Seeing the world through new eyes

ME....AND THE BBC.......

2011-01-15T00:51:00.000-08:00

First and foremost I must apologize for the quality of the pictures below.....For some reason the new Nikon Cool Pix we bought last year is suddenly having focus issues.

Next an update: We had a good Christmas season and I was able to take on two apprentices for the first time ever. Thank go to Evan and Christine for their fine work. Christine and her Staff have moved on too working for our good friends at Instant Imprints. After Christmas I myself had a health setback and we reduced our shop too 1 day a week. Last week was really my first day back.

Of course now that has changed. Basically the shop is silent tonight and likely to remain that way for the next 40 days or so thanks to the BBC. well and Ebay not having the balls to stand up for Canadian Law.

As many of our long time fans know. they where introduced to our hand made green products through finding or searching for a fan related product on Ebay, before transitioning to our own web service. Annually we do not do enough on Ebay to support the program alone, but without that introduction it puts us in a position of not acquiring new customers.

What does the BBC object too.....Well as far as I can determine everything. They object to the "Home made products", they object to the use of Dr. Who in the titles as they consider that to be trademark (by the by, it isn't not here anyways, however my use here of BBC should mention that BBC is a trademark). And they seem to object in total with the whole concept of Fan Art and Parody, my guess is they are just too british to even get a laugh at themselves anymore, I guess John Cleese was right in his book.

The fact is that the work of these set pieces allow the creation of new work. And the training to continue. For instance the special order below created for a Dr. Who fan club in the USA. Has the weeping Angels on the front, the new Who Club logo (yes that too is called Parody), and the Glow in Dark Don't Blink on the back with a special request for our Marque on the right sleeve.

And too be honest these people where only charged for the regular shirt as I was not sure they guys could pull the printing off after I had made the small screens for the sleeves.

So what does that mean too us....Well right now it means I have apprentices which will not finish their program. And since we are scheduled to relocate to Alberta Next month they will not be given the chance too as well.

Many years ago I had a very similar idea too this program in ceramics and at that time obtained permission from Lionheart which at that time was the BBC in NorthAmerica to use images for these programs. However that was 14 years ago when you could not give away BBC related products in North America.

I have a particular fondness for Dr. Who fans, because until this nightmare with the BBC I was one. Dr. Who fans in North America are slightly quirky, and are much more likely to purchase our green type products then they are the BBC's chinese produced goods. But still is the hassle worth it for the $1200.00 of Dr. Who related product through Ebay. Well yes it is for a number of reasons, 1) Ebay is often our first contact with a customer 2) I provide services such as the one above for Fan Clubs etc 3) We participate and buy membership in Cons when we can, that money also goes to the BBC. 4) We enjoy selling to true fans and have never not gone out of our way to customize a product.

What would the BBC gain by allowing this...1) A venue for those continuing to look for a custom product 2) a good warm feeling inside 3) me and other Canadians not looking all that hard at how the CBC spends its taxpayer money. (Because the fact is and you should all know this millions of dollars of Tax Payer money has gone from the CBC too the BBC to buy BBC programs over the years. 4) A realization that even though Canada was a colony we are not any more and maybe our laws should apply to Canadian Artists rather then their interpretation of their laws.

However after spending two days answering panicked customers and un neccesary paypal claims caused by Ebays removal of those listings which contained the magic words Dr. Who, I am more and more leaning to giving all the designs away to one of those big Drop Ship companies too deal with. Let the BBC try and shut down thousands of sellers around the world selling the same product while I just move one and close up shop permanently.

On a side note for instance two months ago MGM wrote us about startgate fan art. After receiving our response they let us continue, way too go MGM, the same with the CTV, and Lions gate. I mean if we where selling hundereds of thousands of dollars a year I could see it but I can't even reach ebay power seller status which is $3,000 in a quarter. Our maximum production is a whopping 15 items on a full day.

So BBC the ball is of course back in your court, some time monday I will either send out a press pack or release all the designs in free downloadable vector graphics, and I think you know where those would end up.

Just reviewing the correspondence from the Bay,......And find that the BBC is not the worst part of the equation Ebay is who took it on themselves to remove all the fan art and then cause problems. So I have decided to do the sensible thing......Start a Drop Ship Business. You can have access to all of my designs and make a couple of bucks per sale without any problem. All you need do is send me an email through our webpage.

2010-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

What is it with the CRAZIES, and why the heck is so much of Gen Y that way. Any ways I promised you all a real time update on the shift and move of the program this fall.

For those of you who remember I take in the first apprentice of the year at this time every year. This year we have room for two on alternating days. Since we brought the shop back into the Langley area we did not have to go through the hassle of starting a new contract with the Ministry of Children and Families, and I just sent the note to the local Resource office on Friday that we are interested in hosting two this fall.

This is somewhat a leap of faith on my part. As you know this program receives no Provincial funding and just a drop or two of federal funds for training. As per usual the applicants must be a) Non Violent, and b) Able to vocalize or understand sign. Of the four apprentices through the program so far I am happy to report that three are now stable in part time work in the Langley area with the fourth, our favorite Thomas unfortunately, hospitalized when his organic dysfunction spread. So Why two. Well we have seen an increase in sales which almost threatened to turn my little non-profit experiment into a profit maker. Something which could cause me some grief as my retirement agreement with my parent company supplies support only on the red ink side.

We also are going to be hosting a High School Art contest this spring and are still working out the details with the School Boards involved. As well I have been asked to hold a few classes at the special needs school on Tie Dying and have decided to do those as well.

All told this winter promises to be a great time for this little venture with more youth helped and with an expansion of the model. If we really work hard we will be able to create a second program somewhere else in the province by next summer. Strange how my little retirement project keeps growing.

On the other commercial side lines where I am able to make a profit I must admit for Paradise Gifts in both the B and M and the on line venues the going is tough. So my next blog will deal specifically with that, Getting ahead in e commerce when the going gets tough.

On the health front I can tell you that I have had to go back on mild doses of opiates after managing the summer without them. The change in weather seems to increase my inter cranial pressure, Surgery is still planned for the Spring if it remains stable; however after 6 months without a seizure I am beginning to think that I need to fake one just to make sure Delen still remembers what she is supposed too do, other then playing and licking my face and chasing her sister.

Insanity and understanding Copywrite.......

2010-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that I have never posted on this topic before so I guess now is the time too do so.

About once a year I get some person claiming that art I have was "stolen" from them. Usually it is so obviously a bizarre claim that it takes me no time to deal with. Every now and then however it really gets under my skin. They why is simple. Copyright law is easy to understand and it is easy to protect yourself if you show a little initiative. About 20% of my work is provided by contract artists. Even though I am forever doodling I realize there are some things I suck at. Such as detailed faces.

One of the big problems we as artists face today is this very media you are reading this on. The internet. Learning how to protect yourself here is what you need too do. There are two primary ways to protect your work. The expensive and the on the sly cheapo. I now use the expensive. The expensive requires me to take my original commercial art to my lawyer along with a list of the applications for same I wish to use my image for (eg T-shirts, Mugs, Key rings, Stationary etc.) and how that will generate income (THESE STEPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT)
He takes copies slips in the cover signs and dates and imprints everything and hands me a bill for $250.00 plus HST. (No wonder he can afford a corner view office on East Pender). He keeps a copy and so do I.

The Cheap way is to take copies of everything. Place the original including the list into a sealed envelope that you have signed along the edge. Place that into another sealed envelope you have signed along the seal with a witness signature, and send it too yourself registered mail. When you receive it you DO NOT OPEN IT, but set it aside in case you ever need it.

Never EVER post something online that you wish to create income from. End of that plain and simple.

If you find someone that may be using what you think is your original work (and I have found a few over the last 20 years or so) you may need to seek damages from them. To seek damages you must prove that you 1) Actually own the rights to the image. 2) Actually intended to use it or are using it in the exact same way to generate income 3) That you have suffered a financial loss because of it. If none of these statements are true, stop wasting your time and others.

The recent case involves a component of a shirt I have sold 0 of in the last 8 months. The artist that provided the certified copy as per his contract claims that the work is his and some one I have no idea who half a wold away claims it as his. The Documented evidence is that it was produced by the Vancouver Artist. The hearsay evidence suggests this may not be true.
My contract limits me on the use of this image. It is only available to me on this one shirt, I cannot recycle and create a better piece with it. The Artist (the Vancouver one) retains other rights to the image. My Cost to bring the shirt to production is aprox $500.00 so I need to make that up before I decide the future of the work.

The fact is that the Rule of law makes it clear that I am using the image in the correct manner as required. I feel for this guy in England but I need to be honest it almost requires a leap of faith that somehow half a world apart Thomas (the Vancouver Artist) somehow copied this work (ESP anyone). Regardless the English artist can provide none of the above criteria and now his weird and wacky friends are flooding my in box and are now indeed at the point where I can pursue civil damages against him (Show a loss of income).

His most recent comments make his case even more shaky in my opinion as every one knows I produce all my screens By HAND without computer graphics or use there of. On other words his claims that the image has been altered in Photoshop make it even less likely that Thomas copied it.

