New Paintings

I finished 2 new paintings today.

No Karaoke

Belt and Suspenders

Websites + Image

I was thinking about the value of a well designed website. I looked at Dish TV to compare with the DirecTV satellite companies. When I got into Dish's website, I almost immediately gave up on them. It is loud, juvenile, confusing and hard to navigate or understand. Whereas DirecTV has a nice site that works well and easy to navigate and looks good. I'm not saying one is a better company than the other, but that if you are running a business your website says a lot about you.

No great website or logo will make your company a success, but it will add to an image you worked hard to cultivate. You wouldn't show up to a black tie event in ripped jeans, would you?

Years ago, Japan was little known for electronics. They made great products and sold them inexpensively, constantly making them better and better, and used no frills advertising. But even then the companies started working on image. Reliable, inexpensive, well made products that almost sell themselves. The logos, etc. created matched the companies. If Dish TV is a great company, they are selling themselves short by marketing with a total lack of taste. If the site is difficult to navigate, image what the customer service will be like when you try to call them. All this, with a budget that allows for advertising on television.

Fun with Photoshop

Photo taken at the Huntington Library over the Summer.

Lillies at the Getty Villa

I took this photo about a year ago, posterized it in photoshop and dropped it into illustrator. Then drew it & added colors. I'm finding that I really like working with illustrator, as it is a lot like drawing. Although I have no intention of replacing my physical oil painting with computer graphics, it is simply another art form to explore. And one art form helps another.