I'm DONE!

Erika and I had a doubledogdare with her unmentionable commission she has been working on for more than a year...and my new website design for Leslie B. DeMille.

Since hers is 'unmentionable' and mine is not, I can show you mine.

http://www.lesliebdemille.com

I fixed the issue I had with a phantom purple color that was just gross. Don't know WHERE it came from. Got that fixed, and the type face changes with links visited...needs to be fixed, except at least it is not PURPLE!

Still missing a few things, like captions and names for paintings...and updating his workshop page...and probably a hundred other things...but it is close enough to rescue him from hostage with an $85 a month fee for 'hosting'. I got him a new hosting plan for $9.95 a month that will probably do for a l-o-n-g time.

I'm a bit proud of this because it is totally designed and programmed by ME...using a template would have been MUCH easier, but the challenge of doing a design just for him was fun. A template would have been much easier and quicker, but not as 'creative'.

Been doing web design for at least 10 years...which basically means nothing because it all changes every day. What I was used to is passé. Every software upgrade requires a new learning curve. The web consortium (now that is a big word) changes what a designer can do all the time. Being in my 'left brain' is fun, for awhile. Urania (Christy Tarbet ) tells me I could have a good business teaching 'how to market for artists'. Sounds an awful lot of work. away from painting.

Tim tells me I need to paint more. Erika and I talk about how to position ourselves for whatever brick/mortar gallery business there is for us...and how to utilize the web for art sales. Dustie and I talked about domain names...she has had several successful ventures in the world of 'free clipart and google ad clicks'. We talked a long while about internet marketing and generally agree that it is the most viable way for an artist to create a 'following' that will drive gallery and website sales. (ps: she encouraged me to develop my own free clip art site here ). That project got me away from painting for at least 4 months last winter...:) BUT, I did reserve a new domain name today, http://www.vickirossart.com. Don't go there yet, it is not linked to anything yet.

However, what I learned with programming for the Paypal connection will definitely come in handy for what is next.

marketing/painting/marketing/painting...chicken and the egg? Or is it simultaneous? I can't answer that question, after 25 years in advertising and marketing. I sure can't seem to fluff up my 'stuff'.

Maybe 2009.