Here’s an interesting quote from Robert Genn’s latest newsletter called “Transartistic meditation,” which is something like Transcendental Meditation.

“Studies of “flow” and “the zone” have been done using all stripes of artists. This is where the artist gets into a relaxed, intuitive state somewhere deep down in the lizard brain and the good stuff rains down like ripe pomegranates. Tired of rotten apples, I was curious about these concepts as well.” Robert Genn

I have never been able to figure why artists would want to waste their time meditating as they drink from the same pond while they have their tools in their hand. It may be an active form of meditation, especially if you’re an expressionist of any kind, but you’re forced to hang out in places that zen monks would be comfortable in. Personally, I think it’s why so many artists suffer from depression or are just downright wacky; as they can’t handle being in that space. You have to look at yourself naked in silence, which is why television, radio, and any other distractions are so popular with society.

Art crime is big business with an estimated $6 billion in losses annually! Here’s a list of the FBI’s Top 10 art crimes at the moment..

Iraqi Looted and Stolen Artifacts – The significant Statue of Entemena was recovered in 2006 but there are still many pieces missing.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Theft – Thieves stole as much as $300 million worth of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston in 1990 with paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Manet being among them.

Theft of Caravaggio’s Nativity with San Lorenzo and San Francesco – Back in 1969 thieves stole Caravaggio’s Nativity with San Lorenzo and San Francesco from the Oratory of San Lorenzo, Palermo, Italy.

Theft of the Davidoff-Morini Stradivarius – In 1995 the Davidoff-Morini Stradivarius violin worth $3 million was stolen from the violinist Erica Morini’s New York City apartment.

The Van Gogh Museum Robbery – Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh called “View of the Sea at Scheveningen” and “Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen” were stolen from the Vincent Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam in 2002 and have never been recovered, even though the two thieves were caught.

Theft of Cezanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise – Paul Cezanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise was taken from the the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England in 1999.

Theft of the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Murals, Panels 3-A and 3-B – Two Maxfield Parrish panels were cut from their frames in West Hollywood, California in 2002.

Theft from the Museu Chacara do Céu – In 2006 four paintings were stolen from the Museu Chacara do Céu, Rio de Janeiro. They included work by Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso.

Theft of Van Mieris’s A Cavalier – A self portrait by the Dutch Master Frans Van Mieris was stolen from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney in 2007. It was taken in broad daylight, while the museum was open.

Theft from E.G. Bührle Collection, Zurich – The E.G. Bührle Collection in Zurich, Switzerland had 4 works stolen in 2008, with two important painting by Paul Cezanne and Edgar Degas still missing.

The FBI top ten list has changed a little from back in 2005.

Here’s another artist’s studio. This one belongs to Maine artist Gail Sauter.

So many artists that I know have dogs hanging around their studios. Painters seem to be dog people more than cat people.

And little gems like this come out of her studio..

See more paintings by Gail Sauter at her website here and/or read her blog here.

Jessica Burko is an artist based in Boston, MA, USA and creates photographic mixed-media works on wood, and is currently working on a series of paper quilts called “In Stitches”.

She has kindly sent in a few photos of her studio. It looks much cleaner and more ordered than my studio.

To see what comes out of Jessica Burko’s artist studio see her website here.

I have been spending quite a bit of time in the studio lately, which is one reason why I haven’t been updating the blog as much (the other reason is laziness). I’m painting a bit of everything with no real focus, but I’m having fun which is the most important thing. I counted the paintings I’m working on at the moment and found that I have 21 pictures in various stages of completion, so I’m definitely not starting any new ones until I start finishing a few!

What does your studio look like? If you send me a few (smallish) photos of your art studio I might post them. I love seeing other artist studios, it’s like reading the artist’s diary.

Here’s a few pics from this afternoon..

T-bone steaks, mince meat and potatoes.

Paintings and easel.

Paints, brushes, and phone.

Tiger comes down to check on me and remind me that I have to feed her while her owner is away.

Landscape, Melbourne scene and meat.

Self portrait (in need of a shave).

Portrait and box of canvases.

Sydney cityscape.

Here’s some of my older paintings online.

The nude Madonna and Guy Ritchie painting by Peter Howson ended up selling this week. It failed to sell at a recent contemporary Scottish art auction by McTear’s Auctioneers in Glasgow but has since been sold for more than the £15,000 reserve price.

