015

The major change for 2015 is that entry is going to be 100% via digital image submission.

We will no longer be accepting postal entries for the competition. All submissions must be made online via the website.

The entrants who are successful in this round will then be invited to hand-deliver or courier their work to a venue in London for the second round of judging and final exhibition selection. 

The benefits of the move to 100% digital submission are:

• it opens up entry to artists who may be seriously deterred by the expenses associated with the previous requirement to submit the actual portrait painting. 
• it's going to cut costs significantly for ALL those who submit - but don't make the cut for the second round of selection. 
• The only cost will be the entry fee and any costs associated with a decent digital image. 
• Most can eliminate the travel or courier costs totally and forget about the expense of framing for exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery
• it saves time - no more visits to the framers for most artists, or the couriers or the National Portrait Gallery
• it's much more cost-effective for artists, judges and the gallery!  You may be surprised when I say judges and gallery - but remember the paintings had to be stored - and the judges had to sit for a very long time while the portraits are paraded in front of them!  

The challenges associated with digital submission

• the competition increases significantly. Last year, in the first year of digital submission - the entries increased by over 20%
• you need access to a computer even if you don't have one or use one
• you MUST submit a good quality digital image
• if you can't afford the fees of a professional photographer you may need to learn about how to take photograph and create a digital image! Fortunately the competition organisers have provided a comprehensive guide to How to photograph your work.

Why enter the BP Portrait Award 2015?

10 reasons to enter this competition

This week's changes on Facebook - and what to do next

You know that happy habit Facebook has of changing things without telling you?

They did it again on Thursday - and I think all the changes we're now seeing are linked to two things

• their new newswire service see https://www.facebook.com/FBNewswire AND
• changes to newsfeeds to get rid of spam and junk content

On the face of it, the first change is nothing for to us to get excited about - it's just Facebook trying to muscle in on the regular News newsfeeds that people enjoy following. 

The second change is of more consequence. First of all it has had a major effect on the Pages Newsfeed when in the Facebook Pages mode.

We now need to understand how our behaviour affects:

• what we see in future and 
• the extent to which what we do affects what is seen by us and by others.

Let me explain. (For those who prefer art and are missing "who painted this?" - try and puzzle out the painting - I'll fill in the name and artist tomorrow).

Woman in Black reading a newspaper (1912) by Rik Wouters
Oil on canvas
Royal Museum of Antwerp

Learning about Art & the Art Business - Making A Mark Art Blog Awards 2013

The third section of the 2013 Making A Mark Art Blog Awards is about Learning about Art and the Art Business.  There are three awards:

• The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal
• The Make Me Think Gong
• The Best Book by an Art Blogger Blue Ribbon

This particular section of the awards focuses on our personal development - whether that's via:

• regular posts on a blog wholly focused on the development of artists
• a really good series of posts on a particular topic of major relevance to artists
• a new art instruction book
• a new book about the artist and the art business

For some reason there's a very strong art business flavour to this year's award winners.

The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal

The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal values those art blogs which aim to share useful information for artists - including what they have learned with/from others

Previous winners are:

• 2012:  Belinda del Pesco (Belinda del Pesco Fine Art)
• 2011:  Leslie Saeta, Dreama Tolle Perry & guests Artists Helping Artists on Blog Talk Radio
• 2010:  Stapleton Kearns (Stapleton Kearns)  
• 2009:  Roz Stendahl (Roz wound up) 
• 2008:  James Gurney (Gurney Journey)
• 2007:  Charley Parker (Lines and Colours) 
• 2006:  Justin Clayton (Daily Paintings) 

BP Portrait Award 2014 - Call for Entries

The Call for Entries for the £30,000 BP Portrait Award 2014 has been published - so it's time to write my very popular annual review of the entry process.

People who win prizes read this blog post! ;)

This post covers

• what's different this year - because I've spotted a few changes! 
• why this is a competition worth entering 
• how to get selected
• a review of the entry details for those who don't like small white print on a black background! 
• links to past posts about the BP Portrait Award and exhibition reviews on this blog

BP Portrait Award 2014 website
featuring Self-portrait by Ewan McClure, 2013

NOTE: All quotations are from the BP Portrait Award website. 

What's different in 2014

Paintings will be judged anonymously so should not be signed on the front. 

