I saw Enice’s photography on this website http://fineartamerica.com/, so I thought I’d give it a try as well.  So far I only have 10 pictures posted, but they are also advertised on my Facebook page.  I’m excited, because I finally got myself started.  This business is mostly a hobby, but I would like it to be a successful hobby just because I like to be successful.
The way I will measure success is that 1) the pictures are of technically of good quality ( clear, the right brightness, etc.) 2) Â the pictures are well composed (interesting subjects, good balance, framing, etc.) 3) Â The pictures have appeal (people just enjoy looking at them), and 4) The pictures have salability (usable for decorating, cups, t-shirts, cards, advertising, calendars, etc.) Â Who knows where this will lead, but this is my next experiment.
I started out with pictures of cats because they seem to have so much personality. Â I realize that most of you are photographers as well, so you are not too likely to purchase pictures from me, but I would love your opinions. You have been so helpful in the past about giving me such good ideas. Â How would you rate these?
V’s favorite is Boulder Monitoring. Â That’s what I felt like doing yesterday afternoon instead of driving to Ontario. Â But I drove 5 hours instead. Â I hope that you will come and like my Facebook Page, and join me on this adventure. Â I’ll be sharing how it is going or not going as we go along.
The next thing I started this week, I did out of necessity. Â Earlier this week I asked you to vote on the front of a brochure that I designed in Photoshop.
Although I really had no desire or inclination to design a whole brochure, no one else volunteered to do it.  To create this masterpiece, I tried out a new product, Adobe Illustrator.  You can see that the basic design that you voted on  is on the right, which is the cover.  I changed the picture, and used too big of a font for the words at the bottom.  I also included more pictures on the inside flap and back to represent the various branches of social studies.  Wikipedia quotes our own National Council for the Social Studies to define social studies.
Social studies is the “integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence,” as defined by the United States Americans National Council for the Social Studies.[1]  … Many such courses are interdisciplinary and draw upon various fields, including sociology but also political science, history, economics, religious studies, geography, psychology, anthropology, and civics.
Ralph, you’ll notice no smelly sock unless you consider the bear smelly!!!  Cotton, I found the Bear Flag on the map, and I thought that was too cool.
I also finished as much as I could with the tri-fold brochure.   Paula made some suggestions for technical revisions, but our board made some other substantive comments that may WILL change it as well.  Here were some of the comments/questions I heard around the room as soon as I passed the out the brochure.
Would it be more effective to have a brochure with artwork rather than photographs? Â (I don’t have the ability to do artwork!!!)
If photographs are suitable, what photographs really illustrate these divisions of social studies?
Even more basic than those questions, do we just illustrate the definition of social studies, or do we move past that to illustrate what the council does?
1) the advocates for keeping social studies as a core subject to continue to be taught in American public schools?
2) provides professional development for teachers grades k-16,
3) Â identifies quality instructional resources and
4) assists in developing and implementing state policies including standards, frameworks and assessments.
There is so much to designing a brochure. Â The designer and the organization have to identify what is really important and somehow represent that graphically! Â How do REAL graphic designers ever do it????
Thanks for coming along with me in my busy-ness this week.  I’ve been so wrapped in meetings this week month that I hardly knew know if I’m coming or going.  You all have helped by my anchors and my boulders.  Thanks for being there.  I’m monitoring you!
Have a nice rest of the week-end.  What are you all doing??  I have a meeting tomorrow for Tulare County Historical Society.  Anyone want to come??  Don’t forget to write to, like love tell me what you think while I’m busy going to meetings.  🙂  Lots of Love, Marsha 🙂
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
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