15Th April 2013 - Who's Made A Score This Week?

For whatever of y'all who missed this post inwards the foremost calendar week of Apr - Making Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mark notches upwardly 2 1000000 visits !  This weblog has also had good over 3 1000000 page views.

Thank y'all all for reading my blog! :)

[Note: this was supposed to live yesterday's weblog post as well as hence I heard the awful tidings virtually the bombs inwards Boston as well as couldn't settle to finishing this - hence at that spot volition live 2 posts today!]

On to the characteristic detail this week..........

Those who enjoy Maggie Smith in her roles over the years - as well as latterly in Downton Abbey - mightiness similar to know that she has forthwith been painted for the nation past times 1 of my ex-tutors James Lloyd.  You tin forthwith view a contemporary portrait of her inwards everyday clothes - out of grapheme - inwards Room 35 inwards the Ground flooring Lerner Contemporary Galleries at the National Portrait Gallery, London. Admission free.

Dame Margaret Natalie ('Maggie') Smith past times James Lloyd
© National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG 6955)
Oil on canvas, 1902 x 1202mm (74 7/8 x 47 3/8 inches)
commissioned past times the National Portrait Gallery
amongst the back upwardly of J.P. Morgan
through the Fund for New Commissions, 2012

It is a large canvass only I don’t think it’s flashy. I was afterwards a for sure understated grandeur. The background is quite stark, as well as apart from the patterned flooring at that spot is trivial color bar the neutral greys as well as browns. This directs the concentration on to the warm flesh tones of the face. And amongst a confront as well as grapheme similar Dame Maggie Smith’s that’s definitely to a greater extent than than enough
I learnt that Dame Maggie had been reluctant to cause got her portrait painted inwards the past, as well as at my foremost coming together amongst her, her opening words were, “Poor you”. This was quite the reverse from my ain feelings, as well as everyone to whom I mentioned the committee was extremely envious (I lost count of the issue of people who offered to build tea during the sittings!)’.

James Lloyd

Artists as well as Art Blogs

Art on Television

Here inwards the U.K. we've latterly had insights into 2 various artists - as well as I can't quite believe I'm writing virtually the 2 of them inwards the same sentence!

• Michael Portillo, an ex-politician as well as ex-Government Minister, has developed a rattling overnice career every bit a presenter of tv set documentaries.  He's also rattling keen on fine art as well as is the Chair of the Mall Galleries!  I thought he did an fantabulous project of providing an insight into the Castilian side of Picasso.  See Perspectives - Portillo on Picasso on ITV Player.  You've got 22 days left to sentiment it
• By agency of contrast, nosotros watched Jack Vettriano showed us what he does all day.  I cause got to say I wasn't hugely impressed although I mightiness cause got been to a greater extent than hence if he'd genuinely directed the photoshoot to render the photos to go from for the paintings!  See BBC iPlayer  - What make artists make all day - Jack Vettriano.  You cause got 2 days left to spotter it.
• The 2nd episode of the serial of BBC4 Art Programme The High Art of the Low Countries was called "Boom or Bust" (available on iPlayer). 
•  This episode looks at the Golden Age of Dutch paradigm inwards the 17th century as well as how this was generated past times an economical blast based on an expanding middle class. Unfortunately, it took watching it 3 times to acquire to the cease every bit Andrew Graham Dixon's mellifluous tones cash inwards one's chips on sending me to sleep.  
• The adjacent episode - to live broadcast on Th - is The High Art of the Low Countries: Daydreams as well as Nightmares
• Jonathan Jones of The Guardian comments on the US of America TV serial Da Vinci's Demons in Da Vinci's Demons: the novel TV exhibit that totally reinvents Leonardo's life

Botanical Art

Last calendar week was a major calendar week for 1 of my passions - botanical fine art - hence delight excuse the excess of botanical fine art at the moment!  On Fri as well as Sabbatum nosotros had the 2 major annual exhibitions inwards the U.K. opened upwardly at the same fourth dimension inside a curt walk of 1 another.

• the RHS Annual Exhibition of Botanical Art - was inwards the Horticultural Halls inwards Victoria - as well as saw 8 botanical artists from all over the world (Australia, South Korea, Netherlands, South Africa as well as Turkey every bit good every bit the UK) go habitation this weekend amongst Gold Medals
• meanwhile the largest botanical fine art exhibition inwards the basis - aka the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists opened at Central Hall, Westminster - reverse Westminster Abbey.

Displays past times 29 Botanical Artists from all over the world
in the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition
inwards the Lindley Hall

London saw a major influx of botanical artists who visited 1 inwards the morning time as well as the other inwards the afternoon as well as hence went habitation inspired to improve their submissions adjacent year!

