Thursday, March 4, 2010

New Website

Black Painting#98, 2010, Oil on Panel, 9"x6"

More than a few mealtime conversations at the Vermont Studio Center revolved around our websites. J.T. was real keen on Other People's Pixels and he encouraged, and then helped a few of the other residents set up their sites at OPP (the next post will include links to those sites as well as to blogs etc of some of the other residents that I got to know).

At first I wasn't really interested in changing my website. A friend of mine had designed mine several years ago and even though it could use some updating I still really liked the basic design. So I mentally filed all this new info, which is not easy to do these days, I am perilously close to total overload!

After I got home and sorted through and photographed all the work that I did in Vermont, I was really excited to get my website updated and maybe give it a little face lift too. Unfortunately, my friend's company was swamped with work and it wasn't looking like anything was going to get updated for awhile. I was feeling a bit pressured to start sending my info out (this coming year is looking very quiet right now) right away, so I checked out OPP again. I signed up for the trial membership and within a day or so I got a good part of the site set up which really won me over. Gotta love anything that is easy enough for ME to set up! By the time I got everything loaded I was ready to sign up for a year of hosting ($160) and that is just what I did.

So go check out my new website. I like it a lot; it looks pretty snappy and I really like the simple layout and easy navigation. It doesn't have some of the wonderful little details that my old design had (love ya, Niklas:)) but I have finally gotten over losing those. Best of all I can load and unload new images and make other changes as easily as if I were on Blogger or Facebook. Not saying I am an expert, or am even fast at any of that, but eventually I can figure things out. Well, usually. Heh.

And if you happen to decide to sign up at Other People's Pixels, link to it from my site so I can get a free month. I bet J.T. has a free year by now!

12 comments:

Deborah Paris said...

Tracy, the new site looks great! This is a timely post for me as one of my goals this year is to take control of my own site so I can keep it updated. I am not a techie but if this is as easy as Blogger, etc then I can manage. And I like the price! Also wanted to mention how much I enjoyed the post on the light in your studio at VSC.Those images were so poetic!

SamArtDog said...

You've taken 'spring cleaning' to a whole new level. Your stuff looks better here. Goes to prove that no one knows where to move the couch better than the person who sits on it. The proof in this pudding is that I can't wait to go back and take a look around. Good job!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks Deborah, glad you like the new website and really, it is so easy to set up and it does feel really good to be in charge of it myself. And thanks for the comment about the light in my studio, I enjoyed seeing what it would do next;)

Thanks SamArtDog, I didn't think of it as spring cleaning, but you are right, it is! Glad you like it.

Anonymous said...

Stunning! You get more 'pow' when you look at your gorgeous work.

It is - again - stunning!

Sherrill, Montreal

Tracey, how about getting your work up to Montreal? There is a very healthy market here for great art. Lots of galleries and museums. Your work is so unique and sophisticated and the French love that.

Shanster said...

Timely cuz I have a little side project I'd like to showcase more. Can you do a shopping cart for online orders? I'm not that happy with my hosting site currently...haven't done much with my site and SHOULD get it up and going!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Shanster, YES! You can set up the whole sales thing on OPP. It IS geared for art, so am not sure about selling products; you are talking about the goat milk lotions etc, right? I think if you go through their site, you can find out that sort of thing. Good luck!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks Sherrill! Not opposed to Montreal, just a bit tired thinking about the paperwork, shipping etc that would be involved. I think for now I am looking for opportunities that are a bit more convenient.....

Ellen said...

It looks great!
I switched over. (you should get your free month:) This is waaaay
easier than the site I was struggling with. Except the only template and fonts that I really like happen to be the one you used. (I feel like I'm copying you!)

brian eppley said...

Hello Tracy, I think your work is really exceptional. The black paintings are very evocative. A very singular...introspective...vibe. Are you in Otsego county? I have a cabin in Mt vision and just returned from there. Damn, should have swung by. Those little paintings are really something!

Haley Nagy said...

This black painting is GREAT. Might be my fav so far. Keep it up Tracy!

Elaine Mari said...

Thank you Tracy, I have been looking to find just the right thing for me in regards to a website. I have one already that I set up myself but it is clumsy to update my images and so I have a link to a flickr collection instead of constantly having to create new pages etc. This is not what I want. I will look into OPP and definitely link to you if I choose one of their templates. I know what I am doing tonight.

Tracy Helgeson said...

Wow, thanks Ellen, So glad this works for you, and don't worry about copying me-I think way more people should;))

Hey Brian, a cabin near me AND you live in Philly? I went to college and lived there for about 7 years! Very nice work, do you show up here?

Thanks Haley, i am partial to the black paintings too, so that's nice to hear.

Good luck Elaine. I think you will like it though, really it is just SO easy.