Give him a pat from me , Paul. I have a lovely sweet-natured Saluki-Collie cross named Lewis - rescued from a local animal charity 12 years ago. He will be 13 next month. He is such a nervous dog, doesn't come into the kitchen because of the noise of the appliances. Cries when a fly goes near him. I love him to bits.

A slight misunderstanding Manashree. It is what happened in this country. It is very hard for an unknown artist to get their work accepted for a gallery unless you already have a name in the art world and some years ago, to draw attention to themselves some created certain artworks. Now one created an unmade bed - not really an art form but it didn't hurt anyone. One took a sheep (I think) and put it in a glass case in preserving liquid and called this art. Now a lot of people took exception to that and thought it was very bad taste - but it got the artist publicity. It is a terrible thing to feel you would have to do that to call attention to your name. These people are good artists. I think all the art on this site is good and who am I to say differently but I feel there should be a line drawn. And putting a poor animal on display like that is going too far. This of course is only my opinion. But I know a lot of people felt like that.

I will take off the d and leave him as pickle. Ironically that's his name. He is a wonderful cavalier kings Charles spaniel from the dogs trust. I agree with your reply that there is too much greed in the world and some of the festivals are controlled perhaps a little too much by the commercial world. That said professional artists do have to make a living which can be difficult at times and these festivals etc are sometimes a great source of income but the commercial world even pricing some out of the market is unfair and unjust. I think there will always be a certain element of money always involved but that's not always a bad thing if done in a fair way. You tube I agree is a great vehicle for getting your work out there and this is something I am to explore in the coming months. I'm not doing my particular art to make any money specifically I just enjoy the hobby. Leave the purists to their own little world and continue to enjoy

Honestly, I didnt got your point. I just understood that as you are trying to convey that some artists are taking advantage of their names and executing provocative artworks. Its what they consider art and its their point of view according to me. I feel we that if I cant respect them I should not disrespect them. I cant judge anybody and god gives everything back whether good or bad we have done. So have faith and should leave on god. Even if we dont like that they hurt animals and paint, they will only do what they want. So God will make a way for them. And considering this site, this is a wonderful medium as I said in my blog.

Thanks Paul. No give him a treat - he is too precious to be pickled! I agree with your points. I don't normally like technology but it has its good points - one of them is You Tube. I collected too many instruction books in the days when there were too many rules and regulations which put me off. Nowadays there are no rules and regulations except for the purists. Not knocking them, but it gives all the rest of us a chance to develop our own styles and not a set one. I'm a great fan of You Tube and have learnt a lot from it. As to cost, this probably does figure in. I have a crafter friend who makes, by hand, shawls but trying to sell them at craft shows is so expensive that she has to look for alternatives. Trouble is Paul, there is too much greed in the world and not enough people appreciating the finer things. Don't get me wrong, we all have to live but there is a bigger picture (excuse the pun) out there.

Adele some interesting points there. Firstly I believe that if anyone pickles an animal they don't deserve to be on the planet let alone in the art world!! but that's another debate. I think that the art gallery is becoming something of the past and a bit of dinosaur in all reality and much more seems to be moving towards the digital era which is great in its own right. Such as this website and countless other areas on the internet allow artists to show their work and in many cases subscription free. You tube is an excellent example of this where some artist choose to demonstrate their work live and then for example sell their work on ebay. Steven Cronin is a particular artist in point. He paints in the somewhat unconventional style of ron ranson and then sells this work on auction. Its down to personal choice if you like his and I suppose anyone elses work. Art is whatever you want it to be which is great. After watching hours of different artists on you tube and the internet in general you do pick up handy tips to adapt into your own style. One said and I apologise for forgetting his name and referencing it here art is whatever you want it to be there are no rules and there is no governing body. This is very true and unless you have resigned yourself to paint in a constrained fixed way you adapt and change your style even if its in subtle ways. We all learn from each other. Back to the gallery point with artists kind of status. I know with some its purely a case of who can pay the highest to the venue and for example some festivals are incredibly expensive to show and demonstrate at making it prohibitive for many supposed amateurs. I spoke to a couple of artists who said that they will not be here next year for example the prices to exhibit are becoming outrageous and things along those lines so maybe its more of a cost issue sometimes rather than the famous name? Damn one of my dogs has just chewed up one of my brushes after I knocked it on the floor whilst writing this reply. Question is should he be pickled or forgiven lol