Art is in the eyes of...

As usual after a good storm, it’s chilly this morning; 42°. We had a nice thunderstorm with lightning and a fair amount of rain. That, plus the irrigating should have the orchard in good shape for the next two weeks. And I’m hoping that the rain will help the curly leaf willow to fight off the effects of the Roundup.

Thanks to Michelle, I’m looking at the basics of Web 2.0 this morning. Something new for me to think about. And I can’t help but think that the perfect website is like El Dorado, a mythical place. As I have been using StumbleUpon this past week, I have been exposed to a myriad of site designs and most are quite exciting. But are there any with staying power? Is it a race? Or is it art? If its art, there is no race.

I remember seeing the Google site for the first time many years ago and being impressed with its simplicity. I still am. So…after some thought, I have to say that site design is art. As much as oil and canvas. Pen and ink. And that makes it difficult. I took a design class at El Camino JC many years ago and the instructor was not one of those warm and fuzzy types, he was cold and calculating when it came to judging design. The first week’s assignment was to draw a black line across a white surface; ½” wide black on an 8”x8” white board. Straight. And not in the center, but placed somewhere, somehow, to create excitement. What? On Friday we placed our samples on a ledge where he could judge them. Two dozen studies in black and white. One by one he tossed them onto the floor until only one remained. It wasn’t mine. Yes, design is difficult and even simple design doesn’t come easy.