The exciting feature we’ve just recently offered that has turned out to be enormously popular is an entire art portfolio website wrapped up into a single file. Users can put the file on their own server or free web space, and instantly all of their art from their Foundmyself gallery is available on another domain. 

http://www.foundmyself.com/free-artist-websites/

http://www.artshowforkids.com

Show Your Art! ASK announces a New Kids Art Show titled Before Winter Arrives. Accepting all childrens art submissions now. Upload and enter the artshow, or email, or mail your images to us at 230 West Market St., West Chester, PA., 19382 today. Begins November, 2007. 1st prize - $50.00. 2nd prize - $25.00 3rd prize - $10.00.  

Common sense usually prevails.    ‘Original’ and ‘wholesale’ are two words that don’t usually go together when talking about investment grade art by any collected artist - especially one still living and working out of their studio.  We want the value of our work to go up for the satisfaction of our collecting patrons.  We do not want ‘wholesale’ attached in any way to the art’s value.  Wholesale means, “selling goods in large quantities for resale to the consumer”.   Original means, there is only one in the entire world.   The collectors of my original works pay a fair price for that honor.

 A big warehouse may have a stack of ’student’ grade originals from multiple artists from multiple sources to be auctioned or sold at ’wholesale’ prices.   You may find prints and reproductions advertised as ’Direct From the Artist at wholesale prices’, but more often than not, it is simply stated ‘Buy Direct from the Artist’. 

What really peaves me the most, is when I go to these displays in front of the local grocery store, strip mall, etc., that have tons of art stacked up against the walls and a salesperson lurking about.  Straight to my face, they will sell these prints as original works of art - just as I am looking at the straight line on the edge from the printers!  Some are smartly done with impasto strokes over the printed canvas substrate on the front.  And occasionally, I even find half-way attempts at painting over the straight edged line that so evidences a ‘print’.  But many times, I will find them all nicely framed up so there is no opportunity for examination.     Here is another article I wrote on how to tell an original from a print.

If it sounds too good to be true…it is.  Again, be careful.

OFFICIAL RULES OF THE PAYjr VISA BUXX^® CARD DESIGN CONTEST

There Is No Purchase Necessary To Enter Or Win The Contest.
Purchasing a product will not affect your odds of winning.
Void where prohibited by law.
By entering the Contest you consent to be bound by these Official Rules, which shall constitute a contract between you and PAYjr, Inc. (”Sponsor”). All decisions of Sponsor with respect to the Contest shall be final.PRIZESFirst place: Apple^® Macbook^® computer with a retail value of $1,499.00.
Second place: Apple video iPod with a retail value of $349.00.
Third place: Apple iPod Nano with a retail value of $249.00.
Get $5 for every time someone purchases your card design.
The winner will be put into the PAYjr gallery, with more chances for people to purchase their design.CONTEST OVERVIEW: This is a contest of skill based upon the design of a prepaid credit card. Prizes will not be awarded based on chance. Sponsor reasonably anticipates the number of entries will be 10,000. All prizes will be awarded. Winners will be selected on November 15, 2007. A list of winners can be obtained from Sponsor after December 1, 2007. In addition to the prizes awarded in the contest, participants will be entitled to the same royalty Sponsor pays for designs that are purchased by users of Sponsor’s prepaid credit cards.

ELIGIBILITY: Entrants must be at least 13 years old as of the date of entry, and a resident of the United States. Entrants less than 18 years old must have parental consent to enter. Officers, directors, and employees of Sponsor, as well as those individuals’ immediate family members and the residents of their households, are not eligible. You may enter as many times as you wish so long as each entry complies with these rules. Entries have no value and an entry does not entitle an entrant to any compensation of any type or kind.

In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a winner based on an email address, the winner will be declared to be the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. Entrants shall be responsible for providing proof that they are the “authorized account holder” of an email address.
Designs submitted by an Entrant must comply with the following standards:

All submissions must be original and authored by the Entrant.
No trademarks, service marks, trade names, brands, or copyrighted material of third parties.
No names or depictions of public figures, public officials, or celebrities.
No personal information, for example, phone numbers, addresses, account numbers or PINs.
No obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, or violent statements or images.
No depictions of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, gambling, drug use, or illegal conduct.
No religious, bigoted, racist, or overtly political statements or images.
No defamatory images or statements.

