Sunday, June 13, 2010

Free Image Galleries For Websites




If you are looking for a great way to easily display images on your website, check out the SimpleViewer Gallery. This free download is very easy to install and elegantly displays your photos or artwork. There is an option to display your pictures directly from Flickr. The images can be easily sorted by date to display your favorite ones first.

The E2 Photo Gallery is another great option for fast construction of a photography website. Although the setup is a little more complex, you can purchase and advanced version with more install options. The design is customizable in Photoshop or Fireworks.

If you are looking for a fun image display for your Facebook page or another social network, check out the Animoto website. Although some areas require a purchase, you can set up free short videos with music. There are endless options with the professional version.

I am developing a new Flash image gallery that will be free for all. If you have any suggestions about features you would like to see, please leave them in the comments. Be sure to subscribe to this blog and stay updated on more fun, free items. Also take a look at the other website links at the top of this page.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Encourage A Young Writer Day

This is the day I have chosen to make my first blog post. April 10th is officially "Encourage a Young Writer Day." Youth is a state of mind. How old I am or you are does not matter. The inference applies. What is this blog all about you ask? In reference to the name, I'll make it simple:
This blog is about ART.

Art is a difficult topic to define. One of my favorite phrases is "If all else fails, call it art." I choose to define it as the realization of dreams. I make dreams a reality. The specific concept might be relatable in print, words, audio, or in a physical state. So who am I really, and what am I doing putting all my thoughts out there for the world to see? I want you to see my thoughts. I want you to share my vision.

I have recently closed one of my greatest endeavors to pursue something more expansive. Ora Trei Designs was a virtual world fashion label that has been frequently called THE brand of 2009. From open to close these graphic designs were only available for approximately a year. During that time I learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. I learned more about others than I ever thought could be.

My handle in the virtual world of Second Life, or SL for short, was Potnia Theas. This world was my inspiriation and my training ground. I graphically created several fashion labels using Adobe Photoshop and Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9, the most prominent of which was OTD. This is an extremely complex process to learn. It took a year of development and another year of execution to create the OTD label. I have taught a six week course on how to design in this world effectively.

I made more close friends than I can count. Many of the people were "1st life" professionals in graphic design or marketing. This was my inspiration to return to college and obtain a degree in Visual Communications. Now I plan to replicate the process I followed in Second Life in my first life.

Many people I know have said that I became a Second Life celebrity. I say as long as there are new frontiers to cover you must continually reinvent yourself. Always believe there is something new to accomplish.

As you follow my progress and my process, please take note of the ups and downs, the silences and the times of extreme activity. Life is an art, too. In parting, I would like to remind my readers to never give up on your dreams. Success is based on consistent efforts.