Well, the front page of this site is now a complete study in garish color combinations, but I think I like it that way. I've never been particularly bold colorwise when it comes to website design, so I'm very happy that I chanced on a photo of one of Chica Brunsvold's paintings (detail below) at the Strathmore website one day, which provided the inspiration for the current look of this site. I found it a really delightful painting; fun, vibrant and endlessly interesting to look at. I love those birds!

As I had done previously with the fall version of Rockville Living, I used the painting as a source to choose colors from and built the rest of the site around it. I was a little sad when the exhibit at Strathmore ended and it was time to swap the painting out with something else (the zoning map), but Chica has generously allowed me to continue to use her birds on the other pages until it's time to change the site again for spring. Originally they also linked to her website, but she is currently experiencing some technical difficulties and it's not available. I'll post a note here when it goes back up though, as I think everyone should be able to see the wonderful whimsical work of this Northern Virginia artist.

Photos, please

So, painting gone and map in place, the latest addition to the garish front page is that goofy orange-haired girl, who is hoping to solicit photos of you, dear reader(s), doing whatever you love to do in Rockville. It's a great opportunity to get some free publicity for you and/or your favorite organization, restaurant or place to hang out. I'll post whichever are my favorites for each of the categories on the front page (eat, live, play, shop, work, create, see), as outlined here. Get your cellphones or cameras out and start snapping!