CONTEST PERIOD: The Contest begins on July 11, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. Central Time and concludes on October 30, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Entries received before or after the Contest period will not be accepted. Time deadlines will be determined solely according to Sponsor’s clock.

HOW TO ENTER: Entrants must navigate to the Contest web page located at www.payjr.com. and fully and properly complete an online entry form, including a submission of the Entrant’s card design. Card designs must comply with the following technical specifications: 600 dpi, jpg format. Entry is not valid and completed until you have received confirmation from Sponsor via email.

SPONSOR ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INABILITY TO COMPLETE THE ENTRY PROCESS DUE TO ANY SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, TELEPHONE, MODEM, OR INTERNET MALFUNCTIONS, PROBLEMS OR FAILURES, INCLUDING THE UNAVAILABILITY OF SPONSOR’S WEBSITE DUE TO SUCH MALFUNCTIONS, PROBLEMS OR FAILURES.

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS: Winners will be selected by a combination of online voting by visitors to Sponsor’s website and an independent panel of judges. The panel of judges will base their decisions on the design’s imagination, creativity, artistic value, and originality. Online voting will account for 49% of the entrant’s score, and the determination of the panel of judges will account for 51% of the score. In the event of a tie, the panel of judges will decide the winners.

The names of the winners will be posted on the Sponsor’s website at www.payjr.com, and the winners will be notified by email by November 15, 2007. If a prize is not claimed within 30 days of notice being provided to the winner, if we are unable to provide notice, or if the winner is disqualified, then another winner will be selected.
Except where prohibited by law, a winner must execute and provide to Sponsor: (1) an Affidavit of Eligibility and Assignment of Rights, attesting to the winner’s eligibility, compliance with these Official Rules, and assignment of proprietary rights in the winner’s design; (2) a Liability Release, releasing Sponsor from any liability arising out of the Contest; and (3) a Publicity Release, allowing Sponsor to use the winner’s name, likeness, voice and biographical information for publicity purposes. The winner also will be required to provide any other information needed by Sponsor to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those relating to the payment of income taxes. By accepting a prize, the winner grants Sponsor permission for the use of his/her name, likeness and biographical information for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

Winners shall be responsible for all taxes, fees, and expenses of receiving the prizes awarded. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute equivalent prizes of equal value in the event prizes are not available at the time of the selection of winners.

DISQUALIFICATION AND TERMINATION OF CONTEST: Sponsor reserves the right, exercisable upon its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds has (1) violated these Official Rules; (2) interfered with the entry process or the operation of the Contest; (3) violated any law or regulation by participating in the Contest; or (4) fraudulently completed the entry form or provided other false information to Sponsor. If, for any reason, the administration, security, fairness, or integrity of the Contest has been compromised, Sponsor reserves the right, exercisable at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY AND WARRANTIES
IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR, ITS RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES OR AGENTS, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, STATUTORY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTEST AND TO THE PRIZES, SPONSOR MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION: Venue of any action brought concerning the Contest shall be in Dallas, Texas, and shall not be subject to transfer to another venue or locale for any reason. By entering the Contest, you agree that you will not commence or participate in any class action litigation, or join with any other person in a legal proceeding, concerning the Contest. The Contest, and any legal proceeding arising therefrom, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

DISCLOSURE OF SPONSOR AND WINNERS: The name of the sponsor of this contest is PAYjr, Inc. You may obtain the name of the winners by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope, to: Contest, 2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 501, Frisco, Texas 75034. Residents of Washington and Vermont may omit return postage.
Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Services Association, and is used with permission. Apple, MacBook, iPod, and Nano are trademarks of Apple, Inc., which is not affiliated with Sponsor or Contest.

AMENDMENT OF RULES: The Official Rules may be amended by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Amendments will be posted on the Sponsor website. Unless otherwise specified, any amendments will become effective at 12:00:01 a.m. CT on the day after they are posted on this site. By entering the Contest after the amendment of the Official Rules, you are consenting to be bound by the amendments.

Please take time to fill in the short application form at this url http://www.arcyart.com/int-addartist.htm and we will add your work as soon as possible or if  you have a web page where your information can be found please reply to this email with the address of the web page and we will add your listing using the information on the web page.