McTear’s employee Brian Clements told the BBC “We were very confident we would find the right buyer for ‘Madonna and Guy’ and we are delighted to have secured such an excellent price for the painting. Although we cannot divulge the name of the buyer, we can confirm that the painting will be leaving Scotland.”

The 2005 nude portrait of Madonna and her ex husband Guy Ritchie is one from a series of the famous singer by Peter Howson. It’s not what I would call a flattering naked portrait of Madonna. She looks like a transvestite with funny fingers if you ask me.

Also in the UK, in Brighton, England the Impure Gallery (which calls itself “a naughty little gallery“) is showing some nude photographs of the young Madonna from 1979. New York Photographer, Martin Schreiber got Madonna to pose naked for just $30. I’m guessing that he would have to add at least a few zeros to that price to get the now super-famous Madonna to get naked.

Madonna Nude by Martin Schreiber

Madonna Naked by Martin Schreiber

Before I went on my recent road trip I received a painting by Washington, DC. artist Matt Sesow called “A Guide to North American Birds.” I have a thing for birds and a thing for quirkiness so I really like the painting. I also buy art that I couldn’t or wouldn’t paint myself, so I end up buying bright, bold and colorful paintings which are in contrast to my own paintings that are almost colorless.

Guide to North American Birds – Matt Sesow

I bought these smaller works from Matt too..

Traumatized – Matt Sesow

Cardinal – Matt Sesow

Matt Sesow’s website can be found Here. I also mentioned a video by Matt Sesow earlier.

ArtInfo’s jobs board is now online. They’re listing art jobs, internships, artist residencies, artist opportunities, artist calls for entry and more.

Here’s some more info from Art Info..

“One of the strengths of ARTINFO is our network and our commitment to institutions and individuals within the art world. Because we realize the months ahead will continue to be challenging, we extend this offer to you to post your opportunity free of charge.

ARTINFO has a targeted audience of engaged art world individuals who interact on many different levels and within many different regions of the world. We have a global focus, but advocate a localized point of view. During this time, we would like to help you – our network – connect with potential opportunities” View their art jobs board here.

Brian from MyArtSpace has asked some interesting questions on his Spiritual Side of Art post..

“Has a specific work of art touched your soul? Can you recall a specific work of art that helped your through a difficult time or defined a time of joy for you? I know that some people suggest that there is no longer room for the spiritual in the art of today– do you agree? Or would you say that the spiritual aspects of art surround us just as they did in other periods of time? In your opinion, why does visual art have this power– why do viewers establish these personal connections?” My ArtSpace

I think most of the spirituality in art is in the making of art, with the artwork simply being the byproduct. So a painting can be of something unspiritual, if there is such a word, but the artist may have felt that he/she was touching god while painting it.

I have never seen an artwork that has “touched my soul” or moved me to tears, even though I have looked at lots of art and think of myself as a reasonably sensitive person. Installations and moving images have come close as they have more tools to play with. A painting or sculpture has to work harder to affect the viewer as it simply sits there with no movement or sound, so we have to do all the work ourselves if we are to end up in tears. Film on the other hand has more tools available to press our emotional buttons at will.

Art affects us on a more subtle level, it seeps into our soul rather than blows our mind on the spot. Good art will linger, it will hang around for weeks and months after viewing it, but it probably won’t make you cry or save your life. I think the viewer has to be content with knowing that the artwork is just the waste byproduct of something spiritual, which doesn’t necessarily make the finished piece spiritual. Sometimes that waste product works as a mirror or points to something greater and it affects a person deeply, but usually it just ends up as something pretty hanging a wall.

Google is celebrating the birth of the American impressionist painter Mary Cassatt with a Cassatt-ized Google logo.

It’s one of my favorite artist tributes from Google. Google does loud and colorful logos well, but this Mary Cassatt logo shows that they can do subtle and neutral colors too. See more Google logos here.

Mary Cassat was born on the 22nd of May, 1844 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania and died near Paris, France on the 14th of June, 1926 at the age of 82.

The Mary Cassatt painting in the Google logo is “The Child’s Bath” from 1893. It is owned by the Art Institute of Chicago.