Like many young Artists the young man in England did not take the time to understand what he is doing or the costs to him in real terms. Recently he has started using my Trademarked name and I have been forced to file a complaint under the Unfair Trade Practices Law through the Federal Government. How strange eh. Foreign affairs (A good friend of mine as I helped him win his seat) will now be contacting the British Consul in Ottawa and lodging and official complaint. This young man could end up costing his Government millions of Pounds (and himself as well if we push it to the penalty phase) all because he did not follow the practical advice above.

SO IF YOU ARE A YOUNG ARTIST learn from the above. Copy and certify everything. Do not post anything you may want to make income from. List every application you can think of for your commercial image (Believe me I never used to list things like Mugs and then some of my early work started showing up on those).

And too think I retired so that I could have LESS STRESS in my life.

As A PS: I went and visited this young artists work posting page and the first thing that struck me was front and center an illegal copy of a Walt Disney Registered Trademark (Tinkerbell).
I took a screen shot and am trying to decide about sending it too disney legal. Those guys make my legal begal look like a scroungy mutt.

A follow up on the Fight with Coca-Cola I WON. Thanks for asking.

2010-10-02T00:12:00.000-07:00

MY BATTLE WITH COCA COLA USA

Every now and then you have to draw the line and fight for something so absurd that it makes you scratch your head.

Such is my battle with Coca Cola US....and the weird little person at Simmons and Simmons who report to be their legal representative for Coca Cola regarding trademarks in the US.

As not uncommon in the online commerce world the root cause seems to be EBAY and their in ability to control their own VeRO program.

So these are the shirts you cannot buy even though at least in CANADA they are 100% OK Dokey.

They come in a Red handdyed shirt, a white shirt, and a white Muscle T/wifebeater.

The lawfirm using ebays Vero program refuses to provide information as to how there is an infringement on these items, ebay refuses to help me keep them up even though it is obvious they are not a trademark infringement.

For those who think they might be. The Copperplate font for the Coke and while Cock on these shirts predates coca-cola by 140 years. The phrase (catch phrase) Its the real thing predates coca-cola by almost 200 years and was the mainstay of the Patent Medicine business in print adds dating back to at least the 1700's.

Lets Face it hear I am not fighting for good taste. I wouldn't wear one and I am not sure what is up with their representative, but I think they are mostly offended as I put this in the Gay Pride and Gay interest sections of my shop.

Why is Coca-cola US even involved in this? That is a good question Coca-cola bottling Canada has no say on the matter they could care less, I am a Canadian, in Canada where I print the product, they where posted on the CANADIAN ebay site, and yet they have been pulled time and time again.

Communication to Coca-cola, simmons and simmons has gone unanswered by both me and ebay. Requests for legal addresses for service of documents has also gone unanswered by both companies in the US.

I don't sell alot of these so why am I fighting?

I am fighting two things, the belief that an american company has any say in the legal business of a Canadian citizen within the borders of Canada, and the wrongful belief that you can do what you wish to someone without legal repercussions, or damages, this is both EBAY and Simmons and Simmons/Coca-cola.

As well without an explanation I cannot wonder at the probability of the nature of the shirts and them being categorized as GAY that is the problem.

If you came to this page from EBAY then please use the transaction to make the purchase. If you came from one of my other links then please email me at PRIDECAN@GMAIL.COM to make a purchase, of the shirts COCA-COLA USA does not want you too buy.

Prices are in US DOLLARS.
TANK : $15.99 including shipping
Shirts: $19.99 including shipping.

In the meantime I will keep fighting for my right to make and sell these.

2010-03-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

It is true Spring Has Sprung.....

And Nature is painting a tapestry of art. Plants and animals working on providing a canvas for us to enjoy through the spring and summer and the energy for the beauty of fall as well.

As you look around your little bit of the world I wonder how your eyes are perceiving this art.
Is it working to help inspire you? To help re-energize your efforts? To look with new young eyes at all there is around you?

This is art created by nature. It does not really care if you get the point of it or not. It is art for the sake of it. After all if there is nectar in the flower does the colour really matter? Yet naturer goes out of her way to provide this abundance of colour.

I have been watching the Black Berry bushes and Cherry Trees Bloom around me all week and can only think not just of the beauty of them but the wonderful fruit the future holds.

That is how we should always look at our days. The beauty in each moment, and the rewards of the future. Spring inspires us to think and plan ahead.

So how is the Spring time of your year coming? Are you looking ahead or lost in thinking of the errors in the past?

I would like to take this moment to thank the CBC...For allowing the Kids to get together again.
The Art of Laughing until you are rolling around on the floor was great (although I do not know if my American Friends would find it as humorous, Canadian Humor is sometimes a bit hard to take, we spend so much time laughing at ourselves.

Hear Yeah Hear Yeah.....

2010-01-18T01:54:00.000-08:00

Hear Yeah Hear Yeah......A customer Care Announcement....And what is new for 2010.

For those of you whom have been emailing me, yes it is true, I was in the hospital for 8 days this month. I seemed to have had a little stroke caused due to some pressure increases in my skull. New bore holes and some drainage later and I am back on my feet and back to terrorizing my apprentice.

I had little to do but doodle when I could, thank God I am left handed and my right side always seems to bear the brunt of of problems since the mass is on my left lobe.

Anyways this spring look forward to over 55 new screens including new Dr. Who screens, New funny screens, new art and full shirt screens, and new political action screen shirts.
Since my return home on Wed. I have checked packages and started sneaking in new screens as freebies with orders going out. These are for all of you and for the one redo I did before heading for hospital at the beginning of the month. Enjoy them, if you get the freebies please review with the email attached and your review will be included on the new WWW.Canacreations.com web page which will be launching in March. And you will also be entered to win a free hoodie.

Does this mean we will be leaving our favorite Bonanzle venue Far from it we will be creating a unique market position on Bonanzle as our venue for discount and sales items as well as an increased promotional line.

We look forward to the new year as it seems likely I will have to move to a larger production facility (other then my attached work shop) this Christmas's 300% increase in sales speaks for itself. Thank you all.

From my family to yours.....What ever your family it is your ART..

2009-12-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

Regardless of your family, wither your family is a close circle of two or four legged friends, weather it is a spouse and children, your siblings, parents, or extended Family at this time of year practicing the ART of FAMILY is fullfilling and a necessary expression of the Human Condition.

At this time of year in the west spending that time with your family with or without the connection to the religious feast day is important. Much more important then the gifts, the wrapping, the glitter, and the other expressions we use. Practicing the Art of Family should be more then this little corner of the year. Above is of course my second most neccesary family member after my camera shy hubby. After all if I could not send David out to work everyday I would have to go out and get a real job. Delen is of course my Seizure Dog. By my side day and night not only is she a family member but exemplifies family as she seeks nothing in comparison of all she provides us in service and support each year. And although occasional hairs end up being shipped around the globe (honestly we try but german shepards are not only very bright they also shed more then most breeds). She provides day in and day out even when sick or tired. When I have to deal with the new insomnia she too stays awake to check on me.

When we all go to visit my (Delen loves my mom while her sister the patrol dog loves my dad). She knows how to be gentle (they are in their 80's after all). When David is upset she knows how to get him smiling when I am too exhausted too do so. She provides as a human in many ways. But it is that selflessness we all exhibit at Christmas that is important not just to those in our home but our family around us.

Expanding our definition of Family too include all of our species would be a great next step. I know I tried to give away alot of misprints etc to those in need this Christmas and plan to increase that next year. I hope all of you have been helping your family as best as you can, I pray that those of you in need will get what you need this Christmas in love and support to move ahead.

Thank you all. Now how about a piece of my Chocolate fudge. I have a few pounds left as no one ordered Bonanzle mugs this Christmas.

And So Dora does not feel left out here she is....A real working girl this one.

To you and your family from me and mine Merry Christmas.

The Art of Relaxing At Christmas...Or sometimes it is better not to know.

2009-12-23T00:42:00.001-08:00

I was having a fantastic Christmas until today...As many of you may know from Posts elsewhere we experienced a 300% increase in wearable art sales this Christmas season. Not bad for 12 months 2 weeks in business. My marketing plan is working, but I never doubted it.

I was left without my new Apprentice for the last 10 days of the rush leaving me feeling a little burnt at both ends. Luckily or should I say Handily my most recent symptom has become bouts of severe insomnia, apparently I no longer produce a few different metabolic chemicals and now need to use supplements. Still considering they told me I would be dead by now I guess heck pass me the Melatonin. Who knows maybe in January it will go back to me nodding off all the time. None the less it appears yet again, the mass has not gained and I am still meta stable. Tah dah, no dying for me in the near future, and Doctor stop looking depressed that you do not get to open my skull up.

Anyways A thank you to all the customers as it was so good I am having a limited Boxing week sale in the main booth, starting December 25th.

One of the things I did today which distressed me was to go and visit a program I care or I guess I should say Cared a great deal about. It was rather heart wrenching and is adding to my insomnia tonight. I have no idea If I should even broach the subjects visiting has shown me or not. But so many of the things that where going in the right direction when I left seemed to now not be. And so many of the things I would have incorporated in the interim (Such as a donate by paypal button on the web page hint hint), have not happened.