I am artist and webmaster, Bj. deCastro. Haven’t been here before? Look at the category list to find help with art, your website, artist help or general web help under Ask Bj. You can also enjoy the new category FREE Art Gallery, Fairs, Contests, Submissions or Display. Here you will find all kinds of places to submit your art for free!  They are not always so easy to find, but since I get invitations just about every day, I decided to start sharing them with you here.  Feel free to let me know, if you find a good one!





http://www.art-n-gift.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=lastupby&uid=82

Bj. is very pleased with the presentation and the representation of her work.  Please visit http://www.art-n-gift.com to sign up for your FREE Art Display and sell your paintings, prints, photography and other art!

Just for fun.

Email us on how you would fit the part of one of the characters in the upcoming novel. A “pen name” is allowed for the character rather than your own name if you wish. However, all entries must have a valid Email address. If you are chosen to be one of the characters - it is necessary for McFarlane Media Group to contact you.

More Info here:  Free Contest

I hope you don’t mind me contacting you like this but whilst I was surfing the net I happened upon your site and I was impressed with your Artwork. Consequently, I would like to invite you to take a look at http://www.myartprofile.com/
Where you can:

Display or sell your artwork or your Galleries artwork for FREE
Build a complete profile of yourself for your Gallery for FREE
Advertise your website for commissions, receive your own unique URL and advertise your other websites and exhibitions all completely FREE
Upload unlimited Images and Galleries FREE
We charge 0% commission on sales and you guessed it Subscription is also FREE

It is in the final stages of building, is totally free for life, for Artists of all ages using all mediums and allows Artists to communicate with other like-minded friends.

We take the strain from Artists by promoting our site globally so the Artist can do what they do best. All we ask is that you tell your friends about us.

At http://www.myartprofile.com/ we use advertisers to pay our bills, NOT our members.

If you would like to call in on us, please feel FREE to add some Artwork, it takes about 1 minute and we would love to see some of your unique works. We currently have visitors from all over the world and are heading towards 1 million page loads per day within months.
But most importantly, don’t forget it’s all FREE….

Kindest regards
Wendy
http://www.Myartprofile.com

Your listing and photo will reach thousands of potential customers who visit Antiquesnmore.com every day…and it costs you nothing!  Choose from a variety of categories to list your products and services - and add your photo or business logo free.

It’s quick and easy.  Go to http://www.antiquesnmore.com/ and add your listing and photo today!

If the old sites get very little fame, then I would just start anew.  If you are going to close one, the other, or both…then there will be no redirect or .htaccess file to work with.

If it is only a case of being a financial burden, then I can give you the name of a hosting company that gives you unlimited free domains hosted, after you purchase just one…Dreamhost.  Then you can leave everything the way it is and utilize the .htaccess file.  Send them to the new domain and hopefully, there are no guarantees - keep your ranking and SERP stats.

Acronyms (this article)
SEO = Search Engine Optimization (optimisation in UK)
SERP = Search Engine Result Page
SERPs = Search Engine Results Pages
SEs = Search Engines
IIT’s = Internet Information Technologies

Aroma, taste-testing and the meal.
As far as keywords and SEO…your homepage should contain your whole site’s topic terms - trying to incorporate them into the page’s text, as much as possible.  Then each and every other page on your site should contain the keywords FOR THAT PAGE.  The SEs get a taste of your site on the homepage and then get hungry for more.  Then they go - and expect, to see the whole enchilada on the following pages.  The aroma is the SERPs…the taste-testing is your homepage…the meal is on your pages.

The webmaster has total control over the recipe by doing the research.  I actually utilize my husband’s impatience and ask him to go find this or that without instruction.  I study the words he chooses and where he clicks, etc.  Then I can ‘tweak’ where needed.

I think people get too caught up in manipulating the past.  Do it right.  There are reports of SEs finding quality SEO built pages in days and ranking them well.  You won’t end up with a mess that you will have to deal with in the future advancement of IIT’s.  Look into your crystal ball.  Plan ahead.  Go natural.

I hope this helps a bit…um…I think I just made myself hungry.
Bj. deCastro, Realism Artist and Webmaster

Submitting your art is simple and easy. Just create a free account at http://www.thewesternartist.com/create.php and begin adding your art today!

