Name of your website?Paintings by Michael Shields
Your name?
Michael Shields
Your Location (city, etc)
Oshkosh
Please give us a short summary of your website?
My website shows my paintings from the past 10 years. Fine art oiled based paintings some on very large canvas's.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I wanted people all over the world the opportunity to see my fine art paintings that have won numerous awards.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This was my second website the first was for my photography business - http://www.shieldsphotographicarts.com/index.html I launched my photography business website about 2 years ago It is called Shields Photographic Arts.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I named my website shieldspaintings.com because my name is Michael Shields and it is of my paintings.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
All the paintings are mine and I feel they are very unique and not like anyone else's paintings
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I am hoping to gain an international following for my artwork. I also hope to secure art shows around the United States of America.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I put a lot of time into art and websites that have not paid for themselves but some day I hope art will support me.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
If I had an unlimited development budget I would make my website more interactive and let people see the process of art being made.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Storage of large paintings is always difficult and tough decisions have to be made.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Not enough time in the day.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Word of mouth.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
It hasn't differed from my expectations
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I have run this site for almost 2 years and this site will be up for as long as I live.
Is your artwork in any art collections or museums.
Yes, currently I have art in the Paine Art Center and the University of Wisconsin has one of my paintings in it's collections.
What is your website address?
Paintings by Michael Shields
