David Cook Concert Review and Tribute to Michael Jackson

As promised, here is my review of the David Cook experience at the Del Mar Fair. Read "The Declaration Tour: David Cook Rocks Out San Diego at the Del Mar Fairgrounds" posted over at the Eventchaser blog.

To honor the spirit of Michael Jackson, I also want to share this video clip of David Cook performing "Billie Jean" from the 2008 American Idols Live tour in San Diego...

Creative Genius: Kseniya Simonova

We're all creative geniuses, but every once in awhile you come across an artist who crosses the boundaries and elevates to another level of creativity.

One such artist that has transcended the levels of creativity is Kseniya Simonova, an artist from the Ukraine who has been featured in Ukraine's Got Talent.

Here is a video clip of Kseniya performing her magical sand animation...



Thanks to Larisa Belliveau for sharing this!

San Diego: A Top Art and Design Vacation City on a Budget

ArtBistro recently published an article: Top 20 Art and Design Vacation Cities on a Budget, and my home city, San Diego, ranked #11 on the list!

I used to believe that San Diego wasn't much of an artsy city, but the more I explored, the more I realized how much of an art culture it has. If you're a photographer, there are so many places where you can take beautiful photos. From the sandy beach of Coronado to breath-taking colorful views at Sunset Cliffs, any artist can find a ton of inspiration in San Diego.

My favorite place to hang out is Balboa Park. As many times as I've visited the park, I never get tired of visiting all the different museums or just sitting under a tree and watching the people walk by. I love taking photos of the architecture...





Free Art Venues in San Diego

• Ray at Night - The second Saturday of every month art aficionados gather in North Park for the longest running art walk in San Diego.
  


• Kettner Nights - On certain Fridays, the design district in Little Italy (downtown San Diego) hosts an artwalk. For dates, visit the Little Italy website.

• Museum of Contemporary Art - The two locations in downtown and La Jolla offer free admission to individuals 25 years and younger. There is also free admission the third Thursday of every month from 5 -7 pm.
  

• The New Children's Museum - Take your kids or become a kid again! Free admission on the second Sunday of every month.
  

Getting Around San Diego

San Diego has a metro-train system (aka "trolley) that runs North and South from the border to Old Town (another great place to take photographs). There are also two other routes: One that runs East and West from downtown to East County (for those who would like to venture out to see the suburbs or check out the casinos), and another route that takes you from Old Town to Fashion Valley Mall and San Diego State.

My favorite thing to do is to ride the Coaster or Amtrak from downtown up Solana Beach, which is another artsy little beach town. It's a beautiful ride up the coast!

For more information about public transportation in San Diego, visit: www.sdcommute.com

If you'd prefer renting a car, I recommend Fox Rentacar because of their good deals on weekly car rentals.

The San Diego Experience: Priceless

I could go on and on about all the great things about San Diego, but you just have to experience it for yourself. You can't really put a price on the great adventure that is awaiting you in "America's Finest City"!

If you're ever in San Diego, I'd love to meet you!

Tips and Ideas To Grow Your Art Business During a Recession

In the current economic climate, it's easy to just make an excuse for not doing well in your art business.

"I'm not doing well because of the economy" is something I hear all the time. If you ask me, I think it's a bunch of baloney because there are many people out there who are doing well despite the poor economy.

I want to share this article by Darla Dixon titled "Grow Your Art Business During a Recession". Darla offers a list of excellent tips and ideas that not only artists can use, but any entrepreneur could utilize.

One thing I would add to the list is to learn search engine optimization so that you can get your website ranking high in the search engines. Here are SEO tips and strategies that I share over at Online Business Resources.

By the way, Darla Dixon offers cool pencil portraits drawn from photos.

Follow Darla on Twitter.