Once your art listings are active, you will be able to view them and more at http:/www.thewesternartist.com

Thanks!
The Western Artist

To See The Source Code: Open Email…Click on File…Click on Properties…Click on Details…Click on Message Source

First, look at the ‘Received: from’ lines. Usually, if there are nothing but a long list of numbers, that should be your first clue. You are also looking for servers that specialize in email spamming accounts. Most will have obvious addresses-like, bulkemail.webmail.servit.com or an obvious program name like Send It Out All Over Pro Ver. XX.X

Second, try to copy the IP address and see if it gets you anywhere…usually not, but it’s worth a try. They appear in the [ ] and look like this: 000.000.0.00 I must warn you here…most of these are set up on servers that rotate the IP’s just for this purpose. Paste the IP in the address bar of your Internet Explorer.

Third, try to do a search for the server/domain. Look at the LAST word before the .com Highlight the last word and .com/.net and do a search for that. ex… plasa.com

Forth, try to find the last step in the Whois database. Do a search for Whois. Then type in the .com name. You will need to be a detective here. Click on all the available links to search for information. If it is bogus, you will find ‘piggy-back’ server info with ranges like 000.000.0.000 - 000.000.0.999 If it is legit, you will find registrar information on the owner, admin and like, which you can then contact.

If this all stumps you, then you should go with the old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true…it usually is.” Also, keep in mind that these people do this for a living, believe it or not, so they are very crafty. Often times, they will only ask for a couple pieces of your work-so to, throw you off the track. If you can’t find bonified information about their company…don’t do it!

I hope this helps…bj

 Bj. just saw a thief on t.v. - beware site owners!

O.k.  I walk out of my office and into the kitchen where my wonderful newly retired husband has just made me lunch.  We sit down together on the sofa and click on the ol’ plasma for some entertainment.  We find a brand new court show.  Um..we can never get enough of those.  It’s just like watching reality boxing without any physical contact, LOL.

However and to my horror…I discover the defendant is this wonderful lady that owns a flower shop and trusts the wrong person - VERY wrong person, to do her site for her…a toby something.  It all broke my heart.

NEVER, EVER should your webmaster own your domain name!  It is legally yours and yours only.  Make sure it is licensed in your name and NOT the person doing your site!  If you suspect they are not being honest…do a search for WHOIS and look up the domain name registration information for your site.  YOUR name should be listed with all of your contact information.
a-Owner should be you.
b-Admin can be you or your webmaster
c-Tech can be you or your webmaster

ALWAYS make sure your website is set under your own account and that you have the login and password information.  You can either setup another user account for your website person or give them your login information.  But always make sure you have control over ‘permissions’.  This allows you to fire, hire or do whatever you want with control of your site.  And it is YOUR site.  I set all my clients up at Dreamhost and give them all the account info.  Then the accounts are set with access privledges and permissions to my own account, so I can view the working files.

Your designer may, or may not, own the rights to the design - depending on the agreement you have and the copyright permissions given.  Always make sure you discuss this and have it stated on the bottom of the page.  One page or every page is often debated, but all of my clients have it on every single page.  Why?  After the pages of a site are spidered through all of the search engines, one click by the visitor will take them to that page only.   When it comes to images and content…we want the message loud and clear right away.  Hiding the copyright on some obsure page called ‘legals’ that no one is going to click on is fruitless.

Trust is a beautiful thing and I am honored to have the trust of my clients.  However…I have all of their accounts set up like this.  If any of them wake up one day and decide they don’t like the color of my eyes all of the sudden…they can instantly lock me out of their site forever!

There are some server programs that Templates are more appropriate for…like, blogs, CMS, etc.   CMS programs can be expensive to setup, install and customize.  Most designers will use a template as a starting point and tweak them for the client’s own look and feel.  However, when it comes to straight .html, you should know what you are paying for.  If you are being charged for a custom design, then you should not be getting a template that your web designer has purchased.  On the other hand, perhaps saving money is more important to you than having a one-of-a-kind, original website.  Template use could save you money.  Economics is a reality…just know what you are paying for.

Blog Sites - the new shortcut.  Now before all you other webmasters start pounding me on this one…I DO see the need and advantages to these sites.  To all website owners - make sure you have a ‘blog website’ because you asked for it. 