In fact in my few minutes there I heard the same complaints and issues raised ad when I first walked through the door. As much as I care about that, as much as I wish the marketing plan for the program where mine, as much as I wish them the best, I am really not sure going back was good for me.

The truth is sometimes you cannot go back, you cannot correct every error you have ever made, and maybe sometimes seeing the results of not finding a solution when the chance was offered may be more than it is worth.

I am almost in tears over this. I now know why my internet agent has been giving me the numbers it has been, and I worry that I may have caused some of the nightmare although if I did it was not intentional.

No I guess it is right, I need to let it go and relax, I cannot fix it from the outside and that is the way it is. It is a good thing I don't drink I would feel the urge to start the high balls rolling.

In the meantime I will be relaxing. In between looking for our next location so we are ready to go right after the Games and our contracts end.

I will do my best to Post an upbeat Newyears Eve blog, I promise.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

The Real World has Cliffs and Pitfalls

2009-12-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Whiley Coyote is not the only one that needs to understand the real world is not a place without bumps, pitfalls, and cliffs. We all do. The grace and skills we use to handle these obstacles are what we are all about. Our history, our future. Recently I had finished a four hour shift of Duty as a moderator on a board I am a part of (the largest such board on the net) and I went to check our my favorite selling site.

While in the discussions on that forum I read a few people like me who where finding that the emphasis on editing peoples discussions based upon unknown criteria was reaching historical, nay even biblical proportions. I left the boards feeling dirty, instead of clean and bleached as the feeling they are trying to foster is supposed to leave me.

One of the biggest problems in E commerce and E communication is this very thing. People needing to control content beyond reasonable limits. For those whom have ever had a discussion about for instance what Ebay does on its boards (and the pink Slap club, of which I have been a member) know that when they changed their focus at live Inc. and changed the feel for what was being said, many people left the boards and started discussing these things on more open (read searchable) forums. Often times in places which appeared totally unrelated to the matter being discussed. It was only as someone changed the written editorial guidelines and posted them that the discussions got back on track.

Because the world is fraught with pitfalls, and cliffs, we should all take the time to discuss avoiding them with each other. If the road needs some reconstruction, better to discuss it in a town hall meeting then in a back room. The problems with diverting or providing only a one sided view of a venue is one where a mature online shopper, or potential seller will not feel they are getting the whole story, and will either abandon the whole site, or will seek information elsewhere, where there may or may not have been a discussion including the people whom can act on the discussion.

White wash does not really cover the hole in the wall. It may divert attention for a little while but not actually do anything to provide relief of the subject at hand.

If you are involved in an active online community with active moderators you know what I am talking about. In those communities there are written guidelines, and the people moderating the boards have no vested interest one way or the other. They will remove posts for attacking people, or displaying in appropriate links, but if the discussion is happening regardless of how it may reflect on the site they will leave it be. Why? Because the world is about balance.

In fact I find myself liking my favorite site less and less lately because of bizarre behaviors going on in the discussion forums. I used to think it was me being grumpy but then I came across off site references like this one where sellers and customers have walked away from the "cheer leading" squads. I know that is not the intent, but it does not suit my business model and as such we will be changing that model in January. I wish I didn't a have too, but I would much rather have some open forum areas on my new Fan based site that anyone will be able to comment appropriately on.

Sorry this post was spur of the moment. I actually do have one about the artistry of Winter, but I will leave that until the weekend.

2009-11-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

MY Young Apprentice.......
Well I couldn't help but create this shirt with my new apprentice hard at work...I think the three packs we now offer have been a great way to ensure he will get enough of a chance to learn printing and the creation of new screens. The screen above was the first one I had him burn to see the process in action.

If you are anything like me: right now you are getting a little ragged around the edges already as we head into Christmas. I have started a complete clean and plan to have my decorations up and lighted up by December 1st. I am still producing Christmas goodies in my kitchen. By the way if you have read this far then you should know if you purchase a Bonanzle mug (Link) then right now it will be shipped with my real Chocolate butter fudge inside. Talk about an extra deal for the holidays...

Christmas is also a time for expectations. I am asking all of you for your mental and emotional health to keep those expectations in check this year. I have already managed to get the feeling from many E tailors that they are expecting more sales then maybe at this point is reasonable. One of the most important goals in Etail is to make sure your expectations are reasonable. That you have done consistent market research, and that you have gotten some ground under your feet before you hit Christmas marketing. In this case Graphing is your friend. The ground work for this Christmas needed to begin last July or August. You need to have had time to try things and discard those that did not work. And to build a target audience, for your product. Most online sales are directed sales. I know we all like to think about the good of search engines and how searches on our various sites show our products but the truth is, sales start through focused marketing. Knowing your customer or moving a Real World customer onto the net. 72% of the etail sales that will take place over the Christmas season will be return customers. Remember that and know where yours are. If you have not built a marketing plan using mail, and email then you are missing out.

NEXT BLOG......Building a return sales profile. Stay tuned.

2009-11-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

What is up for the winning: 1 Hoodies gift certificate including postage
1 T Shirt gift Certificate including postage
1 Bonanzle Coffee Cup including postage
1 "Blogger" T shirt including postage

How to win.....

1) Every sale in my booth on bonanzle or through www.canacreations.com from today
through too December 12, 2009 will be entered to win either of the first 2 items in a
draw December 12th at 12:00 pm PST.
2) To be entered for the cup every Bonanzle seller or Affiliate marketer that has my product
in the affiliate marketing on their page will be entered to win the Bonanzle Mug all you
need do is put the address of your affiliate site in my bonanzle chat window.
3) The Blogger T shirt will be chosen at random from the followers of this blog. Also on
December 12 at 12:00 PM PST.

Have fun. Buy and get even more for your dollars.

Your Canvas

2009-11-14T04:33:00.000-08:00

I decided to focus somewhat on people as art this week. Why? Because a new apprentice has started. Right in time for Christmas. Bobby (Not his real name) is at transition. The place where they are moving from the Children's system into the Adult System. He is a bit different, he doesn't really talk. He comes with a worker as they are not sure how he will react in an environment like the portable shop, and because he has had a history of violence with some workers.

Now I have done that before. I have only ever had one take a swing at me. When I was working full time in the Group Homes. He seem very easy to teach systems too. It appears that due to his Autisim Spectrum disorder he has always had things broken down into steps for him and therefore he does not mind doing all the little things I require. We shall see.

Unfortunately I had no orders to have him do in his first week, a strange kind of thing. So I took some things out of order and taught him how to prepare emulsion and apply it to the screens. Monday is either printing or burning depending on orders.

Anyways this is the first time we have worked with the workers here in Squamish so we shall see how it goes. I think it may take me a little extra to find him something after the Apprentice ship is over but I am sure that it is not beyond me pestering enough people.

Is Bobby my Canvas......No....It doesn't matter who you are you have something to offer, it doesn't matter how able you are you are the one creating yourself. We each take from each other as much as we are able and the composite results help make the image the world sees.

How is your canvas. Is it showing its age, a little rough around the edges, maybe need the frame tightened. Don't worry remember the masterpieces only increase in value as they increase in age.

Artfull Protesting...And the need to say unpopular things.

2009-10-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Craze has grown and grown. It is in fact insane. As an insatiable reader I find the way these books function to be horrible, a step back for women (please see below to get a feel what the fairer sex is really saying) and to the concept of literature. It is as if someone with an untreated bi-polar disorder decided to help the young women of today remodel themselves just like her.

I find that the big ones the Twi-hards are defiantly in need of help. But please do not take my word for it. Why should you. What would the opinion of the Gay guy matter. But please read this excerpt from RSM:

"Twilight is the story of the so-called “average” new girl Bella Swan (Ha, ha, get it? Beautiful Swan?), who finds herself as the object of not one, not two, but a total of five boys’ romantic designs (because she’s so “plain”, see?). The most important of these is the mysterious, hilariously-Byronic Edward Cullen. Bella plays the pitiful damsel in distress a few times and after 200 pages of thinly written suspense, we learn that Edward is in fact a vampire. Never fear, though, because Bella’s “Adonis-like” admirer is no Nosferatu. Instead, he and his vampire family are so-called “vegetarian” vampires, feeding off of animals instead of humans and inexplicably attending high school (during lunch periods they buy trays of food and stare at each other so that Bella can conveniently get a glimpse of Edward from across the cafeteria). The first novel deals with Bella and Edward’s romance and is capped off by a hastily tacked-on plot designed to shove Bella into the damsel in distress role yet again so that her vampire lover can save her.

Okay, you’re saying. It’s a little cheesy. But why is that so bad?

First and foremost, the books present a female heroine who can hardly take a step without needing some boy to rescue her. In fact, the books represent sexist views in almost every way-from the fact that Bella gives up her ambitions and plans for college to get married to Edward, the fact that she is portrayed as a modern Eve, begging the noble, moral gentleman for sex while he desires to preserve their virtue, the fact that their relationship is dangerously unhealthy, and finally to the fact that nearly every single female character in the book is a hopelessly negative caricature.