The Language of Flowers
One corner of the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists 2013
Central Hall Westminster

To appointment I've alone done a duo of posts every bit I was "running on empty" past times Sabbatum afternoon.  A 3rd bout of the nasty põrnikas has set me depression 1 time to a greater extent than as well as given my upcoming surgical operation I'm wanting to acquire gratis of respiratory problems before having an anaesthetic.

So to a greater extent than to come upwardly - only here's the ones hence far:<

• Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art
• Prizewinners at Society of Botanical Artists Annual Exhibition 2013

Jarnie Godwin

In the meantime, hither are some blogs as well as weblog posts past times as well as virtually artists who pigment plants as well as flowers

• Jarnie Godwin of Sketchbook Squirrel - who lastly calendar week graduated from her SBA Distance Learning Diploma inwards Botanical Art amongst a Dith a distinction.  You tin view her amongst her go inwards the Diploma department of the exhibit on the right. She doesn't usually await similar this - yet she's looking upwardly at my photographic tv camera which was held high higher upwardly my caput hence nosotros could acquire the photograph without the smoothen from its covering!
• Ten Walks inwards Virginia which is forthwith on her website - as well as which I saw inwards the master copy exhibition inwards London inwards 2007 (see RHS Gold Medal Botanical Art 23 February 2007).
• Lara is also the principal illustrator of Flora of Virginia which was published to bully acclaim at the cease of 2012.  This is the foremost Flora (of plans as well as flowers growing naturally) of Virginia since the rattling foremost 1 which was published inwards 1762!  It's collected 5 reviews which rated it every bit a 5* volume hence far!  Apparently it's also going digital!  Does this hateful all florilegia volition cease upwardly going digital?
• Open Day at which artists tin cause got their go assessed lastly week
• Jessica Shepherd (Inky Leaves) writes virtually The Botanical Imagination - as well as specifically virtually a novel exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery as well as how his photographic found portraits past times Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932) influenced Rory McEwen - who's got an exhibition opening at Kew Gardens adjacent month!

Painting

• Here's I is for Ipads for Artists 

Plein Air

• I've been following The Plein Air Convention on its Facebook Page. It ran from 10-14 Apr inwards Monterey inwards California - only people turned upwardly early on as well as I jurist they stayed belatedly too!  It looks every bit if it's been sunny only rattling windy as well as a tad chilly.  
• I was a chip disappointed that at that spot wasn't to a greater extent than coverage of what was happening - as it happened - as well as the paintings people were producing eg the website didn't update for the duration of the Conference as well as I couldn't tell the departure betwixt the paintings which 'marketed' who was at that spot as well as the actual paintings beingness produced on location.  I think peradventure the organisers mightiness desire to review their reportage arrangements - mainly from the perspective of non every likes Facebook or is a member!  How virtually a weblog adjacent time? :)  (I jurist I'm using Urban Sketchers every bit the model here!)
• However I am enjoying looking at the album of photos of the Monterey Plein Air Conference 2013  on Mark Fehlman's Facebook account.

Plein Air artists paradigm on Asilomar Beach during the Plein Air Convention

Nevertheless participants were blogging!

• Louise Sackett (The Tribe Is Gathering
• James Gurney (Ten questions for Eric Rhoads - who is the chairman of the board of Streamline Publishing, which produces Fine Art Connoisseur as well as PleinAir magazines - as well as it's a rattling interesting interview
• then took to a trivial plane sketching on the agency hom - view Air Bus
• while before inwards the calendar month he had highlighted a useful Pocket easel or monopod for plein air sketching as well as paintings

Now people are dorsum habitation as well as soundless blogging (and permit me know if you've written a weblog post virtually the convention as well as I'll accept a await as well as add together it inwards here)

• Jose de Juan (Monterey Plein Air Convention 2013. Part 1
• Julie Hermanson (What I Learned at the Plein Air Convention inwards Monterey, CA

Over hither inwards Europe Plein air painter Roos Schuring (Roos Schuring Plein Air Painter) - who does some amazing skies - was blogging about:

• 5 Tips for plein air painting. (Heavy winds can't cash inwards one's chips on y'all from painting) - as well as they are bully tips - illuminated past times some bully photos showing y'all precisely how she does it
• some lovely photos of 1 of her 3 solar daytime seascape paradigm workshops

On other plein air blogs

• Progress Not Perfection on Camille Przewodek's Color Blog illustrates how an creative soul develops over fourth dimension when paradigm color plein air - as well as why it's a goodness thought to cash inwards one's chips on some of your early on efforts

Pastels as well as Pencils

• lost her struggle amongst cancer on fourth April.
• The IAPS has created a novel prize inwards her hollo - to live called The Maggie Price Award of Excellence for an Emerging Artist.  This volition live awarded at each IAPS Exhibition, get-go amongst the 2013 IAPS Convention inwards June.
• Remembering Maggie Price on The Pastel Journal website sums upwardly Maggie amend than I could do

Photography

• Photoseed - the blog - celebrates early photography as well as has some fantabulous images

Who painted this?