Please Explain Bj.:  The new trend in web design is hacking to death the popular WordPress (the one here) blog program to make it look like a regular ‘original’ website. Now for the un-ethical web-worker, they can put together a complete site in no time at all and then…turn around and charge the new client for a hand-coded website.  

While the ‘ethical’ webdesigner, will know all of the advantages, which can be HUGE with the new Windows Vista coming out …and they will have explained all of it to their client.   They will have also touted the ability for the owner to do their own content updates.  A blog is, afterall, a short-hand version of the larger and more complicated CMS website, which stands for Content Management System.  These larger sites have great gobs of content that…you got it…need to be managed, or organized.  I am not recommending a blog website (the website IS the blog), but I am recommending that every site have one…a RSS enabled blog.

Know the difference between a Webmaster, Web designer, SEO Specialist and Website Marketing Specialist (There are many other acronyms, as well, with different specific talents.)  Just because someone designs sites doesn’t mean they know optimization or marketing. Let me share an analogy that I recently gave one of my clients:  You can own the most beautiful painting in the world - but if you shove it in a closet and never take it out…neither you, or anyone else, will ever be able to appreciate it.    

A ‘Webmaster’ is a person that holds all of these skills.  A single webmaster is usually suffice for individual or small business websites.  However and sadly, there are few web-workers out there that know the difference.  Make sure your web person does - or hire an additional specialist.  If, however, you are a relatively large company…you should have separate individuals working in their own specific fields of specialty for this is a super-duper fast-paced, ever-changing business.  Many of these jobs are extremely time-consuming (which means expensive) even with the latest and greatest technologies.

O.k. Bj….I hung in there with you.  Now why would someone be so sneaky in the first place?  Well…what do you think?  It’s a lot of things like lazyness, lack of self-confidence in the job they can do, poor business management skills - but more to the point, they are using control for greed.  See…if the domain name is placed in their name, then they can hold it hostage for hire.   I’ve heard all the excuses. 

Truth is, there are many ways to ‘get paid for your work’ with basic client budgetary management.  A good web company will have one or several levels of payment and performance policies.  For example, money in advance, work up to, files go live after payment, etc., etc. - with all work stopping, until conditions are met.  No company operates with zero loss.  It is part of doing business.  Good business practices involve controling loss…not your client’s business.  Web companies that do a good job and keep within these budgets…get paid by their clients without the need of tricks.

It is the same with the server account - only that gets more scary!  What they will often do now, is buy large lots of server space (all under their own account on the server) and then re-sell them to the unsuspecting clients.  *Note here:  I know many, many companies that do this legit and there is nothing wrong with that if it is represented as part of the business…web hosting, etc.

What happens in the end, is the client becomes unhappy one day with the service and discovers that he/she owns nothing!  Or, they own only the domain name.  Or, they own it all, but it is being held in ransom on the web-worker’s own server.  Yes.  It is all very scary stuff!  More importantly, it can be a very costly lesson to learn, when you discover that you must start all over again reinvesting money already spent!

In fact, this is where a large portion of my first clients came from…these last very sad scenarios.  Happily, I was able to get all of their websites back for them.

There are some times in life that you simply must place trust in the hands of another person, i.e., doctors, lawyers, etc.   This does not mean you are immune to satisfying a few intellectual requirements.  School yourself in what you are buying.  It makes the same sense as preparing yourself to buy a car with Kelly Bluebook prices and a mechanic in tow.

Best of luck and please be careful.
Bj. de Castro - Artist & Webmaster

“Everyone will receive an individual acknowledgement of their artwork, and will enjoy an equal chance of winning the contest, since entrants will be judged using age-appropriate standards,” stated Suzanne Lawrence of Arts and Kids, an organization dedicated to bringing the work of young artists to the public’s attention.  “in the last ten years, we have awasred over $100,000 to talented artists, most of whom have never before entered–or expected to win–any type of artistic competition.”

Read all about it here at artcontest.

Renderosity has ongoing contests for it’s members to participate in. 
It is the leading online art community for 2D and 3D digital artists, animators, photographers and writers. Membership is free! We have thousands of free 3D models, textures, tutorials and galleries.

The World’s Most Gargantuan Short Video & Art Contest

Charge up your batteries, polish your lens, do some deep knee bends and wash out your paint brushes cuz it’s Zannel Fest! It’s the contest that challenges you to create pieces of media that you think will amuse and inspire people so much that they’ll feel like snatching a Russian satellite and broadcasting it to the world.

