Hi Guys:

I was wondering if any of you have an artist blog. Why do you start one? Do you have to be a great artist first? Does it help you become more creative? What does it cost? Would anyone want to even read a blog if I started one? Tell me all about blogs.

Judyvan

Judy, I have two blogs with Google's Blogger. I have one for my drawings and some of my writings. I Have blogs because the only art on my blog is mine and that makes it easy for me to give someone a direct link to samples of my portriatis and my writing. No, you don't have to be great, anyone can create a blog. I'm not sure if it helps us to be more creative. If we keep it updated regularly it may. There are many websites that offer free blogs. And yes, I'm sure many would enjoy a blog of yours. You can put pictures and text on most all blogs that I know of.

If you start one add it as your signature so we can visit it.

Bobby.

Judy my blog is in its third year and keeps growing.

I started an art blog for several reasons. I wanted to promote my art and I wanted to push myself to be accountable for producing and learning more and networking with other artists, which the blog does nicely.

Blogs, like websites, need to be updated regularly and your writing should be fairly consistent in terms of what you write about and how much information you provide, as well as any images that you share with the world. You also should write posts at least 3 times a week to ensure that your blog attracts visitors. You should also share links with other artists, leave comments on other blogs and network - the same as real life.

There is no cost to start a blog on most blogging platforms. Before you decide review others blogs; determine how much time you are willing to invest in a blog and why you want to have a blog. Many blogs fade away in their first three months and it does take time and effort to create new posts and share information. This isn't said to put you off, but just to make you aware of the commitment of having a blog.

Good luck with it!

Judy is a good question that of a blog! Only that blogs have some limits on the size of the images. I have a domain name where I put my art too, but this implies you create a web page everytime you want to upload an image, recent work, etc.I was just wondering if anyone heard on the web of an art blog where larger files can be uploaded, I mean special blogs for artists and art.There is though another possibility. An art gallery. There are many free gallery programs in which you create an album and just upload it to your webpage(you need a web domain and host).The same as you do it with travel photos you can do with your art. Some galleries are even in flash so they unfold under your eyes as if you flip the pages of an album in real life.I can give you details in case you are interested in these free web galleries.Just ask me.

I have been blogging for about 10 months. I had been reading Jeanette's blog for awhile and really liked it.

Why do I blog?....a bit journal and a bit incentive. My goal is to post about 10 times a month, which I have been averaging. Some months more, some less. I blog about my art, photographs, family and pets.

Is anyone interested?...In everything I put on my virtual paper? no. I
think different people find different things interesting and I think it is nice to know that the artwork you are looking at comes from a real person, with a real life.

Do you have to be a great artist?...I blog about learning to draw.

Judyvan
I've had blogs for quite some time now. I started for the very reason Jeanette gave for having one - to make me accountable for some work. I also have family all over the place and I like to keep them up on what I am doing with my art. They all have my Home page blog and can get on anytime to see my recent works. They are all open to the public, as well. It's always great to have feedback from others.

Before, it seemed like I never got any work of my own completed, just example things for school. Once I had started the blog (over the Summer) it was addictive and I have been pretty good about keeping it up. I actually have several, all of which I have listed on each one so you can move around all of them. I pretty much separated them by medium so Drawings, Watercolor, Sketches, etc.

Mine are all with Google Blogger. It's free and I think the size limit is actually not bad. Blogger is also easy to work with if you do any computer work at all. I do have mine listed under my Drawspace Profile.

http://bjhome-myartwork.blogspot.com

I'll read your blog, Judy. I enjoy looking at other people's art blogs. If it doesn't help you be more creative, it might help me be more creative!

I started a blog about learning to play the cello over a year ago. My primary interest was in writing, and I enjoyed reading cello blogs, so I started one. (There actually are quite a few cello blogs, though far more art blog.) I occasionally post my drawing attempts on the blog. I have found many musicians are also artists.

A few months ago, I started a job as an arts and entertainment editor and recently started a blog on the arts, in which I write about the local arts scene. I do think my cello blog got me in the mood for writing, which led to the job, which I enjoy greatly. I have "met" lots of interesting people online, and I definitely think blogging is worth the effort. Go ahead and try it!

My blogs:
Cello Centered, http://maricello.blogspot.com/
Notes on the Arts, http://capecodnow.net/artsblog/

Dear, Dear Friends, I am in awe of all your collective talent. I did a quick check on all your blogs, but need to go back and spend much more time. You have inspired me. I think I really miss the connection of other creative people. Drawspace has and continues to be my favorite place. I have learned so much from all of you and look forward every day to see what's new. If I am brave enough to start a blog I will let you know. Thank you so much for all you have given to enrich my life.

