Featured: VH McKenzie

I used to paint quite a bit- mostly in acrylics, but oils, watercolors and pastels as well.  Being a painter myself , I can easily spot the work of other artists that have exceptional talent.
V.H. McKenzie, of NY,NY  is such an artist! Her works exhibit all the colors of the rainbow- a colorist with an incredible eye.  I love her Jamaican portraits and lush tropical landscapes.
One of her paintings hanging in a neutral colored room would spice it up temendously.

But don't just take my word for it:

Don't hesitate to check out her Etsy shop or facebook page where you can see more of her incredible works! You'll find me amongst her fans!
She offers, "Original art -- oil and watercolor paintings, drawings,collage AND archival quality prints of same." 
Do you have someone who has everything- or nothing (or anything in between for that matter)?  One of her paintings or prints would be the perfect holiday gift!

Shop Handmade for the Holidays

Buy Handmade for this Holiday Season -

With the economy affecting most peoples' wallets, for the upcoming holidays, it really makes sense to consider not only how much you will spend and what you will buy, but also - who will you buy from.  So many are either supplementing their incomes or have been forced to replace their incomes (due to layoffs or reduced hours) by starting small home businesses.  Each of us has a choice.  We can continue to buy from the super stores, that are increasingly stocking their shelves with inferior and cheaply made imported goods, or we can choose to buy from people who are working from their homes and trying to make a difference in their local economies.

To help these entrepreneurs, artists and craftspeople, I've decided to feature at least one each week throughout the season, on this blog.  If you want to be considered for inclusion - please go to my FaceBook page (link on the right side of this blog) and leave me a link to your shop or website and a contact email.

Free Copyright Protection

Exciting news for artists and designers. Here are the links to two sites that basically explain a way to copyright protect your designs for free! The first one has a video that explains the process. The second one provides the service.
Documenting your designs before you release them in photos you display on the internet is becoming much more important these days. Too many fellow artists and designers have seen not only their designs stolen but even the original photos they placed on the net to display or sell their creations. Many don't realize how important copyright protection is until they find others selling it!
Even if your design needs to be patented to be protected - you will need proof of when the design originated - you can use this free service to create that proof.

http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-protect-your-content-with-copyright-for-free/

http://myfreecopyright.com/