The series does not improve with subsequent books, either. In New Moon, Bella enters a self-described “zombie” state when Edward leaves her. In fact, the author oh-so-cleverly inserts blank pages with the months’ names as a poorly conceived plot device for showing the depths of her heroine’s pain and also to avoid having to write the “hard stuff.” Bella turns near-suicidal; she purposely puts herself in harm’s way-going so far as to jump off a cliff-to hear her lover’s imagined voice in her head.

What does this say to readers, bearing in mind that the target audience is the tragically impressionable 12-17 year old girls? That they should fall apart at the seams for months if their boyfriend leaves them? That reckless self-endangerment is okay, so long as it’s to be close to your lover? What a lovely message to send to young women.

The sole bright spot of New Moon is the lovable Jacob Black, a member of the nearby La Push reservation and newly-turned werewolf. It is in Bella’s scenes with Jacob that readers see a glimpse of actual personality, and the burgeoning romance is certainly much more true to real-life teen romances than the lofty ideals of the star cross’d lovers Edward and Bella. But add another half-forgotten plot into the mix and Edward and Bella are reunited, with Jacob left by the wayside like a kicked puppy. Pun intended.

Eclipse. It is in this tome that Edward and Bella’s relationship takes a decidedly worse turn. Edward goes so far as to remove Bella’s engine from her car to prevent her from seeing her friend, Jacob, and even has his vampire ‘sister’ kidnap her from a weekend. Bella is a little peeved at this, sure, but she writes off Edward’s atrocious behavior with the terrifying “he’s just a little overprotective” and “he does it because he loves me”. Reader, I actually felt a little sick while reading this, despite these so-called good intentions (they’re always leading to hell, remember). Not only does Meyer give her two characters an obviously unhealthy-even abusive-relationship, but she romanticizes and idealizes it, and not only with Bella and Edward, but with Bella and Jacob as well.

Jacob, in fact, gets a bizarre personality transplant (lycanthropic dissociative identity disorder, maybe?) and turns into a real asshole in this book. He actually forcibly kisses Bella-twice-while ignoring her protests and actually threatens suicide should Bella refuse him. But not once does the thought of abuse, sexism, or inequality even occur to her main character! In fact, halfway through Jacob’s forced kiss (sexual assault, mind you) Bella actually decides that she’s in love with him. What is this??

I threw down my copy of Eclipse in disgust and I was ready to forget that the books existed until the Twilight-mania began anew in the lead-up to August 2^nd’s release of Breaking Dawn. I can write this article just having read the first three, I told myself. In the end, though, partly due to morbid curiosity and partly a result of wildly irrational hope that somehow Meyer would redeem herself, I gave in.

I was wrong. In Breaking Dawn, Meyer gives us an honestly bewildering and at times horrifying close to the series. The several hundred pages are filled with sickly-sweet self-indulgence and a blatant dismissal of continuity and realism. In brief, Bella and Edward get horizontal at long last (but only after they’re married, of course-we can’t have the naughty temptress taking away Edward’s 107 year-old virginity) and Bella somehow gets pregnant. Please, Meyer says, never mind the fact that all the vampires’ body fluids are replaced with their ‘venom’ or that sperm dies after three days, much less a century. Even more fantastically, the vampire/human spawn grows at an alarming rate, so fast in fact that Bella feels it “nudging” her at approximately two weeks of gestation. Now, I’ve never been pregnant but I did take health class back in high school and I’m pretty sure that there’s something wrong with that picture.

I’ll spare you the details of the rest of this horror show. Trust me, the birthing scene is something I desperately wish I could un-see (after the loosely-called ‘baby’ breaks Bella’s pelvis, spine, and ribs from the inside, Edward ends up clawing his way to a surely-unsanitary vampire version of a Caesarian section using his teeth). I’m sorry. I had to share my pain. Bella becomes a super-special vampire with super-special powers and she wins the not-conflict of the not-climax. And don’t forget her nifty ability to go hunting in a forest in a cocktail dress and heels.

Thankfully, the ‘Twilight’ series is over. Not as great is the fact that millions of girls are reading this sexist tripe without a care in the world, obsessing over the “perfect” Edward Cullen and the “hot” Jacob Black, pretending to be Bella Swan and ignoring the unhealthiness of the relationship just as successfully as the character does. What happened that two hundred years after feminist hero Elizabeth Bennet is put down on the page, we get one of the most awful excuses for a female literary hero that I’ve ever seen?

So frankly, excuse me if I bow out of the Twilight mania. I’m going to go sink my teeth into Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and pretend that Stephenie Meyer’s terrible series did not set gender equality back two hundred years in the minds of millions."

Thank you....Need reading options for your teen age girl:

Anne Mcaffery
Julian May
Piers Anthony
Terry Pratchet

Thank you..I am now finished talking about this subject. In the meantime support your local Anti-Twilight Movement. These shirts are not yet up in my main store but are available at my ETSY shop

Inspiration....

2009-10-13T23:58:00.001-07:00

This is Squamish BC....Where we are currently residing in our quest for peace quite and the needs of our Contracts with Vanoc.

Squamish as you can see is located in a very picturesque location. And has provided lots of wonderful opportunities to live with nature. From the black bear outside our door in the first week, to the coyotes, and raccoons the girls like to react to.

One of the most interesting aspects of the place is that during the salmon runs it lays claim to hosting more bald eagles then anyplace on the planet. And I must say this is true. There are whole sections of the local forests along the river covered with the plums of both older and younger birds.

This of course as everything else lead me to create something to remember this.

Inspiration comes in many different shapes and sizes, it can come from our thoughts, or our observations, our moods or activities during each day. How we express that inspiration is different for each and every one of us. But the Expression of inspiration regardless of how we do so, in art, in action, in activity, writing, or even pondering, is all an expression of ART.

Today I ask you, are you looking for Inspiration? To do so will help you in so many ways with your life, your expression, and your ability to improve yourself and your environment.

Go looking, inspiration is everywhere, take time to find it and use it's energy to good effect.

2009-10-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

HANDMADE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

Are you ready for this coming holiday season? Outside my window in our temporary location in squamish right now the leaves are falling, Diamond head is covered in snow and it reached 1 deg Celsius at my level last night. All of these things are helping move the urgency of the winter season ahead. Yes I have started shopping.

I am planning an awesome old fashioned Christmas this year. Playing in the snow, hay rides the whole kit and kaboodle. Being in a smaller community means more then ever that my Christmas shopping needs to be planned. I am as much as I can participating in the Handmade Movement this season. From scratch on many things. I am creating new decorations for myself and increasing purchases from other Handmade members.

Handmade is good for the environment, it is also a great way to improve your quality of life. A product from most of the handmade artisans will last much longer then similar mass produced items, And your purchase will help directly an artisan have a better Christmas as well.

However not everything I will purchase will be handmade. I find it difficult to get everything from the people I need as fast as I need. I do have a group of trusted retailers on line which have a little bit of everything. If you have not already tried it please consider using BONANZLE
this holiday season.

Need some stocking suffers try DORA&DELENS SHOP
Some Jewelery and rings for him and her PARADISE GIFTS

AND introducing my handmade children's t shirt shop: CANAFORKIDS

Planning your online prescence...

2009-09-24T10:14:00.001-07:00

Building a business plan for your online presence is no different then a business plan for a brick and mortar. I am always amazed when I see new online sellers without a plan. I shake my head and wander away knowing that within a couple of weeks of months they will be gone. After all statistically only 10 out of every 100 online start ups will be there this time next year.

The problem lies for all of us sticking around, the taste these few can leave in the mouth of consumers we rely on. After all we do sales sites get known rapidly by the company they keep.
Looking at sites that share our spaces and what is said about consumers results there is part and parcel of a good business plan.

The only way we can help protect ourselves and our consumers is not to mince words. It is to provide good advice about what they need to succeed or information they require to make a good decision. The business plan is where that starts.

Believe it or not hopping on line to sell stuff requires more work then buying a franchise. It takes more work then you can imagine to not be lost in the shuffle, and it takes more advertising time per $ raised then any other form of sales.

Stage one...Know your market. Otherwise you will loose. You must have all information. How many sellers are their in my product line, how many similar or identical products are on line. And which venues are those on. Can I sell my product on line at all, is their a market, can I compete with the same item at a lower cost point from elsewhere? HOw much money will this Take?

Stage Two...Know the laws as they can apply too you. Do I need a business liscense? A Tax number? A vendor certificate, approval to sell an item on an web based source? Can I ship this item internationally? Is this item legal to sell in all states and countries to which I wish to sell it? What about postal laws? Can this legally be shipped by the post office.

Stage Three....Own your sales supply route. Use reliable vendors and wholesalers, have inventory in stock, hold at least your first months hoped for sales right in hand and on hand.

Stage Four..... Know your target customer and join in and participate with that group. Join discussion groups on the subject, or social groups where the target is going to be. And be active in those communities months ahead of your launch.

