Blog

After many (many!) long months of turmoil and frustration, I'm re-launching my web site.  With trepidation I made the decision to move my fine art site to FASO, "Fine Art Studios Online."  I feel an explanation is in order.

When the computer began to make inroads into commercial art production, I bit the bullet and got my first Apple computer.  Graphics were the name of the game, and that remains so.  As a Mac user, an intuitive approach was a delight (most of the time).  Needless to say, I stuck with the Apple platform so I didn't have to relearn everything on a PC.  When I launched my web site in 2006, I was able to design a very clean, simple format with iWeb, which allowed me all the customization I could ask for.  Very satisfied with the results, I basked in the glow of the many positive comments and upbeat feedback.

Then Apple went goofy.  New Operating Systems weren't compatible with older versions of software, and at times, with older software's files.  About two years ago, the latest upgrade left me unable to save changes to my older iWeb site.  Hosting had been via Mac.com, then Me.com, then iCloud, and the confusion and frustration mounted.  I had custom-designed my Blog on iWeb, which I ended up moving to Blogger, but could not design the Blog to look anything like my web site's layout.  For a "recovering" perfectionist it was the last straw.  Added to my troubles was the realization that a knockout web site doesn't mean surfers are going to find it!  As my contact list dwindled, my impetus to keep updating the Blog regularly flagged.

In desperation, I actually read some of the FASO emails and thought there might be some way to snare more web traffic.  I signed up, well over a year ago, but still haven't thrown the switch to bring the FASO site online to replace my iWeb site.  I'm very close, but have to admit that the process has been a moderate headache.  Almost nothing feels intuitive, like my Apple iWeb.  And I'm frustrated that I can't customize my new site to any but a minor degree.  

All that being said, I'm trying to comfort myself that now I will have a "Buy Now" PayPal button by my art so that if someone swoons momentarily they might purchase one of my paintings.  But I fight the temptation to apologize for how the site looks before sending someone to it.  I'm "semi-allergic" to talking on the phone, so I've been reluctant to call for help (Would John Wayne or Arnold Schwarzenegger?).  I'll try to update the Blog with more regularity as I move toward, but I won't promise anything (having embarrassed myself by my November Painting-Per-Day crash and burn and my failure to lose any significant weight this year as resolved!).  My sweet wife actually wants to write a Blog entry a couple of times a month, so . . . wait for it!