h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have 'In thoughts of you' on my bedroom wall, but I never knew who it was by until now. So thanks for that! They are beautiful pictures.

I have 'Back Where You Belong' in my living room - and two of my friends have bought it having seen it there - and heard what it did for me.

I bought it when I was out for the day with a dear old friend of many years (male). He was surprised at my choice of picture and I said that I had heard that it was very good 'Feng Shui' if you wanted to attract love to have a picture of lovers in your home.

He said: 'But these are two perfectly ordinary, not very attractive people.' I said the exemplified what I wanted in my life.

Later that day, he took my hand. I was a bit surprised...two weeks later we were lovers - and now we've made it permanent.

So I like Jack Vettriano!

Incidentally, all the links just go to The Portland Gallery site which was a bit disappointing - I had hoped to go to the individual pics. Would that be possible?

Just went round the site:

http://www.portlandgallery.com/index.php?page=jackvettriano_posters

takes you to pics of the posters - including 'Back Where You Belong.'

I have Mad Dogs and The Singing Butler..

Want the rest!

Do REALLY like Thoughts of You

HAve to hint really hard to get someone to buy it for me (student's can't afford these things you know! )

Thanks for the kind comments. Personally (and I've said this elsethread), I prefer his darker work. But that possibly tells you something of me

I certainly think his treatment by the 'arts establishment' is unfair. He's obviously a very talented and gifted artist. For art to be unaccessible to people is not something to be proud of.

If it has to be explained to the audience then what is the point of it? I've had a wander round the Tate Modern. I refused to read all the little placards beside the 'art'. I came out with a sore head and a distinct feeling that all contributers were five year olds having a temper tantrum.....Ho hum..

With two exceptions..which may point towards my metality...and they were Monet and Dahli...Oh...three...the piano attached to the ceiling that explodes etc. Now that was quite cool!

I found the Tate Modern incredibly useful. I felt just like you did - and looked at some stuff thinking 'B*******' and others thinking 'fun'!

What it did though was make me work out what I, personally, do think is Art. I never really thought about it before. I found that if the artist knows how to paint perspective properly, I'm happy with how they distort it but, if they just seem to be farting around, I'm not.

If it makes me laugh it may not be Art but I like it!

I was very surprised that I liked Jackson Pollock in the flesh (as it were) and also that I thought Andy Warhol was rubbish.

I had a big in-depth discussion (read: argument ) with Toccata and Munchkin a couple of weeks ago about art. Here's a run-down on my thoughts.

With the introduction of photography, painting hasn't become obsolete, but it is no longer necessary to use painting techniques to render a scene. So modern art has moved away from the two dimensional canvas, to the 3D 'installation'. Therefore, Tracey Emin's 'My Bed' is as much self-portrait as Van Gogh's famous self portrait. You can read mood and emotion through both, and I think both are equally 'artistic'. I don't think that all modern art is rubbish, but I do think that dismissing it all as pretentious is just as bad as dismissing Vettriano as 'soft-porn'. Also, it's hard to believe, looking at Vettriano's 'Bluebird' painting, for example, that those who have embraced the pop-art movement have rejected him Claims that his work is 'flat' is a bit odd, when you see Warhol's work.

I love the Bluebird painiting because of the range of blues contained in it - my favourite colour.

It is so static and ponderour and yet the subject hints at speed.

Jack Vettriano is the only artist of all the artists I have ever, ever seen that really appeals to me. I like the ones with the dancing couples and the woman in red. I think one is called 'dance me to the end of time', and that is my favourite.

It saddens me to see so many exciting and wonderful artists thrown aside in favour of Vettriano. As he himself knows, his work is patronising of those that mistake a photographic quality and a re-hash of common perceptions as being those of quality. The paintings are usually over sentimental fantasies or of his troubled warped view of women. With the latter, he has consistently been cowardly about the true content, hiding beneath the guise that they empower women. It would be far more decent and interesting if Mr.V told the truth.For while there is so much dishonesty in the man and his work, how can people really know what they are hanging on their wall. Biscuit tins in Marks and Spencers and are about right for what he now produces, but surely he can't take the money for that and still whinge on about the art establishment not accepting him. As they and he are well aware, he made his choices and went for the money.