Stage 5.... Realize the truth if you are in for the long haul you need to know you will loose money to start. Plan for 6 months at the least in operational losses. Don't forget to be generous with your advertising dollars, affiliate programs, flyers, newsletters, e-zines, and business cards are all things you will need time and time again.

Stage 6.....Follow up with your customers. Make sure they are happy, let them know that you valued their purchase, and ask if they would like notification of any sales. Most will if the transaction has gone smoothly. If there is a problem deal with it correctly and promptly. An FYI on this is the customer is not responsible for anything until the receive it. So when you are shipping make sure you are covering your insurance cost, make sure as well that you have been upfront regarding any and all brokerage fees. Allow a percentage of unreconciled transactions. Just like the B@M sometimes the transaction does not work out and the item is no longer available, and you are out the money. You cover this at the start we build in a 8% loss figure based on last year.

Stage 7 .....Continue to assess your financial well being and tune up or down as needed. Don't forget no get rich quick is really going to do you any good. Just slogging through the days and nights. Invest in more inventory as soon as you are able. For years store keeps can tell you stocked shelves look better then empty space. In retail we practice "Facing" which is pulling product forward to fill the gaps in the shelves, thus always making sure that the products show as full.

Stage 8.......Commit or back out. Not everyone is capable of doing this. No bigy this can take alot of time from your life and change the families dynamics. If it is worth it then fine but if it isn't don't look at yourself as a failure, because you did not fail you choose to pursue a different passion.

Stage 9.....Practice Market Research, supply chain,and good customer service for ever, reevaluate regularly.

Community

By Canacreations

Bang; the sound that no one can hear struck loud in my head, that was three years ago. That

sound haunts my days and nights, and goes hand in hand with the smells that are not there, the shakes

of my fingers, and the memory loss and number confusion. I was forced to take a break. A break from the addicts (they where driving me to distraction anyways) and a break from families in crisis, a break that has lasted until this year.

What to do with this time, what to do when I was not working to save the world one person at
a time. I had no desire to change directions and no real though on doing so after all I had no idea how long I would last. But I did. About the time I started treatment I started selling at craft fairs and trade shows again. Several years ago I had owned a great photo store and t shirt business. I still had most of the T shirt equipment with dust on it. We went into business with Di-sublimation shirts, quickly went to the major on line sales venues, and found it was hard to be profitable with on line sales as the products where very specific, and some of the fees where while lets say it outrageous. On one site I found someone that referred me to this weird new start up e commerce site.

I arrived and Bang.....It happened the shot not heard around the world. But it still echoes in my

head. A community of people like me wanting to build their on line business. While glory glory

hallelujah. A place that can work for my needs. At that time I had just re-invented silkscreen printing something I had not done for 20 years or so, and needed extensive revamping to be 100% natural and carbon negative. So I settled in and wanted to share the experience every where. My listings grew for every new 500 members to this site I added a new screen. This site was exciting and followed the true maxim of mine “A community is a coming together with a common goal.” That is what makes a community. An e commerce community therefore needs to be coming together with some common goals, such as unique items, great customer service, social networking, a good quality lead generating mechanism (google feeds) and all the rest. The growth has been phenomenal.

What is this site you may ask? And the answer is easy it is Bonanzle.com. The site that will
change e commerce forever. Is it perfect? Of course not it is a human community and as such has all the flaws we find in any human community. It is by far however the most adaptive community I have been a part of, and for the most part people come and then engage and through that engaging they learn how to participate more fully in Bonanzle. Do we always agree? Far from it but for the most part we all believe that civility should come first.

If in this world we could find a real life community that functions as well as bonanzle we would
all want to live there, moving vans would be arriving every day full and leaving empty. So I must say that if you have not yet tried the Bonanzle Community you are not realizing all that you can do for yourself and your e commerce sites. After years in social work, and in owning brick and mortars we are very happy to be in the community to stay and we would like to say to you if you are not yet there,

Why Not?

2009-09-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Art of Communication....
(Or how to win by cheating.)

What did I say that? I hope not.. Then what did I mean. Cheating. You see in the time before time we had what we called manners and etiquette. It was caused by the evolution of our species into communities. We would socialize and interact following a set or precepts. We did not lie, we did not hurt others, we where polite and considerate. Part of that was because we wanted that behavior evidenced towards ourselves, and partially because the community would punish those that did not, through social isolation and stigmatization.

The creation of I hate to say it the Telephone was the beginning of the end for our ability to tell those who where playing by the rules from those that where not. I am sure that Sir Alexander Graham Bell, never intended his invention to begin the slide of etiquette, and good manners, but then again I am also sure that Ford never imagined his ideas on line production to be used to pay children 12 cents an hour in a factory in the orient.

The fact is when you engage in any online commerce, or online community you have little control over how many people will not play by the rules, how many of your fellow sellers are there with hidden agendas, and how often you are the victim or an attack for anything from the colour and shape of your Avatar too the idea that they may not agree with your view on the world, or may actually despise you for the colour of your skin, hair, eyes, or whatever they feel that your existence compromises.

How many active sites in which you where a participant became unmanageable due to those kind of people in them? I can think of a half a dozen off the top of my head over the last few years. Of particular problems where E-commerce sites that had crises of faith that began by groups running roughshod over competition and those they did not like. After all no accountability means that the use of that automated report button comes without consequence.
I have seen other boards strangled as an attempt is made to control all the information available, too them. Neither of this is a good strategy. Police men are a fine example, of how to control a community properly, as they are not involved with those they are policing (At least they should not be). They are the objective looking in to see if the rules are being followed, and their only stake in the whole process is to do their job well.

Sorry that rambled a bit. I guess what I am trying to say is we all need to apply a simple rule in our activities on line. If it does not affect me it is not my task to trash the other members of our community. Tell me how comfortable would you be if every time you hit the report key in a community forum your name and avatar was attached as the person requesting the change. And if in all honestly you would not like that then do not hit the report button. Leave it.

Communication in a community forum is important for everyone in an online community, from Facebook on down we require a good flow and exchange of ideas. Boards that are stale, stilted, and that do not appear spontaneous are the type which scare away the casual user. Those casual users are the customers and consumers of our products. Stilted boards are as much a negative impact as bad product. As the big social marketing companies move into marketing and stores (thats right they are coming are you ready to shop Facebook), it is even more important that boards on our venues remain open, balanced, and without personal bias. If you really want to see some bad boards just look at Bluejay and OLA, Those boards where so bad they turned me off months before I even heard the name of our current Venues, and in fact in those cases their boards are part of what did them in.

I am sorry to get all off track on this Sunday. I will be reposting on Monday with a real article, a new art piece, and a review of the contests currently on line. As well my next entry will publish my entry into the 100,000 user contest, on Bonanzle.

The ART of being a wise consumer....The Handmade movement.

2009-09-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Handmade Movement, has been growing and actually making a change in the purchasing and consuming habits of many people world wide. The why of this phenomenon are clear. Purchasing handmade gives you access to very unique items. A chance to express yourself without worry about how many other thousands of something exist. A chance to express your unique youness (another new word). From buying art for walls, to clothing, and finished products we are realizing that mass production and mass consumption is maybe not the best thing.

Too put this in perspective I have chosen my most popular T shirt. This one the Dalek T....

This year I have created 56 of these shirts on order. Each one of course was slightly different, not all of them where white, some had red print, some blue, some even Gold. The BBC says they have 2.74 million international watchers of Dr. Who. Enough to fill 20 some odd football fields. In each football field therefore there would be the potential for two of my shirts to be present. The BBC last year reported 750 thousand pounds in Dr. Who merchandise profits. How many of those same fans would be wearing the Blue on Blue Tardis T shirt which they mass produce in China?

Or take the hand made jewelery. When you go to a jeweler and order a custom piece it is only as custom as the few thousand dies available world wide for the setting. Unless you are buying from a gold smith who uses the lost wax method, you are still getting a mass produced scaled down item.

The handmade movement is saying...No we have had enough. Enough of what? Being looked at as only consumers instead of people, not having control of our culture, being told what is in and what is not in. And being told that it is ok for us to use other people in unsafe an unethical product production.

BEHIND THE LABEL Provides lots of good information about these practices.

The handmade movement this Christmas Season should include you. The idea that you chose a gift based upon the recipients nature, found a crafter that could do the item or is making the item already, and purchased an item which will be unique or have a very limited distribution means so much more then something off the shelf, rack, or display case down at the mall.

WHY BUY HANDMADE : Has great information about the handmade pledge.

This year help yourself have a stress free Holiday season, help your local economy, keep money in North America rather then off overseas, and support a local Crafter help keeping the environment safe, and your family as well (all those consumer warnings are there for a reason).

Craftsmen make and use the products they sell themselves don't forget. You should see my collection of T shirts.

If you have not yet tried this GAME please do.

SIGNS.........

2009-09-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

Signs...They are everywhere. Slow down, speed up, turn right, don't turn left, DETOUR. In living and creating Art we also live and create in the real world. As I once pointed out there is Art in everything; Provided you at least pay attention to the sign posts ahead.

