Although I may have seen this building frontage years ago, it didn’t register or make an impression at the time. I was always too busy looking at the front of the famous Sam Key (the world’s thinnest building) Building. But on a recent walk, a friend pointed it out to me and I was surprised—maybe it’s painted differently? It really stood out. I loved the window picture of the woman in traditional dress and pose with flowers.
‘A painter’s house is never painted’, so the saying goes. In my case, it’s been true for far too many years, but here it is, I’ve finally updated my old website—and it’s much more than just a coat of paint!
As I near retirement, it’s time for me to re-focus my energies on what I’ve always loved doing most, painting. So this is really an entirely new site, rebuilt from the ground up to display my works bigger and bolder than ever across all devices. And best of all, it now has it’s own online store so visitors can browse my artworks and select from a range of sizes, on canvas or papers, to meet the price and look that best suits their needs.
For now, although I’m launching this new site, I realize that it’s very much a work in progress that’s never really going to be finished. Right now, as I drag it across the ‘finish’ line, I think of it as a stable beta version of what it can grow to be.
So it’s Len’s Site version 0.1.0. I have working database catalogues for my artworks, design, and illustration portfolios. And, of course, a working store front. But each of these sections have been given just a starting selection of content. There’s still more to be added along with more display and content features.
As a graphic designer who has worked with a hundred or more clients over my career, I still find it very tough designing for myself. I keep second guessing my own design and development decisions. I even worked on two earlier, unpublished, versions of this site. Each earlier iteration felt like I was painting myself into a corner. But this time, I tried to keep the technology (the coding, the plugins) to a minimum, and just let the images do the talking.
So, here I’m launching a site I’m just getting started on. Where will it go?
Back in art school in the early 80’s I learned about the architectural use of ‘desire paths,’ also known as ‘social paths’. The idea is starting with open lawns between the buildings of multi-building campuses, or public spaces, then just let people walk on them as they go about their normal activities. After some time, the most popular and efficient paths between the busiest points on the landscape will emerge, worn into the grass by foot traffic. These desire paths then become the map for pouring the formal concrete paths.
So, I figure the next step is you, those who visit and interact with this site. I’ll keep an eye on the visitor stats and see what’s still needed. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this site. Please feel free to contact me and let me know your thoughts.
Thank you!
Len