I've always admired a pair of azalea bushes at Mount Auburn Cemetery's Auburn Lake. Their remarkable magenta and rose colors astound me. A Cypress tree provides … [Read More...] about Painting Azaleas at Auburn Lake
Painting Azaleas at Auburn Lake
I've always admired a pair of azalea bushes at Mount Auburn Cemetery's Auburn Lake. Their remarkable magenta and rose colors astound me. A Cypress tree provides a sheltering border. I love to paint in this quiet, magical area, especially in springtime. It's a very relaxing spot, very meditative. The only sounds I hear are birds singing. In fact, catbirds often watch me, probably because they build their nests there. Be sure to watch the video I made, posted at the end of this article! … [Read more...] about Painting Azaleas at Auburn Lake
InDesign: Single Pages vs. Facing Pages
When you create a New Document in InDesign, one of the most important choices you'll make is whether or not you want Facing Pages. The option is in the Preset Details, where Facing Pages is turned on by default for Print documents. But, if you want a Single Page layout, you can turn that off by deselecting it. In this tutorial, I'll explain the two scenarios and provide examples for each layout. Single Pages If the pages will be seen one at a time, then you use the Single Page … [Read more...] about InDesign: Single Pages vs. Facing Pages
Favorite Books of 2021
I've loved books my whole life. When I was growing up, my mother took us to the library each week during the summer. As an adult, a lot of my reads for many years were books related to design, art and teaching. Once in a while, I go on a mystery binge. Fiction, non-fiction, historical novels, I love them all. Recently, when COVID-19 entered our lives, I started reading even more. Travel was restricted, but books allowed me to go to other places and brought other worlds into my own. My reading … [Read more...] about Favorite Books of 2021
Text Gradients in Adobe Illustrator
Three methods In this tutorial, I'll show you three ways to create text gradients in Adobe Illustrator. We use the same word for each method so you can easily compare the results. Gradients are a nice way to enhance the typography and add visual interest. 1. Text Gradients Using the Appearance Panel The first method was shared by a student in my Digital Design Essentials class. For this, he gets a big shoutout: Thanks Bryant! I thought Bryant's technique was very cool and wanted to … [Read more...] about Text Gradients in Adobe Illustrator
Can I Display Videos in WordPress?
You can display videos and images in WordPress, and there are many good reasons to do so. First of all, they make your website more interesting and engaging. They also enhance SEO by attracting and retaining visitors. In this post, I share my recommended methods for displaying videos in WordPress. Self-Hosted Videos Self-hosted videos are those that you upload to your site. By default, WordPress allows many video formats to be uploaded to the media library. This approach is not always … [Read more...] about Can I Display Videos in WordPress?
Create an eBook via InDesign Export to HTML
I've been designing print books with InDesign (IDD) for years. When my partner, Peggy, and I completed our third book together a couple of months ago (Inside the Rainbow: Soul Connection in Nature), the steps to prepare it for print on Amazon's KDP platform were familiar to me. Then, I leapt into the eBook world for the first time. It was quite the adventure! First, I tried Amazon's publishing tool Kindle Create. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work on my old iMac. Next, I tried exporting my IDD … [Read more...] about Create an eBook via InDesign Export to HTML
Installing WordPress Plugins
WordPress offers a lot right out of the box. But, plugins enhance and extend its functionality with features like SPAM control, security safeguards, contact forms, and slideshows. In this post, we'll show you three ways to install plugins. While two are done inside the WordPress administrative area, one is through FTP. I recommend using bloat-free themes that are accessible, responsive, and well-coded. Add the capabilities you need with plugins. Stay away from multipurpose themes that come … [Read more...] about Installing WordPress Plugins
Front-End vs Back-End of a Website
Web development is the technical aspect of website construction. It consists of a front-end and back-end, which are quite different from each other. But, you need both sides to work together in order to have a properly functioning website. Front-end developers create the user interface and visual styling of a website while back-end developers build its foundation. Front-end Development A website's front-end is everything that is visible to visitors. It includes all of the content … [Read more...] about Front-End vs Back-End of a Website