• Selection has always been anonymous. However  I think this 'no signature on the front' is a new requirement and it if it is then it's significant.  I have heard artists pass comment in the past about the fact that entries included the artists signature - and asking questions about how the competition could be realistically be considered to be anonymous. Maybe this is the response.
• The Third Prize has been reinstated and the  prize money has increased from £53,000 to £61,000 - see below for how this is divided up 
• The deadline to return the completed entry form online and pay the fees is Monday 3 February 2014. That's 10 days earlier than last year, so those who've entered before need to make they've got their 2014 calendars marked up with the date. There's also a reminder that you need to send by recorded delivery of you want proof of delivery.
• The rules now highlight that Self portraits and group portraits are permitted. Perhaps there has been confusion on this point? I certainly mentioned last year to the NPG that I thought it was a very great pity that there was no award for Group Portraits as it's difficult to pull off a good one and this really ought to be recognised. 

Why enter the BP Portrait Award?

Here are 10 reasons to enter this competition

1. It's one of the most prestigious art prizes in the world.  

25th November 2013 - Who's made a mark this week?

Turner and the Sea is a major exhibition of marine paintings by Joseph William Mallord Turner which opened last week at the National Maritime Museum.  The exhibition continues until 21 April 2014.

I've not yet seen it as yet but have received a wonderful packet of images from the nice people at the Museum - and it looks stunning!  The one below I see on a regular basis in its normal home at the National Gallery - however it often succeeds in making me feel slightly sea-sick in empathy for those waiting on Calais Pier to get into the boats!

Calais Pier, with French Poissards Preparing for Sea: An English Packet arriving

by J.M.W. Turner, oil on canvas, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1803

© The National Gallery, London

Here are the reviews to date:

• Turner and the Sea, The National Maritime Museum, review - The Telegraph rates it 4****
• Jackie Wullschlager reviews Turner’s sea paintings at the National Maritime Museum for the Financial Times
• The Guardian has two articles:
• Turner & the Sea exhibition showcases painter's marine art in Greenwich
• JMW Turner: master of the ocean

Artists and Art Blogs

Artists

• Lisa Jardine last week commented on Grayson Perry and the 'national treasure' problem in The Guardian

The 'national treasure' label may suit our more cuddly public figures, but Perry is a powerful, discomfiting artist

• The Telegraph gave us Frank Auerbach: An interview with one of our greatest living painters last week.  This is a slideshow of the paintings in the current exhibition Raw Truth: Auerbach-Rembrandt, runs October 4 to December 1 at Ordovas, London W1 (ordovasart.com) then December 12 to March 16 at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (rijksmuseum.nl)

Botanical Art

• Shevaun Docherty (Botanical Sketches and Other Stories) demonstrates how she gets to know a plant before she begins to paint a plant properly - in Getting to know you
• Botanical Artist Anna Mason has been interviewed by Jacksons Art for their blog - see Getting to know…Anna Mason, Botanical Watercolourist with added ‘Wow’ Factor

Drawing and sketching

Essential Listening: Democracy Has Bad Taste

Democracy Has Bad Taste is the first of this year's Reith Lectures by Grayson Perry.  

It is essential listening for all artists and those involved in viewing art, curating art, selling art and collecting art.

It's now available to listen to on the BBC Radio Player

I want to talk about the issue of quality because I think this is one of the most burning issues around art – how do we tell if something is good?
Grayson Perry

I love Grayson Perry.  He's my kind of contemporary artist - accessible and subversive at one and the same time!  That's subversive as in saying what everybody's thinking - even if they daren't say it out loud in case it harms their careers. One could describe him as an intellectual, articulate and highly visible version of Banksy.

To deliver an original thesis which develops across four lectures, have them subjected to cross-questioning from audiences of hundreds and broadcast to millions beyond that, takes intellectual rigour, a deal of wisdom and (always a bonus) a dollop of wit. Grayson has these qualities in spades.Sue Lawley

I like the fact that:

• he creates art in what are commonly seen as unfashionable art media - ceramics and tapestries
• he exists and his art is popular despite and not because of the art establishment
• he became a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and won the Turner Prize  despite being in his own words nothing more than a "transvest*ite potter from Essex"
• he still resorts to a pencil and paper and drawing in order to get an idea worked out
• he unsettles all the chaps with his cross-dressing.  I find that females almost universally love him!
• and finally.....he's one of the most articulate people talking today about art. He makes art accessible for very many people.

