Visitors' poll
 

You'll be able to vote one-time, but you can make more than one choice. You can also post an explanation by clicking the post reply button.

Once you vote, the results will appear on this page, otherwise you can click on "view poll results."

Hello Cynthia,

I think that this poll is a good initiative and I hope you can better understand why guests are so numerous.

I sometimes visit the forum without logging in, because I do not intend to post anything and usually because I am using another computer than my own. I must admit I did not think it was necessary to log in each time I came here. Please tell us if it is annoying. I will then do my best to do it!

Sincerely,
Karine

Karine,

It's not necessary to log in and it's not annoying. It's just that we regularly show a few members logged in and a huge number of guests. We're just curious to know why.

Most people alllow cookies on their machine so that when they come back to the site, you are already logged in. To take advantage of the cookies, you simply don't bother to log out when you are finished.

I love the work I see on here and would love to participate; I think I could learn a lot here, but I do mostly still-lifes and not very many portraits. I'm afraid I won't be allowed to be a member because of my paucity of portraits at this time.

I chose "other reasons" in the poll
 

Hi, all. I'm a long time lurker. I read several art forums regularly, but I don't post much. I've intended to submit an application for membership, but I procrastinated. You can see one of my portraits (Bouguereau copy) here:

http://bp1.blogger.com/_OXnY8GCthRQ/...-h/gabbby9.jpg

and a couple more here:

http://texmac.blogspot.com/

I haven't posted all that much on that blog either! Anyway, thanks to all of you for the interesting posts and information. I really enjoy looking at all of your work.

Diane MacRae

Technically challenged
 

I enjoy the forum very much and feel that I have learned a great deal from my "lurking." I paint portraits from life on a weekly basis; open studio day is a time I look forward to all week. Though I would be somewhat anxious about the judging, the primary intimidation factor for me would be posting digital images of my paintings in order to participate fully! To say I find it both stressful and time-consuming is a definite understatement. With my few attempts, I have often completely failed to translate the painting to a digital image.

Forgot password!
 

Hi,
I am a member but have forgotten my user name and password! What to do? Should I rejoin or is there a way of finding out my present ? (Family matters etc. kept me away too long.)
I love the forum and plan to donate as I can!
Thanks,
Rod Lamkey

Ron,

Your user name is your name. I assume Rod is a nickname for Rodney, so if Rod Lamkey doesn't work, try Rodney Lampkey if you think there's any chance you registered like that.

Regarding password, I have no access to that. You would have to take a guess and when/if it does not work, you will be taken to a page where you can click an option for those that forgot their password. This will allow you to reset it. However, if your email address has changed since you registered, you will have to have me change that for you. There is an option under Your Controls to change it, but you have to first be logged on.

If you want more people to participate, you have to allow them to participate. There is alot of middle ground between the current state and anarchy. You could have threads that are open to discussion without any rigorous approval. If the language gets to saucy, let the moderators delete the post.

I'd like to pursue portrait painting but I consider myself a student at best and most of my work shows it. I enjoy reading, learning, and viewing others' works but I can't yet make any meaningful contribution to the discussions on techniques and portraiture.

I believe I could find a couple of my works capable of securing my membership but the whole process, even the idea of it, doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps it's because I'd be gaming the system with my best. Perhaps it's a fear of not being accepted anyway. Or perhaps it's because I've never wanted to post to ask questions but to make contributions to threads on cameras, books, searches, materials (sources and references) etc. where I had the very answers others were seeking.

There's very little to gain for the effort of joining, especially since there several open forums with (some of the very same) skilled, knowledgable, artists available to answer.