Right now I have a (do not use your left leg signal on with the Kidney damage may be occuring indicator) Meds, what can I say. I also have the SPEED UP REALLY FAST sign on the road ahead. Why? Because Christmas and the holidays are coming. E-tailers are getting ready to practice their art. Or at least they should be. The signs where in the air all summer. Increased traffic, increased volume from last year on the Web, and customers spending time browsing.

Did you see the Signs? If not don't dispare, you can catch the DETOUR. The Detour takes you right to Bonanzle. A site destined to be the biggest bang for the buck this holiday season. You see they believe in signs there. They have this great big huge WELCOME sign out front and a THANK YOU sign on your way out. They have committed sellers wanting to help you get the most from your bonanzle experience.

Some times even with all the signs it is good to have a road map. This month I am collecting articles on the best way to use Bonanzle for your Christmas Shopping this year. Something we can put together and send out and use on the site. A Road map increases your ability to plan ahead for the market, for your purchases, and for your sales. The time to begin implementing your Christmas strategy is now. whether you are selling, buying, or doing both.

This Christmas we have re-newed out Bonanzle Merchandise, and suggest you take a peak to see if there is something to help with your promotion. And yes really we do pay the site a royalty.

If you are selling, map out how you are going to list which products and when. Catching the peak of the Christmas Season rush, and scheduling your bonanza's with good advertising.

If a consumer take a look at the items you like or have found for this coming Christmas season and watch to see when those booths Bonanza's are (keep a little calender I have seen some amazing deals during a Booth bonanza on Bonanzle) Try saying that last part 10 times fast.

As of today Bonanza will be reaching it's 100,000 member. Which I think makes it one of the top 10 fastest growing sites on the Web. So see what the fuss is about.

As a result of this milestone. I introduce the following Give away. For every Bonanzle mug ordered from today until November 12, 2009 you will be entered to win one of two Free Custom Booth Bonanzle mug as well. As well as some new bumper stickers. So start your Christmas Shopping for your Fellow Bonanzalers with these great gift and promotional items. The Ceramic Coffee/Tea/Hot Chocolate Bonanzle Mug.

NOT FOLLOWING THIS BLOG....Maybe you should be. The next update is about the HANDMADE movement and how it is growing and changing the way people spend on line and at home. Be part of the Handmade movement. Support craftsman and artisans.

Wow..An new or rather old art form....

2009-09-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well it seems like a good idea....An actual Essay contest. Actual words in a format that does not leave room for abbreviations or short cuts. No word yet on whether or not the format should be APL or not. I though gee most people have lost this art. Take a look at the challenge

I have not done any writing for fun for years, the last thing I wrote was discharge summaries, and final year end reports. I do remember I used to enjoy writing. Back in the days before the machine I wrote constantly with pen and paper in hand. One of the drawbacks of the computer age has been that I say more but actually write less. By this I mean I chat, send emails, and do all of that daily activity without actually engaging in the art of writing. I want the joy of writing to b
e transfered into this format, And to see if that is possible I am throwing my hat into this ring.

I wish everyone good luck and if nothing else it should provide interesting reading to the judges.

In the mean time are you not following this blog yet. Maybe you should be. Go on hit the follow button and keep informed on the Art of Bonanzle.

2009-09-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Inserting myself as part of the message........Art who knows but sure is fun.

This week I was challenged to do something different. The shirt above is not different, it is only modified with a glittery signature on the back. Then I did do something different this great Dragon done in Sterling Silver Dust on the screen.

Which looks stunning I must say. Someone will be real lucky to have that on their back the first week of school or under the tree this Christmas. But it wasn't enough I was told to try something new, a new Canvas if you will and in fact was given three Canvases for the project.

What do you think of my result knowing that my days of free hand anything are over I have created these out of Acrylic and my silk screens.

Clever, well I thought so. They are a new way of thinking for me. Why? Because they meant that some of my assumptions had to change, the assumption that I would not be able to do this kind of work on Canvas with my shakes, The assumption I had nothing to bring to Canvas as I did, the assumption that a niche is a comfortable place as it isn't.

I challenged them right back and I asked them how to make the online shopping experience work better for them. Beside the host of better pictures, easy to use that we always get I got alot of surprise when I was asked to PROVIDE SERVICE COMPARABLE TO A BRICK AND MORTAR. OR BEYOND. What did that look like. Well the beyond became clear they wanted to shop, be shown what they would look like in the product in 4 dimensions, as well as trying all the other colour combinations, something they could do in a retail market.

(Watch it this section contains a sexist remark and should be taken with a grain of salt). Being male I can tell you I have never tried on a piece of clothing other then suits while being tailored. In fact I don't know many males whom do including the most flamboyant of my friends. Like me it fits when they get home of it get burried until they clean out the bureaus and cabinets. On the other hand I have female friends that cannot pass a store without trying on something. Shoes, shirts, shorts, dresses etc, even with no intention of making a purchase.

Obviously I needed to bring in more of the first customers and could do with less of the second. Or more to the point I needed to find a way to improve the information available to the customer. It needed to be short, but be comprehensive and they needed to know that much like the brick and Mortar we will be there if their is a problem. In fact in online sales you must have better customer service then a Brick and Mortar as all you are as a customer is the service on the other line of the Web chain. Brick and Mortars have known for years that only about 1% of all the problems encountered end up back in the store, They could easily therefore say that for one product return this week their where 9 more like me with it burred in a bureau somewhere. We however do not have that luxury it could be a much higher number it is therefore important for a customer to feel confident before the sale that problems will be dealt with quickly and with a minimum of pain and suffering.

While you think this over also keep in mind that you are locked into the service requirements of the on line vendors and processors you use so you need to familiarize yourself with all the rules at Paypal, Google Checkout, RME etc. And be compliant before the problem.

Please while you are at it check out my new signature lines.
Signature Series

In one Piece.....

2009-09-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

In one piece....I think. Just 6 days ago we where still in Ft. Langley waiting for the Computer guys to fix our network. Now we are in the thick of things for this winters games. That is right we have moved up. The commute once a week to Whistler was getting to be too much so we loaded up the shop and the house pulled in their pull outs, filled the tires and had them hauled up to SQUAMISH. Right in the thick of the 2010 games avenue. To celebrate this fact. Every customer that makes a purchase this month will be entered to win a T shirt that I have created for out stay here. It is a totem pole with the words CANA- the Squamish invastion 2010 on it. We are just narowly avoiding the Vanoc trademark cops with this one but It just seems right.

I will post the art work as we go into this blog so pay attention. Their is no limits to the number of entries every $5.00 equals one entry. So get Christmas shopping early we are going. Also I have received a shipment of new mugs this week. They have the new graphic on them so I will be putting them up in the shop soon. And stay tuned I just received a bunch of blue T-s in 3T and 4T sizes at a great price so we will be printing something on them real fast and adding children's wear.

For those of you interested. I am still waiting for my turn on the isotope draw for a new round of testing. Mostly I am feeling OK. We are now looking for a new apprentice in Squamish so if you have a candidate please let me know.

Thank you all for your patience.

Welll.;..Pushing Limits.

2009-08-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Is this still ART?....Well maybe not. However what it required of me was in some ways. I always knew that from I would eventually push the handmade barriers and to do this go from a mock up to finished production of 35 shirts plus a few extra in 48 hours was while to say the least a real interesting push.

I was changing colours as I printed trying to find the perfect colour for dried blood for this shirt. The colour ranges from Plum and brownish through to Deep red. I couldn't actually wait for the colour to dry before deciding weather or not to change it.

As usual therefore I can honestly say each and every one is an original piece no two are alike.

Why did I do it? The challenge you see we usually allow 10 days to go from art to production. And although this order did not choose my prefered art. Which is attached below this simple graphic was more challenging due to the second round on the screen needed to print them.

Paceset9999 another seller on Bonanzle.com .

She ordered them for her sons heavy metal band for use at a band fest this coming weekend. If you are in Seattle you may want to check out these tickets.

But it did get me thinking again that the art is in the eye of the beholder or for that matter listener. I have to admit I do not have an ear for heavy metal, then again they probably do not have an ear for Jazz. But to each person they are still working on perfecting their Art. How are you perfecting your art this week, which boundaries are you stretching. Why not grow a little, and push the limits.

A briefing on......

2009-08-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

A Recent request had me going to old 3.5 floppy image back ups for a look at old screens I had done about 20 years ago. A buck with antlers. So off I went. I found the art work I used to make the screen as seen above and have enough 24XX screen to frame a print screen up and apply and dry emulsion and then burn the screen.

Once again it got me thinking how everything old is new again and how art is much like that. Back when I made this screen for a class I was taking I never knew I would be making screens for my online business. In fact at that time who the heck even though of making an online business work. I took this course as filler to match the photocourse. It included making rag paper and doing the old silk screen process which most people do not have the patience for anymore.

By looking it reminded me about why a true silkscreen process provides a real depth of image and a lasting quality reproduction un like the stuff being produced by the new t-shirt printers. There is more skill involved. No two screens burn the same, no two dyes apply the same, and no two pieces of material respond the same.