For me he slices through the cr*p and astutely finds new ways of making his point - in ways which nobody else seems to be able to replicate - which can only be a good thing!

I'm quite surprised to be here tonight, because two days ago I had a phone call asking if I would be a judge for the Not the Turner Prize. And two years ago I was asked by the Stuckists to dress as a clown and come and be on the steps outside, so I am thrilled and slightly surprised to be here.
Grayson Perry - Winner of the Turner Prize (2003)

Reith Lectures & Grayson Perry - links to related websites

Learning about Art & the Art Business - Making A Mark Awards 2012

On to the next part of the 2012 Making A Mark Art Blog Awards - this is the section related to Learning about Art and the Art Business.

There are three awards:

• The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal
• The Make Me Think Gong
• The Best Book by an Art Blogger Blue RibbonThe Home Front

This particular section of the awards focuses on our personal development - whether that's via:

• regular posts on a blog wholly focused on the development of artists
• a really good series of posts on a particular topic of major relevance to artists
• a new art instruction book
• a new book about the artist and the art business

The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal

The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal values those art blogs which aim to share useful information for artists - including what they have learned with/from others

2nd December 2012 - Who's made a mark this week?

The Dobell Prize for Drawing is Australia's most prestigious prize for drawing.  Sad to say, but 2012 is the last year it's going to be awarded.  Apparently there are too many prizes for drawing! So it's to be replaced by the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial which will start in 2014.

Dobell Prize for Drawing 2012 
winner: Gareth Sansom Made in Wadeye 2012, 
suite of 20 drawings on white cartridge paper, ink, lead pencil, graphite, coloured watercolour pencil, 
felt-tipped pen, ballpoint pen, egg tempera, earth, collage,
29.7 × 42 cm each sheet, 119 × 210 cm overall

The 2012 $30,000 Dobell Drawing Prize was won by Melbourne artist Gareth Sansom (age 73) for his drawing Made in Wadeye.  Wadeye is an aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. His drawing beat beat 638 entries and 46 finalists to win the very last prize.  It comprises a suite of 20 drawings measuring 119 × 210 cm overall. Each drawing drawn on white cartridge paper (29.7 × 42 cm) using ink, lead pencil, graphite, coloured watercolour pencil, felt-tipped pen, ballpoint pen, egg tempera, earth, collage. 

The winning work, Made in Wadeye, was made during the artist’s visit to a remote Aboriginal settlement south-west of Darwin during September 2012, where his wife was engaged in clinical work as a doctor. Reference to the Wadeye community can be found in a small, collaged, photocopied map, and earth, captured in the egg tempera paint. But although the visit to Wadeye was the impetus for the series, it was not its subject. As the artist states: ‘I make stream-of-consciousness drawings with sources going back years

Artists and Art Blogs

Drawing and Sketching

Urban Sketchers were out in force this weekend. On Saturday

• Urban Sketchers Australia had their first sketchcrawl in Sydney
• Urban Sketchers London had their 3rd Sketchcrawl - see South Kensington Sketchcrawl on December 1st.  
• Here's one of my sketches from the day.  I'd suggested we try South Kensington as it's got museums if the weather is inclement - and it's got a skating rink outside the Natural History Museum and an excellent high level cafe from which to draw the skaters!  The trick is to remember to draw all those clinging to the barriers as well as those who are motoring around the rink! (Plus, earlier in the week, I also had
  Chocolate cake at Kensington Palace Café)

Skaters at the Natural History Museum Ice Rink
pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook, 8" x 10"

© Katherine Tyrrell

Landscape

• One of the interesting consequences of my new challenge "Who Painted This" is that people often seem to be looking at an artist's paintings in a new light.  Fred J Marsh (Painting Light by Fred Marsh) is one such.  In Hawkesbury River, Sydney- Arthur Streeton and I Fred reflects on the fact he painted the Hawkesbury River recently without realising he was very close to where Arthur Streeton painted "The purple noon’s transparent might" (and the subject of Who painted this #5).  He identifies that there is a spot called Streeton's Lookout - so if anybody else fancies a go at the view this is the place to go.
• I'm a big fan of Robin Purcell's paintings and loved her retrospective post Path to MCWA ...fond memories of Paintings and Jurors past.  Robin has just earned Master Signature Membership status with the California Watercolor Association for having exhibited in Six National Exhibitions.
• Sonya Chasey (Artwork from Hendaye) doesn't post often - but I very like the landscape artwork which appears when she does
• The Virtual Paintout in December is Slovakia

