document.write('<table bgcolor="CCCC00" width="200" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" summary="border table"><tr><td><table style="color: CCCC00; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12px" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"><tr><td width="99%" bgcolor="000000" align="left"><font color="CCCC00"><b>Art News Blog</b></font></td><td width="1%" bgcolor="000000" align="right"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artnewsblog/rRDl"><img src="http://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/includes/xml.gif" width="36" height="14" border="0" align="right"></a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="666633"><a href="http://www.artnewsblog.com/2009/12/happy-holidays.htm" target="_blank">Happy Holidays</a><br>Happy holidays!<br />Don\'t eat or drink too much.<br /><br />Relax<br />Dion<br /><br /><br /><img hspace=\"5\" alt=\"merry christmas - santa painting\" vspace=\"5\" src=\"http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/santa-painting.jpg\" /><br />The santa painting was stolen here.<div class=\"blogger-post-footer\"><img width=\'1\' height=\'1\' src=\'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8107992-7001064460376686427?l=www.artnewsblog.com%2Findex.htm\' alt=\'\' /></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="666633"><a href="http://www.artnewsblog.com/2009/12/art-con-changes-tune-hanks-thomas-scam.htm" target="_blank">Art Con Changes Tune - Hanks Thomas Scam</a><br>The good thing about those pathetic art scammers has been that their story never changes. They\'re moving from place A to place B, they need some of your wonderful art to hang in their new home, and for some strange reason the stupid woman is always pregnant (God help the world if these people do actually breed).<br /><br />Well, the idiots are evolving now and are starting to change their stories up a bit. Now they\'re \"art dealers\" and \"art exhibitors\" looking to buy your work. Here\'s an example by the scammer Hanks Thomas..<br /><br /><em>Hi Andrea,My name is hanks.I\'m an art dealer/exhibitor based in bradford in the united kingdom.I deal in original artworks and also showcase them in exhibitions all over the world.I got to see your works via the search engine while looking for artworks of great impression and i\'m willing to buy from you the artwork stated as the subject of this email.Kindly let me know if it\'s available for sale.If yes,quote the price and let me know the method(s) of payment that is acceptable to you.I\'m looking forward to reading from you.Have a wonderful day... Regards,Hanks</em><br /><em></em><br />Lesson for today: Don\'t accept checks/cheques online when selling artwork. Use Paypal.com or Escrow.com.<br /><br />Thanks Andrea for sharing. There\'s more of the email exchange with Hanks Thomas posted on a previous Art Scam post.<div class=\"blogger-post-footer\"><img width=\'1\' height=\'1\' src=\'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8107992-1178928162228579087?l=www.artnewsblog.com%2Findex.htm\' alt=\'\' /></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="666633"><a href="http://www.artnewsblog.com/2009/12/masterpieces-from-paris-in-canberra.htm" target="_blank">Masterpieces from Paris in Canberra</a><br>Probably the best exhibition I have seen in Australia (coming from a fan of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cezanne). Masterpieces from Paris has 9 Paul Gauguins, 7 Van Goghs and 8 Cezannes. So it\'s more than one or two good paintings thrown in with a bunch of weaker paintings like the usual \"blockbuster\" exhibition. The Van Goghs alone are worth making the effort to see the exhibition.<br /><br />It has been called the \"most valuable collection of art ever to be exhibited in Australia.\"<br /><br />The works come from the Musee d\'Orsay in Paris and will be on display at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra until April.<br /><br /><img hspace=\"5\" alt=\"Vincent van Gogh Starry Night painting\" vspace=\"5\" src=\"http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/starry-night.jpg\" /><br />Vincent van Gogh - Starry Night Over the Rhone<br />I was surprised by how fresh this painting looks. For some reason I expected it to be smaller and duller than it really is. This painting was worth the 5 hour drive.<br /><br /><img hspace=\"5\" alt=\"Vincent van Gogh Bedroom at Arles\" vspace=\"5\" src=\"http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/bedroom-arles.jpg\" /><br />Vincent van Gogh - Bedroom at Arles<br />I thought this painting would be bigger. The Musée d\'Orsay version of Vincent\'s bedroom is a little smaller than the first two versions that he did. Still a great painting.<br /><br /><img hspace=\"5\" alt=\"Vincent van GoghPortrait of the Artist\" vspace=\"5\" src=\"http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/van-gogh-self-portrait.jpg\" /><br />Vincent van Gogh - Portrait of the Artist<br />The man himself.<br /><br /><img hspace=\"5\" alt=\"Paul Gaughuin Tahitian Women\" vspace=\"5\" src=\"http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/tahitian-women.jpg\" /><br />Paul Gauguin - Tahitian Women<br />I probably should like Gauguin more than I do. He did some really good paintings but I don\'t think he comes close to Van Gogh or Cezanne. Having said that, I really liked seeing his paintings in the flesh.<br /><br />I would show some more works but the NGA website was down. In short, Masterpieces from Paris is a must see if you\'re an Australian. They\'re easily the best paintings in the country at the moment.<div class=\"blogger-post-footer\"><img width=\'1\' height=\'1\' src=\'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8107992-115842121107119530?l=www.artnewsblog.com%2Findex.htm\' alt=\'\' /></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="666633"><a href="http://www.artnewsblog.com/2009/11/painting-music-top-10-albums.htm" target="_blank">Painting Music - Top 10 Albums</a><br>Since discovering the iPod I now rarely listen to whole albums while I paint as I just create play lists to suit my mood. But some albums just play well all the way through so I still use them in the studio.<br /><br />Here\'s Ten albums that have kept me company during the completion of a painting or two..<br /><br /><ol><li><strong>Leonard Cohen</strong> - Songs of Love and Hate<br />Anything by Leonard is good to paint to though.</li><li><strong>Antony and the Johnsons</strong> - Antony and the Johnsons<br />This self titled album is a beauty. Antony Hegarty sings like an angel. All his stuff is good.</li><li><strong>The Cinematic Orchestra</strong> - Ma Fleur<br />Lovely album.. how could you not love this?</li><li><strong>Angus and Julia Stone</strong> - A Book Like This<br />Australian brother and sister duo.</li><li><strong>Eddie Vedder</strong> - Music for the Motion Picture Into the Wild<br />For some reason, this album always makes me want to give away all my possessions and travel. Perhaps it\'s because I saw the movie.</li><li><strong>Joan Valent</strong> - Insula Poetica<br />Beautifully haunting music.. yum.</li><li><strong>Moby</strong> - Go: The Very Best of Moby<br />I sometimes need a lift in the studio.</li><li><strong>Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds</strong> - The Boatman\'s Call<br />This album has a habit of taking me back to darker times, so I\'m careful how I use it.</li><li><strong>Hope Sandoval &amp; the Warm Inventions</strong> - Bavarian Fruit Bread<br />Her Mazzy Star albums are nice too.</li><li><strong>PJ Harvey</strong> - To Bring You My Love<br />I no longer have a working version of this CD but that\'s because it used to live in my studio.</li></ol><p>I really do like a lot of different types of music though. <strong>What are your TOP albums that you couldn\'t live without in the studio?</strong> I need some new tunes on my itunes.</p><div class=\"blogger-post-footer\"><img width=\'1\' height=\'1\' src=\'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8107992-7446017974472142789?l=www.artnewsblog.com%2Findex.htm\' alt=\'\' /></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="000000"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/" title="rss viewer"><font color="CCCC00">powered by feedroll</font></a></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>');