LEE A. MALERICH

Contemporary Fiber Artist
Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA
streak@thenetcat.com

This web site was created as an example of what can be done using the web to serve as an electronic outlet for your work and ideas. It is also a catalyst in the development of your ideas regarding what you would like your web presence to look like.

I have kept a very sparse, simple style. The intention is to give you a sense of some of the variables at your disposal. I'd like to have you consider what changes you'd like to incorporate. Changes can be as great as a total re-layout of the site format.

I prefer to keep the web sites I design no more complex than necessary. There are several reasons for this. First, by writing to the simplest programming model, the largest possible number of people can effectively view your site. Second, by keeping the background, text, borders, etc. simple, the focus remains on your message and art - not on the technology within your web site. You may wish to browse the web (I encourage you to do so) to see how others have done similar things through the web. Some fibre artists can be seen at:

• National Association of Independent Artists
• Elinor Splitter, Maitland, FL (NAIA Page)
• Elinor Splitter, Maitland, FL (Personal Page)
• Pamela Hill, Mokelumne, CA
• Molly Gordon, Bainbridge Island, WA
• Kathleen Field

This site has the opportunity to serve multiple functions. It can introduce people to your art, and point them to galleries at which it can be purchased. It can educate people in many different aspects of art. It can also educate and perhaps involve people in a cause that you may wish to promote through your artistic work. The possibilities are really quite large.

Some things you may want to change are the background (now it's a chalk white pattern), the font for lettering in your name or text (lots of possibilities), the use of different separators (now just gray lines). Of course, you may want a portrait and more pictures of your work. The "Issues" page is an example of another tool you can use to get the viewer more involved in your art. I have not included a "hit counter", although it would be easy to add, and useful for you. It is possible to put one in that is "invisible", allowing only you to see a record of how many times your site was accessed.

Please consider what you see here. I'd welcome the opportunity to begin working with you to make this site into the message you want. If you haven't found another person to work with for this endeavor, perhaps we can continue. Also, I do have a booklet and several slides that you sent me. I can return them to you at any time. Please feel free to contact me at 719-533-7427 (day) or 719-532-9267 (night). Along with doing the programing for you, I can either maintain the site (adding new stuff, fixing programming problems) or show you how to do it yourself.

I'll leave this site available for your use until I receive instructions from you. It is also available for others to view, but no one else knows how to get to it - so chances of others seeing it are very low.

I've updated the email address to what I thought you gave as yours. Please let me know if it isn't right. The email address at the bottom of each page is my home number. I won't get mail until late in the evenings. It is possible to move all this web site to your internet service provider - that part is pretty easy. I'd prefer to do all the programming locally, then do the transfer.