It is that challenge of creating not just a t-shirt, but a piece of wearable art that keeps the fun in it for me. Sure we have some commercial products, Di-sublimation transfers, Di-sublimation promo items. But the real why I do it (since it is obviously not for the money) is making each piece and feeling good about it.

One of the strange things I do is the apprentice program, partialy paid for through HRDC and the Ministry of Mental health, and the Ministry of Income Assistance. We each quarter (term) will take on one apprentice whom agrees to put in at least 8 hours a week but can work up to 24 hours in a week. These are youth (under 30) that have what they call Multiple Persistent Barriers. On other words the workers have given up on them being able to join the work force. Our first through the door Was Jeremy whom will be leaving next week. We show them the old way of silk screening, how to make the screens, how to clean them, how to print, how to do the other things around a shop, then when they leave we try and find themsome place in the real world to work at least part time. Jeremy went too Sport-T's the print shop in Langley and we are excited for him. This too is Art. Helping shape raw materials others have given up on. We applaud Jeremy for his own wonderful art, Himself.

Finally as many of you know my lap top is down. It will not be back for another day or two, but for those who asked yes I did find a picture from my wedding, David had one on his laptop so I have included it here. Not as art for photography but as art for US.

Planning ahead makes for better Art....

2009-08-05T14:22:00.001-07:00

And for that matter a better life. Yesterday I decided to have a creative burst and started Burning new screens left right and center. Some to replace worn screens but most to support the new shirts I have planned and am adding.

It is Hot, Hot, Hot outside and here I am planning for Halloween and christmas. I have new Halloween and Christmas screens burnt and the shirts appearing in my store front already.

So good planning will lead me to produce better art. Using this time now will help create cleaner images and screens. For me the process starts with the.....IDEA....Then proceeds to paper and a well worn series of pencils and fountain pens, then onto and into the computer, then onto a transparency finally ready to burn on to a photographic screen that I had the forsight to make and place into the dark room for drying two days before I would need it. As a result time is not really wasted.

So as you are planning labour day I have to be like most retailers planning my Christmas and making sure I am ready, When you reach Christmas I will be planning the Spring, Summer and Pride selections for the coming Warm months. It takes little time to plan but quite a lot of work to put those plans into action.

There is an Art to Planning. The art consists of setting Goals and then breaking the goals down into the smallest little tidbits you can. Committing the plan and the Goals to paper with a time line and then keeping the time line up todate. I will be honest I used to have problems with this until I started working with Autistic youth and discovered that progress is a slow daily grind for everyone. The only way to see the progress is to have places you can compare before and after.

A lot of people jump on the internet sales band wagon, choosing and making bad choices, bad drop shippers, bad choices in location and costs, and with no written plan to evaluate their success or to re-evaluate what they are doing. I do internet sales because I need the outlet for my creative side, and I grew tired of taking pictures. Does it make me money. Probably not at this time (well actually not at this time as I continue to upgrade and burn new screens on my schedule it will not make me money for another 6 months or so.) But it does support the RL shows I do.

Planning is an art and to actually make it online you need to practice this art daily, you need to realize there is no quick way to get rich, and that you will work longer for less money then at a real job to start. But there is always the road ahead. Planning for that will make your life easier, and make your life more Artful.

Now onto the contest.....I have this shirt with a slight error in it. It is size small, I cannot send it to the customer with the smug on the shoulder but I can give it away. If you would like to win this shirt you need to drop by my Bonanzle Booth.

Once you are at my booth choose your favorite shirt and drop me a message in the Chat such as "I love the __________ shirt" I will draw from those names on August 10th and send the winner this lovely Mischief Managed T size small with Green print.

2009-08-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well I returned from Whistler yesterday...From doing something I cannot talk about in a location I cannot talk about at least not until sometime in February of 2010. But as it is the gear up to the Winter Olympics and as I am writing about art in the everyday I though I would spend some time thinking about Sport as art.

Usually these two concepts appear in juxtaposition to each other. I honestly cannot bring myself to see boxing as an art. Although many claim it is. But luckily as this is the Winter Olympics I can save myself that discussion. Choosing the least likely candidate lets look at my least favorite of the Winter Olympic Sports.....CURLING.

When you think about curling you do not think about the massive amounts of calculating power it must take to play this game. First you take a sheet of ice which has characteristics you get to walk over once before you start hurling those rocks down it. When you send the rock down the ice and give instructions to those sweepers you have had to calculate, the ice as it was versus the ice as it is now that people have been hurling chunks of granite down it, the seeps left by previous teams, the sweeps you need, the speed you need to get to the mark you want, what mark you want, blocking or points, The position of other stones, the amount of rotation to land that rock where you want it, and the calculations around when you will use your sweepers.

If all of that coming together is not ART it means that Curling teams are skippered by some type of super genius that could probably get us past light speed and could manage N-space geometry with their eyes closed and not even a slide rule. As for the most part that seems unlikely they therefore have some kind of natural ability they have chosen to highlight in that way. Although why Curling you got me.

If you take anything and work to approve it you are in fact creating Art. This includes not only Curling but your daily life as well. Walk with art, cook with Art, and everything else can be made not only better but achieve higher satisfaction to yourself if you look at it as an expression of Art.
The Art of entertaining around a Barbecue, perhaps the Art of kitchen organization, or which ever. Practicing and participating in Art also gives you the perfect right to say "This is a work in progress." Thus covering the burnt steaks. Striving for does not mean achieving Art. It is just a way to look at the process of getting too there from here.

Where are you today in making things work for you as Art? Still looking for that first thing? How about the Art of Shopping?

This was my first Art....After all we are trained as consumers from a young age. But with maturity in all arts you learn and grow. Now I am fully committed to finding a better way to shop, safer, more cost effective, and directly from the people making the goods or services I want rather then through some large faceless entity. This is why I am involved in the Handmade Movement, and the Art movement for new local artists. I can often indulge all of those passions when I check out the pages on Bonanzle.com, and less so at Etsy.

These are great ways to practice your art of Shopping as well as to help aspiring artists and craftsmen during this time. As for sport I think next time I will try and find some Art in Hockey, or at least some of those hockey players, what can I say it must be the uniforms.

The image is open to interpretation

2009-07-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

The Responsibility of ART.

This is something we often do not want to look at. But art and the message they provide are in fact a social and political work. They do not exist in a void, the viewer will make a decision on its impact and go on.

When I took the image above some 15 years ago I had no real message in mind, other then the destruction I had seen in the world around us. Would the message change if you knew the person was a diabetic? It is easy to believe that the person in the image is a drug user. Actually he was a model, a fellow student at Mount Royal in the Criminology department, so it is unlikely that he was a drug user. I shot the image without a clear need to make that statement at the time. It sat and still sits in my to be used file. It did once see the light of day for this:

Part of a campaign that was never purchased. A shame really as it contained a lot of stunning images. But it leaves and makes it clear every en devour of an artist is seen not inside a vacuum but within the value filters of the viewers. One of the reasons I stepped over to the T shirt Art zone was just a way for me to share a different set of images. Things I have a personal stake or interest in with others. The volumes of images I have that I have never published fill boxes and boxes in my store room.

What about you. You regardless of your level are an artist in your daily life. The way you work, take care of your family, and even love are open to interpretation. How do you think the views of your art will think of the reality of your art. Are you genuine or like the person in the image above pretending to be something you are not for the impact of the statements you are making.

Boy and you know I had no idea where this thought was going today. But I think I am happy with it. Be genuine, show the world the real you, you are art.

2009-07-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

This morning this was what greeted me out my door. It had rained last night...As this really is art in the everyday I have decided not to really talk about the art. Sure this image looks ok for a digital image. It is of course art, but it isn't mine it is the spiders. It took about 6 hours to create before the rain came down. During that time she created 14 primary anchors and the rest of the web followed.

This is a good analogy for e-commerce. Choosing your anchor points is part of what makes your web successful. If your anchors are in a secluded spot in which no one flys then you will have the problem of not enough activity. If one anchor point is located in a space which sees many more times the action of the rest of the web you run the risk of the whole thing breaking and collapsing, in a snarled mess leaving you more behind then ahead (I call this the ebay mistake).

Balance is not just how you live and eat and stay upright, it is how you should see the art around you and how you should create your on line commerce.

The spider lays the anchor lines down first, so did you. You choose your introduction sites, those places you first took your products. After the anchor some people stumble, remember fully 90% of on line sellers quit within the first year. They don't think of the long term. they may have created customers to buy their products through ebay discounts etc but they have no idea how to take those customers and convert them into full price customers. Research at the start in choosing your anchor helps. Why do shoppers choose a space, what about price points on that site versus the rest of the web. What if the shopper went to Walmart or another discount store to check prices, CAN I MAKE MONEY at that price?

Then we choose the web. What is our snare, what will set you apart from your competitors. For me of course it is somewhat easy. My art is original, I hand print all the items I make, basically there is no real competition in my market space, except mechanical productions. But for you you need to check and decide on the messages you will send that will set you apart.

