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• Protect Your Copyright - URGENT ACTION REQUIRED
  by Helen Bascom

  If you are an artist or photographer in the United States PLEASE TAKE HEED: you may loose all rights to your work very soon. A bill is b…

  If you are an artist or photographer in the United States PLEASE TAKE HEED: you may loose all rights to your work very soon. A bill is before Congress which will essentially make all works of art ever created orphaned works and send them to the public domain. Essentially what this bill will do is force artists and photographers to pay fees to commercial registry companies to register a copyright on every single work you have ever created or ever will create. The current law protects your copyright without registration. Registration with the United States Copyright Office merely sets statutory damages in the event of copyright infringement. The new law will REQUIRE registration NOT WITH THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE but with COMMERCIAL REGISTRIES. The purpose of this bill seems to be the enrichment of corporations to the impoverishment of the people. If this bill passes and you want to protect your work, you will be required to pay a fee FOR EVERY SINGLE WORK OF ART ALREADY CREATED and EVERY SINGLE WORK YOU WILL EVER CREATE. Additionally, you will be required to register with more than one commercial registry to secure your copyright protection. Now let’s see, I have just on RB 250 works. If I have to pay $5 USD per photo to three different registries to protect my copyright that will cost me $3,750. This is just the cost to protect the work I have uploaded to RedBubble. What about the other 8,399 photos on my computer? If I ever print them, upload them, show them in a gallery, I have to pay for each of them as well. / Folks, this is serious. EDIT – URGENT UPDATE The Orphan Works Bill is out of committee. Now is the time to zealously advocate for defeat of this bill. Please go to the Illustrators Partnership of America Legislative Action Center for more information and useful links to contact your Senators and Representatives. This Bill will substantially limit your ability to recover financially if your work is infringed, even if your work was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office prior to infringement. So registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is a waste of your money if this Bill passes. Important elements of the HOUSE BILL Coerced Registration • The Orphan Works Act would force artists to risk their lives’ work to subsidize the start-up ventures of private, profit making registries, using untested image recognition technology and untried business models. These models would inevitably favor the aggregation of images into corporate databases over the licensing of copyrights by the lone artists who create the art. International Impact • Because an unmarked picture cannot be sourced or dated, works by artists outside the U.S. will be as vulnerable to infringement in the U.S. as work by domestic artists. • Presumably the Copyright Office and Congress expect non U.S. artists to register all their past and future art with the new hypothetical U.S. databases, or see their work exposed to commercial infringement under U.S. law. • It is a violation of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works for any country to impose registration on a rights holder as as a condition of protecting his copyright. Please take this opportunity to protect your rights under the current copyright law by speaking out against this proposed legislation. Go here and read this journal entry by Crockpot The Orphan Works Act of 2008 ~ RELEASE FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP The Orphan Works Act of 2008 will be officially released momentarily. The language in the draft confirms our warnings. If this bill passes, you’ll be forced to clear all your secondary licensing rights through at least two government certified databases – or risk orphaning your art. Despite its masquerade as the “last resort” to search for a rights owner, these databases will likely become the only source many users will rely on for finding a rights owner. Reason: it will give users the legal right to infringe any copyright not in the databases. ERIN JAY’S JOURNAL ENTRY CLICK HERE FOR FULL TEXT OF THE SENATE VERSION CLICK HERE FOR FULL TEXT OF THE HOUSE VERSION CLICK THIS LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK THIS LINK FOR EVEN MORE INFORMATION CLICK THIS LINK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CLICK THIS LINK FOR REGISTRATION PROBLEMS Below is a sample letter I sent to my senators and to my congressional representative. Please adapt it for your own use. Click these links to find your state representatives: STATE SENATORS CONTACT INFORMATION STATE REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT INFORMATION Here is an interview with Brad Holland of the Illustrator’s Partnership. He explains how passage of this bill will affect every artist and photographer in the Country. Under current United States and International Law, your copyright is automatic from the moment you create the work. Registering your work provides you with legal fees and statutory damages upon discovering an infringement. If you do not register your work, your are limited to actual damages which are typically far less than provided for in the Statute. International law, and current US Law prohibit forced or coerced copyright registration. Copyright is a longstanding common law right. The proposed legislation is a back door effort to require registration with commercial registries in order to protect your work from being deemed orphaned. SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION HERE SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE and SENATOR Congressman Baron Hill / 279 Quartermaster Ct. / Jeffersonville, IN 47130 / Phone: (812) 288-3999 / Fax: (812) 288-3873 Re: The Orphan Works legislation Dear Congressman Hill: My name is Helen M. Bascom and I live in Jeffersonville, Indiana. After reading about the Orphan Works bill, I am outraged that this could happen in my country. This Orphan Works legislation, if passed, will severely impact my income and life as an artist/photographer. Not only will it give license for others to legally steal and use my work for free, it will be virtually impossible for me to afford the time and money to register my creations in all the potential new registries. Commercial registries will be the only organizations that will profit from this legislation. I have thousands of photographs and works of art and I simply can not afford to register my works, even at a few dollars each. This bill, if passed, will force me to close my on line galleries which will destroy my business. Should someone consider my work to be orphaned and take my work for their own use, I can not afford the legal fees to protect my copyright. I demand that you to vote AGAINST the Orphan Works bill and protect my rights, my copyrights, to all that I have and will create. Thank you. Regards, Helen M. Bascom, / Bascom Digital Art