Mural Painting

• Jimmy Savile: Banksy-style mural appears outside BBC Television Centre - whether it's Banksy or not, there's certainly something very pointed and appropriate about a mural of a small child throwing a Jim'll Fix It badge down a drain on a hoarding opposite the BBC television Centre.  Small wonder it was painted over within an hour if it's appearing - which seems like the visual art equivalent of "looking the other way" and "sweeping it under the carpet".  I'd have thought more of the BBC if they'd left it up!

Portraiture

• Daphne Todd, the ex President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and BP Portrait Award Winner, talks about portraiture, painting from life, her time at Heatherley's, female artists and submitting work to an art competition in a very articulate interview on YouTube. I'm going to be doing an interview with her on the 10th December at the opening of her solo show of paintings, featuring oils painted as Official Tour artist to TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall during their tour of South Africa and Tanzania, at the Mall Galleries (10th - 23rd December 2012).  You can see more of her portrait paintings on her website

Pastels and Pencils

• Some amazing coloured pencil sculptures are featured in Lionel Bawden’s Colored Pencil Sculptures by Nastia Voynovskaya on Hi-Fructose.  Lionel Bawden is an Australian artist and previous winner of the Wynne Prize working in sculpture, performance, installation and painting. He uses hexagonal Staedtler coloured pencils for his sculptures and you can see more of them in the Works section of his website.
• I put a new portfolio together on my website this week.  It's called Foodie Drawings by Katherine Tyrrell and it comprises my sketches of food and drink from my travels.

Who painted this?

• Who painted this? #6 - here's your latest challenge - and it's cabbages!  Do you know how many people have painted cabbages?
• Sue Smith won last week's Who painted this? #5 and I've now rechristened her "Speedy" Sue Smith Sue's Sketch Blog).(Sue also won "Who Painted This #3" ! )

Art Books

• I've updated Makingamark's Top 10 Fine Art Books in November 2012 after a bit of a hiatus.  Do you have any of the books in the top 10?

Art Business and Marketing

Copyright

• Brian Sherwin (FASO Fine Art Views) has Some Thoughts Concerning International Copyright

Marketing Art

• Aletta de Wal published an article about Introducing the ABC’s of Art Marketing: Appreciating Your Audience on Empty Easel. You can also find Aletta on Artist Career Training (A.C.T.)
• You can also view the Email Archives of A.C.T.'s Monthly Newsletter "ArtMatters!". Here's a couple:
• The Inside Story of Grants for Artists
• The Inside Story of Art Licensing

Art Collectors / Art Economy

• It was always too good to last! I can be heard cheering from the sidelines as Works by Damien Hirst lose 30 per cent of their value, while one third fail to sell at all.  It appears oversupply is at least partly accountable for the drop in valuations - particularly in relation to the "luxury goods productions" of later years.  There's a lesson in there somewhere for all artists.........

Art Competitions

Masai Woman by Jeanette Jobson

colored pencil and pastel, 25''x19''

currently on display in the

Portrait Society of Canada 2012 Portrait Exhibition

© Jeanette Jobson

• The Turnip Prize is intended as an antidote to The Turner Prize.  You can see more about it on Facebook or read mopre about it in this Daily Mail article..... Shock absorbers, balls of dough and a broken stone... The bizarre entries to this year's Turnip Prize
• Jeanette Jobson (Illustrated Life) has an artwork 'Masai Woman' (see right) in the Portrait Society of Canada's 2012 Portrait Competition 'The Miracle of the Portrait'.  This is the Voting Page for the People's Choice award.  
• I'm expecting an announcement about the BP Portrait Award 2013 within days - and there'll be an overview of the process of submitting a work on this blog as soon as the Call for Entries has been published

Art Crime

• It appears the Marcos Art Collection could generate a few new books about art crime and hunting down missing paintings!  The Telegraph article Van Gogh among 146 missing Marcos paintings indicates that 146 paintings - including works by Picasso, Rembrandt and Van Gogh - collected by the Marcos family 'could be anywhere'.