• Who painted this? #24 is a botanical dependent area this week.  There's a clue if y'all read my posts  inbetween this post as well as the adjacent 'Who painted this?' post........  I'm proverb no to a greater extent than than that!
• Roger Brown (Who painted this? #23

Art Supplies

The large tidings since I lastly wrote is that Utrecht is forthwith role of Dick Blick!

Colour

• One of the weblog posts by Maggie Price which I liked was a method she devised for making color charts as well as keeping them accessible when paradigm plein air.  It's hence obvious when y'all think virtually it!  See Old & New Technology: Color Charts on the iPhone
• Elizabeth Floyd (Elizabeth Floyd) has been writing virtually her favourite pigment mixtures as well as below are her weblog posts about
• Favorite Paint Mixtures: Alizarin Crimson
• The Silver Point Drawing Department.  It's overnice to know some other house to purchase Silver Point equipment inwards London - peculiarly every bit this is the medium I cash inwards one's chips on proverb I'm going to cause got a acquire at!



Pastels



• On Unison Pastels - Colour Charts - online, inwards impress as well as handmade.
• Richard McKinley (Pastel Pointers) has done a summary of pastel paradigm surfaces.  Painting Surfaces for Pastel - the New Kids - it's joined the other commentaries on my website 



Art equipment



• I make dear an fine art supplier who stocks decent tapes!  Jackson's Art (Review: Royal Institute of Painters inwards Watercolour - Annual Exhibition which finishes this Thursday.  It's been rattling good attended - at that spot were masses of people at that spot on the solar daytime I visited.  Below is a photograph of John Yardley who was demonstrating on the solar daytime I visited the exhibition



John Yardley RI amongst his demonstration painting




Art History - as well as Art Galleries as well as Museums


It's the fourth dimension of yr when fine art museums as well as galleries to view how they make relative to 1 another

• The Top xxx Art Galleries as well as Museums inwards the World inwards 2012 is my post reviewing the Art Newspaper's survey of 2012 visitors to fine art museums as well as galleries
• Plus I've identified the top v cities for a spot of fine art museum as well as gallery visiting - see The Best Cities for Top Art Galleries as well as Museums (2012)
• The shotlist has been drawn upwardly for Museum of the Year inwards the U.K. - here's my summary virtually the 10 Finalists for £100k Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2013

With honor to private fine art  galleries as well as museums

• The major recent tidings is that the Rijksmuseum reopened at the weekend.  The Guardian comments on how Amsterdam is changing museums inwards Amsterdam in A novel Amsterdam – as well as a novel Rijksmuseum
• There's a novel boss at the Louvre
• and Thomas P. Campbell, Director as well as CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art inwards New York has an important 'old' message about its admissions policy as well as  'suggested contribution'

the Met has never imposed a fixed admission fee. Nor make nosotros always accuse an extra fee to see whatever of our world-renowned special exhibitions.Director of the Met




Art Business & Marketing



• Social Media Marketing for Fine Artists is a genuinely fantabulous powerpoint presentation past times Ed Terpening (Life Plein Air) - every bit delivered to the 2nd Annual Plein Air Convention. It's is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED past times me
• If y'all desire to know virtually selling fine art accept a await at Selling art: 17 top tips from the experts from The Guardian's Culture Professionals Network's blog.  How make y'all charge per unit of measurement it every bit advice?
• Last week, the Press Assistant of a Gallery inwards Northampton sent me a press release containing the names as well as e-mail addresses of all the arts journalists (and others?) that the gallery knew inwards the UK.  WHEN are galleries going to larn how to ship out press releases without breaching the Data Protection Act?  These are the Privacy as well as Electronic Communications Regulations as well as they apply to all fine art galleries inwards the U.K. - including artists who cash inwards one's chips on a database of personal information (eg e-mail addresses) for their fine art business 
• Which are the best creative soul character fossil oil colours? provided the rattling clear answer
• The Making Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mark Poll for Apr asks POLL: What is the most hard dependent area to paint?



Techies



• Apparently Art is rattling passe as well as does non merit a category this yr inwards the The Webby Awards. In which example my voting digit volition remain committed to other websites.
• Search Engine Land has an infographic which is rather goodness for reminding y'all of goodness practices relating to optimal SEO conduct for both websites as well as blogs.  You tin download the SearchEngineland Periodic Table of SEO every bit a pdf file.

and finally

This is a rather amusing agency to grade the reopening of The Rijksmuseum - past times staging 1 its most famous paintings

Here's a flashmob recreating the Night Watch past times Rembrandt inwards an Amsterdam Shopping Centre!
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