• FEATURED
  by webbie

  THANK YOU SO MUCH … / Moon and Stars” was featured in the group Inspired Art / ANGI and Bill of Inspired Art / !http://images-2.redbubble….

  THANK YOU SO MUCH … / Moon and Stars” was featured in the group Inspired Art / ANGI and Bill of Inspired Art /

• Extreme Sports Photo Shoot
  by Sarah Moore

  Last weekend Bill and I embarked on a mission, our mission was to photograph as much Extreme Sp…

  Last weekend Bill and I embarked on a mission, our mission was to photograph as much Extreme Sport as we could handle for Neutraliser magazine! What ensued was a weekend packed with sun, boats, gorgeous bodies, broken bones and thousands of people… Australia Day – 26th January 2008 / National Wakeboarding Championships – Nepean Bill found the day a challenge but like any good photographer did what he had to do for his art… / Look…no hands! / These guys did some crazy things on the water… / And the girls were just as good… / Sunday 27th January 2008 / BMX Freestyle Championships – Monster Park, Homebush We found shooting the indoor portion of the weekend more of a challenge (with the temp indoors getting up over 40 degrees C), but were pleased with the results… Mike Spinner – Pro USA Rider / Bill’s Fisheye lens was put to good use! / Monday, 28th January 2008 / BMX Freestyle Dirt Championships – Homebush These guys can do some amazing tricks! Superman / Tail Whip / Front Flip / The Oh My God I’m not going to make it / There was standing room only in the First Aid tent by the end of the day. There were busted knees, broken collar bones, broken fingers, bruised kidneys…one kid was riding with a broken ankle! / They can fly!! / Even a visit from ET! / All in all an action packed, very successful weekend!

• Sneak Preview
  by Mel Brackstone

  A collaboration to end all collaborations! The Dynamic Duo of Rose Moxon …

  A collaboration to end all collaborations! The Dynamic Duo of Rose Moxon and Mel Brackstone have joined forces to create the must have calendar of 2009, with proceeds going to The Fred Hollows Foundation. Coming very soon, Voyeur ‘09 will star some very special Redbubble members strutting their stuff in front of the camera for a change, and strutting it like it’s never been strutted before!

• SOLD!
  by Mariam Muradian

  Sold 7 original paintings in the past month!!! / Was able to pay off my car and some medical bills! Plus a few “niceties”! / VERY GRATEFUL!

  Sold 7 original paintings in the past month!!! / Was able to pay off my car and some medical bills! Plus a few “niceties”! / VERY GRATEFUL!

• Bill Fonseca Does The Featured Page
  by featured

  _The reasons behind my choices is simple. All these images gave me a smile or made me happy to view them, so in saying that I’ve gone wit…

  The reasons behind my choices is simple. All these images gave me a smile or made me happy to view them, so in saying that I’ve gone with the theme of ‘Smile’. Since I’m a happy person and do not like sadness, and for those who know me I’ve always got a smile on my face, I’m hoping with these images that I’ve selected that it will also bring a smile to others that view them. Whether it be kids, animals, birds or adults everyone deserves to have a smile…… Best Regards, / Bill

• Bill and Sarah Wedding Photography
  by Sarah Moore

  I’m sure that by now you have noticed that Bill Fonseca and I have done a couple of weddings together. We have decided to take it serious…

