08 April

Snow Blinded By Pluck and Post


This was the view from the front door yesterday. Well, at least we will be able to find the eggs better! Happy Easter!
In Anchorage we have a pretty good excuse for not having gardening, or even SPRING for that matter, on our minds. Yesterday, we set the record for the winter of 2011-12 as the snowiest on record. AND due to the house move, the first year Daddy-O and I were without a usable shop and garage in 20 years! “Snow fell across the city Saturday morning and into the afternoon, and at 4 p.m. the official tally was 133.6 inches, breaking a record set during the winter of 1954-55 by an even 1 inch. Another 0.9 inches fell by 7 p.m., putting the total at 134.5, where it would likely stand through the evening,” the Weather Service said.
This week I had received an email that said
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that we featured your work on Artful Garden Northwest today — http://artfulgardennw.com/
Please let me know if I got anything wrong. I love your work and have "bug envy" now. :-) If your work will be at any events this year, let me know. I'll make sure to list it in our calendar.
Have a great weekend.”

Hmmm. My first vain thought was, COOL, someone finally noticed me! I checked out the web site as I like all things garden and gardening and the Artful Garden Northwest sounded impressive, and I have made a lot of garden art… It is a lovely site with lot’s of interesting work and even better there is a lot of GREENERY, something Anchorage is in short supply of right now. But the more I thought about it, the more this e-mail started to bother me. I don’t remember giving PERMISSION for anyone connected to the email or the web site  to use images of my work. My web site, where the image was plucked from, specifically says All original designs and images are © Cindy Shake. All rights and privileges are retained by the artist and images or designs may not be used for any purposes without permission from Cindy Shake. Thank you.”

While flattering, having someone I don’t know posting information about my work and my web site will also be problematic and a bit of a pain in the butt. I’ve already received emails asking about the “bug art” featured on their web site –which was a series of 3 one-of-a kind works that I created Raku fired heads and plasma cut and welded bodies for a show several years ago. All of the metal work on my web site is already sold. I don’t sell anything from my web site, nor do I wish to start. While complaining to Daddy-O about feeling that my privacy was intruded on and fussing about having my images poached and posted by strangers, he gave me a bit of an eye squint. As to say “say what?” so now you are worried about feeling invaded, taken advantage of or worse, people knowing your business?? He gently reminded me that it was ME who started a Blog, web site and even uses F@CEBOOK to squeal about my daily life… touché.
Artful Garden Northwest let me know they "featured" my garden art on their web site. Thank you -I think... 

3 comments:

cookingwithgas said...

it is a very interesting line we are walking here.
It would be great to know ahead of the game and nice to be able to say ya or nay- but we do put our work out there and I am not surprised.
Funny - I was just thinking about this yesterday and how one would handle it.
As far as that snow...I have an extra bed with clean sheets and sunshine!
Hope you dig out soon!

cindy shake said...

Crazy fine line, huh! If I wasn't so darned busy with the much needed Spring Orders I'd be down in a heartbeat Merdith!! xo

Tracey Broome said...

Girrrrlll :) We went for a hike in the mountains today and it was a chilly 70 degrees, haha!
I am such a slacker I keep forgetting to send you a proper thanks for the package you sent me. Thank you so much!!! for all of the goodies, I am getting work together now that some of it will be used on. I so appreciate you thinking of me!!!!!
Enjoy spring, I think?!