Judyvan

It don't take much courage to start one. After all I did. The difficult part is keeping it updated.

Bob.

I have my blog too. I started it before I found drawspace, and I started it to show my art, as Bob has said, there I also have only MY art work, so its easy to give the link for my friends or whoever I want to, so they can see my art.
And of course you don't have to be great, many people have blogs on so many subjets. I don't consider myself an artist, but still I started bloging my paintings, and now my drawings too.
It is realy easy to start one.

Good luck with your new blog, and don't forget to give us your blog adress so we can visit

My blog adrees is under my signature if you want to check it out.

Clara

I consider blogs really time-consuming and addictive. I don't want to start up one for the same reason I don't take up drugs My drawspace and deviantART accounts and SCHOOL are enough for me, but if you stay home and don't have much to do then blogging might be a nice activity

I prefer going for a walk then writing on computer (it's also healthier for my eyes )

Well, I started my blog, but it is a mess. The pictures are way to big and I don't know how to share it with others. I have named it, "Discovering Judyvan." It is on google. I will take any help I can get.

Judyvan

It's not a mess at all! The pictures look great on it! You didn't let us make comments, though!
I will be watching to see how you set up your blog. I basically took one of their templates and slowly changed it to work for me.
Barb K

Sorry
I can't find your blog. Why don't you open it, copy the adress on top, and then paste it here.That will be easy for as to link to it.
looking forward to see it.

http://judyvan.blogspot.com/

Here it is. How do you allow comments?

Judyvan - if you go to your dashboard (upper right corner) then click on "settings", it will let you do a number of things. It's really easiest if you just click on each tab and see what you can do.
Barb

Right now your pictures are in the side menu instead of in a post. When you put them in a post you will be able to have comments.
Personally I would not want the pictures any smaller.

Very interesting subject, I know what is Blog now. My computer skill is limited, just knew the simple one.Thanks Judyvan to bring the idea and all the members.

lily

wow that's a nice start.
like Paulette said you have to put your images into post so comments can be allowed.
Go to the upper corner and click on NEW POST, then on that new board there is a little screen (add image) click on that. choose your image to upload and publish...
It's very simple once you get it!!just have to explore it a little.
I've added you to my blog;)

That seems a bit harsh to compare blogging with drugs. With millions of blogs out there, there are obviously a lot of 'addicts'.

I have a very busy life and the 'if you stay home and don't have much to do' presumption doesn't enter into the mix. I work full time, I teach drawing privately and in workshops, I attend life classes weekly and help run a farm, but I still make time for my blog at least three times a week, with an aim for daily posting.

I use a weblog as part of my marketing strategy for my art, as well as a networking tool to meet other creative people. Its not an 'addiction', but a tool. However, if you see a blog as a social networking piece such as Facebook, and if you have an addictive personality that can not tear themselves away from a computer screen, then perhaps it could become a problem for some.

Ok, I have been wanting to create a blog for the longest time, now that you all have shared yours and given a little help along the way, I have. There isn't much to work with or look at for the moment but I will be adding more soon. My first post is a work in progress...LOL..go figure.

Thanks Judy for starting this thread, it got me going...LOL

Great blogs everyone! I've bookmarked them all. Especially love the Renassiance Woman theme. . . I have this dream of living in the country when I retire and growing my own food. . . maybe I'll start a blog then :-)

This is fun, I must say. How do I add other blogger sites to my own?

Judyvan

Judy, when you are on your blog, go to the "customize" button at the top or word and click it, when the page loads, go to the section of your setup where it says "Add a Page Element", after it pops the window up, click the "Links List" and there will be another window that opens, when it does, this is where you will either add your favorite websites or friends blogs. You have to individually type in the web addresses and then either title the name of the site or the friends blog page and keep doing it until you have all on that you wish to add and then save. It's pretty easy after you get the hang of it, I started over about three times earlier but finally got it...LOL. Hope that helps.

Hi Judy, I just checked your blog today and it's coming out very nice. I can see you've figured how to post things nicely.

Venus your blog is awsome, I added you to my blog list, in fact I added your other site too. Hope you don't mind.

Thanks Rainy, come on start your blog now!!!why wait that long...