They didn't only hoard shoes. Former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda amassed a remarkable art collection, paid for with stolen funds, and many of the masterpieces remain missing.  

Art Education

Tips and techniques

• Stapleton Kearns (Stapleton Kearns) has some useful tips and cautionary notes about Sanding Acrylic Gesso and reclaiming oil 
• Breaking Free From your Photos...Painting Winter - Karen Margulis (Painting my World) offers some tips for how she uses reference photos when the weather is not so good while at the same time avoiding copying the photograph
• Belinda Lindhardt has developed a YouTube video to show you How to extend the short stubs of your coloured pencils
• When Artists Unify - by Casey Klahn (Pastel Worksop)

Art Exhibitions

Art Exhibitions in London

• I posted my periodic review of London Art Exhibitions - Autumn/Winter 2012.  There's a reason why London has the reputation of being the top art city!
• Antony Gormley's latest exhibition is Model at the White Cube in Bermondsey (144 – 152 Bermondsey Street London SE1 3TQ) - this is the Telegraph's review and this is Jonathan Jones review in The Guardian. It runs until 10 February 2013.
• Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire is at the British Library 9 November 2012 - 2 April 2013. 200 objects document the Mughal empire from the 16th to the 19th century.  This is the Guardian review of the exhibition

Art Society Exhibitions

• The Annual Exhibition of the New English Art Club has opened at the Mall Galleries and continues until Sunday 9th December.  
• You can also see some of the members' works online
• This is the NEAC Blog - New English Art Club - although there's no posts about the Private View of the exhibition as yet.
• To coincide with the Annual Open, the NEAC Drawing School is putting on a schedule of workshops, talks and demonstrations this week - all of which are FREE.  On Tuesday 4th - Julie Jackson - 11 till 3 - Workshop on sketchbooks, including information gathering and an informal sketchbook surgery.  
• Julie also takes the NEAC Drawing Schools' Wednesday Evening Life Classes at the Royal Academy Schools

Art Bloggers

• David J Teter (Avid Art) has work in a Show called 6 Inch Squared at the Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa California

Art Museums and Galleries

• Edward Winkelman (edward_ winkleman) documents what it was like for his Gallery post Sandy - see A Short Slide Show of our Sandy Vacation.  Here's hoping business is back to usual in as short a time as possible.

I imagine it's tough when you're not on the scene of such a disaster to imagine what it's really like. The types of responses to accounts by arts writers I've read in some places strike me as so heartless and, well, some of them downright clueless, that I thought I'd share what it feels like to have the business you've struggled to build for years get washed away overnight.

• I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Grayson Perry. I'm very pleased to hear that he has donated his Hogarth-inspired tapestries to the Arts Council Collection and the British Council.  The best bit about this is that they can be loaned out to any Gallery.  The making of the collection of tapestries, collectively known as The Vanity of Small Differences, were documented in the excellent Channel 4 series All in the Best Possible Taste.
• Charley Parker (Lines and Colors) has reviewed the new New Rijksmuseum website

Art Materials and Supplies

• What is Archival Paper? was intended to address the little bit of confusion I come across from time to time about what exactly is archival paper.
• Yesterday I posted the results of the two opinion polls I've recently set up with a view to finding out what people think is the best artist-quality watercolour paint - see W&N: the best brand of watercolour paint for artists.

Techies

Those of you followed the big PC vs Apple debate nearly three years ago when I was buying a new computer will know I plumped for an Apple iMac.  Not only that but I subsequently bought an iPad and an iMac for my Mother.  It's going to be rounded off this week when my better half finally places an order for his very own iMac!

Neverthless as an ex PC person I remain vigilant about security - even though there have been absolutely no issues to date!  However I spotted this article this week Securing Your Mac: A Guide for Reasonable People, Version 1.0 which is on TUAC - The Unofficial Apple Weblog by TJ Luoma. It has some sensible advice.

and finally......

This is a great collection of images of women and cats on Flickr.  Who knew there were so many or that this has been a perennial subject over the years?