Check out the categories and prizes, sign up, and upload your work!
It’s as easy as shaking a stick.People are free to submit as much as they want in the picture or video categories.  Also, as an added bonus, anyone who submits to the contest is going to get their own channel on our Zannel network, which is be a whole new way to share pictures and videos on mobile phones as well as the web.  The network is also free to use, and we will be launching our open beta next month, and more officially in March.

Everyone will receive an individual acknowledgement of their artwork, and will enjoy an equal chance of winning the contest, since entrants will be judged using age-appropriate standards,” stated Suzanne Lawrence of Arts and Kids, an organization dedicated to bringing the work of young artists to the public’s attention. “In the last ten years, we have awarded over $100,000 to talented artists, most of whom have never before entered–or expected to win–any type of artistic competition.”

Young Artists Have a Chance to Win $5,000.00 in Prizes! In addition to the 150 scholarships and prizes totaling $5,000 that will be awarded to young artists, a $500 grant will be awarded to the school of the Grand Prize Winner for art education, art supplies, or art-related technology.

Gain National Recognition Artists entering the contest will be featured on our website–artsandkids.com. Many of the artists will also be considered for publication in a deluxe, hardbound anthology. “Students love the opportunity to actually see their own artwork appear in print. And parents and teachers tell us that they appreciate the opportunity to share an activity with their kids that is both educational and fun,” added Lawrence.

How to Enter This Free Contest! This contest is open to all artists 17 years of age or younger. Send ONLY ONE original work of art, any style and any medium, 24″ x 36″ or smaller (cannot be 3-dimensional). Artists understand that their entry must be their original work and that if accepted, will be published on our website. Artists retain the copyright to their work at all times. Artwork cannot be returned.

Artwork should be sent to:
        Arts and Kids
        3600 Crondall Lane
        Suite 101-5111
        Owings Mills, MD 21117

BROOKLYN CENTER, MN  - Students across the United States have the opportunity to win recognition and prizes while learning about state-fish species and aquatic habitats.  The State-Fish Art Contest uses art to spark the imagination of youth while providing lessons about fisheries conservation.

A talented artist in grades 10-12 will be selected as the national “Best of Show” winner and will receive a $2,500 tuition scholarship to attend The Art Institutes International Minnesota (Ai Minnesota), a leading creative college for design, culinary and media arts education located in downtown Minneapolis.  The first-runner up nationally in grades 10-12 will receive a $1,000 tuition scholarship to Ai Minnesota. 

One “gallery-quality” winning entry will also be used as the design for the 2007 Art of Conservation Stamp.  Proceeds from the sale of the State-Fish Art conservation stamp are used to support fisheries conservation and education projects nationwide.

Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2007.  Winners will be announced May Day, May 1, 2007.  The 9th Annual Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest is open to all students in grades 4 through 12. 

To enter, young artists nationwide create an illustration of their chosen state-fish. A written composition on its behavior, habitat, and conservation is also required.

Visit the site for full details at:  State-Fish Art Contest

(*Boring legal disclaimer:  Bj. deCastro, deCastro Studios, decastroart, Bj.’s Web Works - or any other division of deCastro Studios, will not be held responsible for the actions of the respective companies and/or affiliations within these listings.  This is a free service.)

Use your mouse to test emails for Scams!

In all honesty, I am just getting too old to deal with the ‘backlash’.  I also simply do not have the time to keep up with it - being only one person.  It is much better suited for a large network of individuals that can share the load of responding, handle the insults and deal with the legal threats.  Yes.  Even bad guys have lawyers.

There are many, many sites RSSing this one, so I will apologize in advance for the,  now, ’bad links’.  For you to recognize my work has always been an honor.

However…I will continue to add some of the daily ‘Ask Bj.’ emails that I get to the category here with the same name.  Many of these deal with art, help for artists, art scam issues, spam and website scams, computer and art business tips, selling art of eBay and any other general art help I can offer.  I will not be posting the actual scam email any longer.

You can find all other webmaster, web design, SEO tips tricks answers and advice in my Website Help category.  If I don’t know the answer, I can certainly send you in the right direction toward fellow colleagues for their help.

Remember…

“Success follows your passion…so brave your life a smile!”…bj.