Other web elements include the supply of your product. If you are like most people on E commerce you are reselling, which means you are buying something from somewhere for resale, Choosing that supply source is very important, how secure is the product portion of the web. How much on hand inventory do you have. And you notice I say have. Drop shipping is really not a good answer to selling on line. Too often items sold are not in stock etc. If you have the inventory you will have no problems what so ever, other then competing with other drop shippers, however you can then use the fact that your on hand product will get to your customer weeks ahead of the drop shipped product.

Other web elements include advertising, setting an advertising budget and following it through. Stick with it. Advertising is very persuasive, however it is also a little like a disease, it takes a while to catch and pick up enough speed for you to notice. Send the same consistent message not for a few weeks but for several months. Hit your strengths choose one to highlight and then stick with it again and again, and again.

The other part of building this web is taking the time you need to do it well before expecting results. Online sales are not a lottery win. You will need to plan, set milestones, and follow those through time and time again you will need to revise how your web sits on the Internet. The sites you post at and visit, the places you blog or discussions you take part in. Look for where your customers are. You must be the spider in the web. Ready to run and fix the parts of the web damaged in the winds and storms that flow through the landscape.

Anyways play safe, play careful, take your time and you can make it work. Do it right from the start. Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to fix it back into place.

2009-07-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

Building your own Wearable Art....

For years advertisers have plastered their message across your body without compensating you. Nike, Addidas, Reflections and on and on. But the truth is we have very little of a personal connection with those items. So why do we do it? Because their advertising tells us to that it is slick to just do it, to be in play and be popular, like everyone else on the street.

Recently we have begun to add the ability to create custom silk screens for people. They provide the basics and we can determine the type and style of screen. Now they wear for about the same price as that Nike T shirt or Addidas Hoodie a personal statement they wish to share with the world around them. Personal art shirts at advanced quality. To me it makes sense why wear someone elses trade mark when you can where your own personal message to the world around you.

Culturally this is actually a throwback to an earlier time when people made their own clothing at home. Often clothing was finished with the personal embellishments that made a statement about the type of person wearing the garment. Now we can do better. We can provide a specific message to the world around us. About our loves, our lives, our hopes, our dreams, our beliefs etc. But why wear someone else's message when you can have your exact message recreated for you?

Something to think about a world where everyones art is available for view right now on their bodies.

2009-06-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing.

::: William Dobell :::

We all see in art what we need to see. In the perceptions as either the creator or the outside observer. When art in any form is created it is an expression frozen in time by the artist. Frozen and unable to change. What we perceive may in deed not be what the artist intended, approved of or even though likely to be the impact of his or her creation.

Cultural filters and inferences in the interpretation of Art has lead to the destruction of pieces of our artistic heritages all over the world. Least you think we are discussing the Taliban or some extremest regime elsewhere in the world, it has happened and continues to happen right in our own back yard.

It does not matter that you feel you are burning an "evil" image or book, that the though it could lead astray by its imagery is so heavy on your mind that you have not stopped to think of the consequences of what the creator may have thought or the needs they where trying to express.

In the middle ages throughout Europe art, artifacts and even poetry and literature where destroyed or "modified" to fit the needs of the Church. Of particular interest are those pieces that due to changing taboos about clothing have had bits and pieces removed, covered, or replaced by future artists.

Throughout the history of our culture we have had a tendency to ridicule or make smaller the artistic forms of other cultures, when we can to package and commercialize them, to create a system where that art is not seen as art anymore.

Then we have the Art burning for the sake of protecting us from Decadence. My goodness the Taliban learned that one right from the west. We have done it in every nation and for reasons just as spacious as the statues in the Desert being destroyed as "false" idols.

Yes sometimes art is a political weapon, sometimes a political expression, sometimes a picture of hope. Some of the posters from the civil war era are stunning for their impact and message.

ART is relevant everyday......Regardless of your media you need to send your message and I continue to wish you the best that the message shall be heard and understood by all.

2009-06-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Art of People.....People as the
Canvas around you.

And in this case I am not talking about skin art (a topic for another time maybe).

Those of you who know me know I spent most of my life with a canvas other then my T shirts, photographs, or canvas.

For most of my life my Canvas was the people around me in need. As a Social Worker and Youth Worker I found myself working in all sorts of interesting locations with interesting people. I did not at that time think of the actual end result as being Art. But it was. Art is the impression or conveying of an idea to others through available media. I was sending a message that they where not alone.

It is to that type of Art I would like to see you godo today. Why because although it is summer now Winter and the cold are just around the corner. This year in many ways we are forced to observed that even with little to give we should do something to help with the suffering around us. This will believe it or not feel better about whatever situation we are in as well.

Working with the Canvas of people is a difficult task, to do by yourself; However, the fact is that there are a large numbers of people around you also wanting to work with the subject matter. It is time now to plan your winter Canvas and I would like to recommend the work being done by your local Christmas Bureau.

My time at the Surrey Christmas Bureau allowed me to help reach out to almost 7000 people of which 3/4 of them where Children. Painting smiles on children's faces is a great art. By far my period there was the most productive time in my recent life. Not just for the art of helping these people but in a graphics art way as well. Running a large agency on a shoe string in order to provide as much assistance as we could was important to me.

It is time now to plan your winter canvas. Put the tools together and find those that want to work the same piece with you.

www.surreychristmasbureau.com

2009-06-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Eeeks......I ain't afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.

For the last 4 months or so I have been somewhat at war with the BBC. They keep insiting that Fan Art is a breach of their trademark. Although the items in the fan art are in fact not registered trademarks. Here is example one. I make these one at a time by hand, so keep that in mind.

First I was required to remove the word Dr. Who from the listings and now the company that does the work for them for trademark just feels like complaining on all of them. In Canada Fan art has a very long and distinguished history. Dating back to the last century. It is a protected expression. And I do not use their artwork, nor images, nor even fonts. Since these are made by hand they are the same as any other canvas.

We have always loved the freedom to make fun of and to show our support for things we enjoy. Don't get me wrong I would be upset if someone was mass producing my original work, of which I have a rather large amount. But in this case we are providing a way for fans to own a creative piece of wearable art about their fandom.

I have pieces that make fun of government, that poke holes at pop culture and make fun of religious figures. So when will I get the note from the Vatican saying I have violated trademarks for the face of Christ or the Church of England for the use of the cross.

We cannot allow companies to own complete concepts and I have been proud of decisions over the years by Canada's supreme court which back up the concept of freedom of artistic expression. It seems to me that in the UK the laws are similar and I am left to ponder wether artists in the UK of any medium are worried people may object to their work.

The facts are simple I made the screens because I was a fan. Having made the screens we let others also have the opportunity to get the marqued pieces of clothing. I still think the BBC thinks I am some kind of mass producer of goods, and does not believe I do these things by hand.

Oh well I will not give into censorship I have had enough of that in my life. If you look in my shop you will understand. CANACREATIONS Thank you for reading this missive I will be back to talking about art in the everyday in the morning. I have a great topic and some great images to share.

Well where is the Art in Compassion...

2009-06-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Compassion, we use it all the time as an expression of how we perceive people should think of others in difficult straights or facing personal tragedy. We often don't think of Compassion as being an expression of ART.

The fact is however that any and all artists are connected through Compassion. Compassion is expressed in Empathy. How we see the world is dependent not solely on our perceptions but the perceptions of those around us, and colour our expressions. I was recently reviewing my portfolio of images from the Early 80's...They are full of bright images and colourful locations, they are in fact filled with the exuberance of a feeling that we will finally get everything right. The cold war was over, we where headed in the right direction.

Yesterday I went shooting. The rolls I picked up this morning show something different. Rolls of graffitii on walls, of people sleeping outside, of needles in a public park. A feeling of problems problems everywhere. At the same time each image has something of the beauty around it. The needles in a perfect flower bed, The homeless sleeping on a beautiful beach, Graffiti on the wall of a food bank. It is not just the dis pare that we need to see, not the people whom have lost their jobs, not the lines at the welfare office, but the hope for improvement. Art provides a true window on Compassion.

2009-06-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

It is rather funny as the summer begins this year that I am looking through my eyes in whole new ways and directions. The why for those of you who already know me have to deal with the fact that I have no idea how many more summers I will see. The little nugget I call my nemises in my head could decide to radically grow and make my life much shorter then before. This more then any other reason is why I stopped working in the rat race. Stopped working the stress of social work and returned to looking for and creating Art.

My wearable art is getting more and more interesting and complicated. Considering I have had to teach myself all of the processes and in fact in some cases create the processes I am most happy with how I have spent my last year so far.

Today the day which is the anniversary of the first appearance of the nemises in deep CT is a mile stone. I have even returned to adding to my commercial image portfolio. Something I had stopped doing over the past 5 years.

All of this has lead to an astounding feeling and an astounding observation. The world has more grace and art in it then I remembered. Not the cheap commercial art of Hollywood or commercials but the real art of the blade of grass, the dandelion seed, the smiles of our friends and families, and the care of those around us. Art is not just what we see but what we experience.

For those of you still tied up in the day to day grind the need to make money in a stubborn economy, and maybe even faced with disaster due to the economic crisis. Please remember to make time for ART. Art in your environment, your life and your relations. If I could put aside the stress and challenge of the world for a while you to can.