Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!
Our family has been having a great time this year. We have had
many relatives get together and enjoy each others company.
This year has been quite special for a variety of reasons. Those of you that know
me personally know why. I have truly been having a wonderful time with some special folks
in our family. Some are getting up there in age and I have been soaking up each moment with them. Many of the family have been hearing about my website and have been checking in recently
to see what it is all about. I am so glad to have you stop by. I hope you enjoy my art! So stay awhile and take a good look at what I have been doing. Please leave me some comments so I know you were here.
To date as of yesterday, My site has had:
584 visits
from 23 countries
& 21 of our United States

Thanks for visiting !

Remember to pass the website on to your friends so it can be viewed by those around the world!

I was lucky enough to get a huge roll of canvas for Christmas from my Brother and sister in law so you can be sure that I will be posting more pictures soon! Thanks Jim and Pat!

"new" weekly post from Bob

Scroll down to see the paintings and videos
Welcome and I'm glad you're here!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
Update as of December 16th, 2008
Thank you for your help in sending my site around the world!
As of today: 456 visitors
So far it has traveled to:

• 19 of the United States
• 20 different Countries

• & 6 Continents

That is wonderful!!! I hope all that check in will stay a while and look at my paintings.
I have recently uploaded a few new ones. Please let me know what you think of my work.
May all of you have a GREAT Holiday and Happy Birthday to my Mom and Brother Jim!
See ya next week.

**Please continue to send my site to your friends and family so it goes around the world!

So far the following Countries have visited my site:
United States
Canada
Iceland
South Africa
United Kingdom
New Zealand
Russia
France
Spain
Japan
India
Netherlands
Greece
Greenland
Turkey
Zimbabwe
Latvia
Belgium
Poland
Australia

Sunday and smiling!

Good morning all !
Thanks for checking in.
Well it's Sunday Dec. 11, 2008 and I'm smiling! To bring you up to date.....
People in 11 countries, 4 continents and 13 states have taken a moment to view my art!
Whew ! That's very exciting! Comments have been very favorable. Thanks for the help in passing my art around the world. If you would like me to view your art, please leave me the link and I will be glad to. Art is like wine....everyone will like something different. Fellow artists have commented to me on various paintings of mine and how they connect with a particular piece. I love it! That is what it is all about. Painting what is in your heart and having people discuss it with you!
Keep my blog moving to the friends and family! The world is a big place.......
Best regards,
Bob

Here are some comments from different artists & people around the world so far:

From Iceland
"Hallo Bob

I was looking through your painting and I like most of them the Sunburst. Where the flowers are near us. I think you should take the details and let them grow, and keep the details near you. If you understand what I mean.

And keep on ! This is nice paintings.

Best regards, Álfheiður Ólafsdóttir Art-Iceland"

"Hi Bob,

Thank you very much for contacting me. I checked out your site and really enjoyed it. I particularly like your painting "My point of view" as I relate very much to the concept of art and the role it plays in the artist's life as you portrayed it in that work. In my opinion, the most important thing about being an artist is to keep at it. Never give up, even when it seems unimportant compared to other things going on. That way the creative spirit will be happy with you and keep sending you inspiration because you are working at realizing the ideas it gives you. I will check out your website again in the future so I can follow your work. HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Regards,

Jacquie"

From Williamstown, NJ

"Your man with many talents. Will drop by the library take a look

"Hi Bob,


" I still wished I had the ambition and dedication to put together a show like you are doing. There'a lot of work to do not only withthe paintings, but arranging the location and getting things framed."

Hello Bob,

I wished I had the enthusiasm and drive that you display here in your work. I've been an illustrator for more than 30 years, and have just recently taken up oil painting to escape the drudgery of painting someone else's ideas. Your work reminds me of someone trying to totally express thier own vision of the world in an honest and free way. For me, that has become a very dificult, if not impossible task, since I have been trained for so many years to render detail on top of detail to please clients. Even my oil work displays that illustration tendencies that I don't want, and am trying to shed.

Art is made of up millions of forms and doesn't have to have the pin-point architectural feel and exhaustive detail and smooth rendering that many artists create. That form is laborsome and draining. If I was you, I would continue to explore the forms of expression I see in your work, and enjoy yourself in the process. The minute your art becomes work, you will know you are heading in the wrong direction.
Be careful in who you ask about what people think of your art. They may be in love with what they do, and think any other way of painting is not any good. All art is good and it's the variety that makes it that way. If everyone painted the same, how boring would that be?

I liked the excitement and honesty of your work more than anything else. There is drama and subtly everywhere and would encourage you to explore the methods you have already tried and see how far you can take things.

Thanks for the email and keep in touch.

Mick

From Holland

I'll help you anyway!

Looking forward to your next  message,

Hans Mertens

Dear Bob,

Talent enough, but it needs some improvement..

From Seattle, Washington

Greetings Bob and thanks for reaching out. Good for you for taking up a
creative artform - your blog is very nice, as are your paintings

*( scroll down the blog to see all of my Paintings!)

So far so good!

Let's keep it moving! In the last 3 days this site has had over 185 views in 11 states in the U.S. as well as Poland and Spain. Thanks for passing on my blog to your friends, family and other artists. If you can, please leave my a comment about the art. I will be posting a few other new paintings soon so please check back. Thanks again for stopping by to take a look. You can also send me an email at justcallbobsmith@comcast.net

.