Stephanie Key’s nude photos have her father’s support

I really approve of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s reaction to his Daughter’s photoshoot. He sent her to one of the best art schools in the world, the Paris College of Art, and is then thrilled to see that she is using her tuition to create the art she wants to create. His comments were not those of a politician, carefully primed and written, heading off a crisis or a threat to his career as some sources have implied, his words are those of a proud dad. not an embarrassed dad, but an encouraging and supportive one.

Houri - 36x48 Oils on Canvas

Does Testosterone affect our success?

In other studies, testosterone seemed to provide “winning streaks” that often occurred about ten in the morning. Funnily, I’ve always noted this is a hot hour for my painting, but I never thought to connect it with hormones. Of further interest, male brokers took more risks and traded more often than their female associates. It…

Art, motherhood and religion – oh my!

There is no such thing as the perfect parent and what works for one family may not work for yours. the best advice I’ve received is to do whatever works for you. all of these subjects make me think about relative roles in the home and workplace. there is still an expectation that women will stay at home to raise their children, that their careers are temporary (as evidenced by the very large gap still in pay rates) and that we have a duty to surrender to our children. a few artist dads spoke out in the comments of this post, they find it just as challenging to balance their careers with their children. all working parents have this dilemma. the problem is that because so many artists are passionate about their jobs (and enjoy them!)

Kaisa Two censored by city council

As usual, I say if they were concerned they should have said something during the jurying process as the works were chosen. rather than letting the artist go to all the additional expense and excitement of exhibiting only to have their artwork pulled by a council member. there is nothing disturbing or sexual in this piece, it’s rather lovely (I enjoy chiaroscuro so I love the lighting in this one!).

Kaisa Two censored by city council

As usual, I say if they were concerned they should have said something during the jurying process as the works were chosen. rather than letting the artist go to all the additional expense and excitement of exhibiting only to have their artwork pulled by a council member. there is nothing disturbing or sexual in this piece, it’s rather lovely (I enjoy chiaroscuro so I love the lighting in this one!).

Nude Jerry Hall by Freud sells for 600,000

I found myself wondering why this was such a big deal – £600,000 isn’t actually that much for a Lucian Freud, let alone one of a celebrity – but then I found out the size, 4x6in – a postcard size oil painting sketch. considering the size of Benefits Supervisor Sleeping and the price it set, this is consistent, even quite high.

15 cost cutting tips for artists – and where to draw the line

The GFC has tightened everyone’s belt. this is a reality, but sticking to a budget doesn’t have to be a bore and it doesn’t have to be temporary. every cost saving tip you learn now will help you out when things improve. I actually do better on a tighter budget! my post last week inspired me to create this list of tips. I’m very cheap, I search to buy everything at the best possible price and I try to save wherever possible. I do not, however, like cutting corners or losing out on quality.

Bill Henson: my impressions

The speech last night was excellent. Listening to Bill Henson discuss various cultural references, I looked around at a variety of young, blank, faces and I felt how true some of his statements were. we do need to expose our children to art, to history, to culture. art is the expression of history and the cumulation of our civilization. I was struck by Henson’s self effacing nature. watching him you would never know that someone so apparently shy was embroiled in such a shocking controversy that rocked the art world two years ago. It was interesting how little he cited his own work, preferring to discuss literature, composers and classic painters.

Building Blocks in Michigan ‘Not a sex act’

I can’t help but think that if they move the piece the people who think that it’s a sexual piece will feel vindicated. even others will be wondering if there is something wrong. giving in to the great unwashed often makes them believe that they were right all along. this ends up being counter productive for the arts. take a look a the alt tag for this piece in the article- it;s titled and named “obscene_art.jpg” -does that tell you something?