Hi Rainy,
Thank you!
You should start your blog it can be on how you get to your dream. It would be inspiring to many.
I have also added all the blogs here, as well I added a pipe, like a window into the Artists blogs that I read. If anyone wants to use it or doesn't want to be on it, please let me know. It basically is one way to get your blog more readers.

Hi Paulette,
Thank you for adding me on your blog, that pipe thing is awsome, its a nice way to show other artists blog, I must have one of those I already checked it out so I think I will add one to my blog when I have a little time, thank you.

for those who have visited my blog but couldn't read it, for it was mostly in portugueese...I've made the translation to English.

Thanks Kaly, I know the first time I looked at it I was like beautiful pictures, to bad I can't read it..LOL Now it is a lot better!! Everyone who has a blod posted in this thread has been added to my blog.

I started a blog on freewebs prior to this post [just], then saw blogger from BRB's blog and I'm now doing one in blogger. I'll post it sometime later, but i have a question for now:
In the page element 'slideshow' option, is it possible to get it to scroll through pictures on your page? I haven't figured out how to use slideshow at all.

Hello Judyvan,

Just thought I'd jump in. I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to selflessly plug my website .

I have a website where the BLOG is part of it (http://www.blanchette-art.com) . I use open source software, Joomla! for this site, with a low cost hosting company. I'm pretty proficient with Internet technologies so creating a site only takes a few hours. The cost is just a few dollars a month and I get the site, e-mail and storage. I created the site to share the art with family and friends.
I think for most people the best thing to do is use the free Blog tools on the Internet. I actually use Live Spaces (http://rjart.spaces.live.com) to help promote my on-line presence. Search engines find these types of sites better than a private site. So I just promote the private site on these sites.
If you want someone to read your BLOG you need to do two things, produce content and promote the site.
This thread is a good example of promoting a site. Every time someone links (permalink or trackback) to your site from another site you get good ratings from search engines and you start to move up the list. Therefore it is good practice to add your site to your signature.
Well enough of that, back to drawing.

Spuddy, I have no clue how to use the slideshow on Blogger, I did make one for my Myspace page..LOL its usually the same basics, I think...I could be wrong, but you never know unless you try.

Rj, I added you to my blogger sites for other to view.

Also, thanks to Barb I figured out finally how to add pages to my blog so I now have all of my art that I have liked over the past few years added.

Thanks Venus, I will do the same this weekend. I just updated my site and changed the look. Have a look at the gallery and try the PicLens tool that I integrated. It's the coolest thing you ever saw on the Net for a gallery. You need to install the tool as an add on for your browser. No ads, no worries give it a try.

RJ,
Great website, that piclens is real cool!
I added you to my reader, but your pictures don't show up?

Is it compatible with your blogging platform Paulette?

Sorry I missed a word there. His blog shows up in my Google reader, but the pictures just show up as coding.

The Piclens doesn't work with Blogger but it does work with the Picasso site that our pictures go to. It also works with You Tube, Google Images and any site like RJ's that sets up for it. It's very cool.

Speaking of Readers....Do you guys use them to follow your favorite blogs and sites? It is very convenient. No more having to go to every site to see if they have updated. The reader does the work for you and gives you the updated info.

Ah, I understand now what you mean by not seeing the images from my site in your reader. I use links to my gallery when I publish articles and the reader "RSS" does not know where to find the image. I know this and can live with it knowing that the main text is in the reader and if interested people will go to the site.

I do in-fact use RSS to keep up-to-date on other sites and yes it is very convenient. One of my favorite art information sites that I subscribe to is the National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/rss/rss.php?id=1047. They have a visual arts and arts and culture feed. If it weren't for the RSS I would have never seen the important article "Treasure or Trash? Artist Says It's in the Packaging"

I am giving that a listen right now, listening to the current one about Charlie Brown. I think I will be subscribing.
Have you checked out TED? Excellent talks by some of the greatest thinkers in our time.

hi, I've just added some slideshow to my blog; go to : http://www.slide.com/
choose the slide show maker, register, then upload your photos, then save and add to blogger, it's very simple

Thanks for that one. TED was very interesting. By the way I changed the way I incorporate images in my BLOG based on your feedback so that they show in the RSS feed.

thanks

RJ,
Great, it's much more interesting when you see a picture.

For those slide shows, images, and videos don't forget Picasa. You can cut and paste the embedded code into your site and it is integrated with BLOGGER. When you upload an image in BLOGGER it will show in your Album in Picasa. There are a lot of useful features and it is easy to use. It's worth a look if you haven't seen it.
http://picasa.google.com