  I’m sure that by now you have noticed that Bill Fonseca and I have done a couple of weddings together. We have decided to take it seriously now as we have had an overwhelming positive response from the Bride and Groom at all the weddings we have shot. So we are now Bill and Sarah Wedding Photographers! With our own website www.billandsarahphotography.com (not up and running yet but should be semi-live in the next 24 hours) and a Gallery all of our own here on RB. From now on all our wedding photos will be uploaded into this gallery – so check us out and if you deem us worthy (LOL) add us to your watchlist! Shameless plug: if you know of any relatives, pets, or virtual strangers you meet on the street that need wedding photos done in Sydney…

• AMERICAN ARTISTS: THIS IS IMPORTANT: ORPHAN WORKS BILL
  by Helena Nelson-Reed

  If you live in the U.S.A.: WRITE Congress to oppose the Orphan Works Bills. Please go here and do the same. It takes two minutes. T…

  If you live in the U.S.A.: WRITE Congress to oppose the Orphan Works Bills. Please go here and do the same. It takes two minutes. This bill is devastating to artists, as it will require all work to be filed (and as a result charged fees) to a central database. Essentially meaning that if the artist doesn’t pay for the copyright fee, then anyone can use your work without the artist getting credit. And someone else will be in charge of releasing your artwork to others for use, taking away the rights and power of artists to control their own creations! It has already been preliminarily passed, please help to prevent this from becoming law! Click on this URL to take action now />http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/utr/2/?a=11980321&i=87372405&c=&u=capwiz.com%2Fillustratorspartnership%2Fhome%2F If your email program does not recognize the URL as a link, / copy the entire URL and paste it into your Web browser.

• I sold and am sold!! Yahhhhhhh
  by linaji

  Thanks TeriLee,,, my biggest fan,,, I have sold to her private ‘Linaji’ collection, and indeed I am honored. :0) I can’t help today sm…

  Thanks TeriLee,,, my biggest fan,,, I have sold to her private ‘Linaji’ collection, and indeed I am honored. :0) I can’t help today smiling that is… I am cleaning my home and bubbeling,, I have got to have a sense of humor,,, still in my PJ’s !!! All the bills on the floor and my cup o’ Good Earth Tea… and you guys… xoxoo

• The Remarkable Art of Susi Lawson!
  by Patricia Montgomery

  As a member of RB’s Share The Love mission, t…

  As a member of RB’s Share The Love mission, this is the 2nd in a series of interviews to introduce you to another talented artist. One day in March, not long after joining Redbubble, I was commenting on someone’s image when I was drawn to the avatar of a lady who had commented just above me. I thought to myself, now this looks like someone who has a delightful personality. As you will soon learn, Susi Lawson is charming, caring, and creative. She is a talent package bursting at the seams – a digital artist, photographer, instructor and writer! Her precious little neighbor, Cassa, is sometimes a model and one of my favorites is an image called School Daze. Susi conveys perfectly (through Cassa) the personification of childhood! Susi’s extraordinary works, Tiber River Walk and Catharsis are a canvas for her incredible talent in the artistry of digital painting. She is an outstanding portrait photographer and the post-processing afterwards is extraordinary. Susi captured the inner essence of a Native American in her portrait, Cherokee Pride and in the Face of a Farmer she shows us the authenic beauty to be found in a face weathered with character. And she can touch your heart with a tender tribute to a dear friend. During your browsing of all the treasures that fill Susi’s image gallery, be sure to look for the self-portrait that speaks volumes about her sense of humor! If only we all could look this good in a zany self-portrait! Susi was delightful to interview and it has been a pleasure to get to know her. The hard part of this interview was finding enough adjectives to properly describe her work. So forget the adjectives, seeing is believing! And now it time for Susi to talk! What drew you here to the Redbubble community? First it was the respect for work of all the artists here. By that, I mean the prominent copyright messages that help protect our work that we spend so many hours creating. Then there is the option to sell or simply to display what we create. But what has kept me here is the sense of warmth , friendliness and positive energy that I feel whenever I sign in! This is such a supportive and fun community! How does your creativity affect other aspects of your life? Creativity IS my life, I was born to create as I think we all are. Creativity is the opposite of destruction, so I see it really on a spiritual level, ya know? As long as we are busy creating (positive) then we have no time for destroying (negative) so Art is sort of the Zen of spiritual maintenance :-) / / I truly believe that art, of any kind, whether it be visual, musical or otherwise, makes us all the more compassionate and empathetic to our fellow humans, as we are taking in the world around us as ‘observers’ and sharing what and how we see the world and receiving feedback to validate this experience. We are saying simply, “I am alive and I know you are alive and we all have something of value to contribute.” It is so simple but also profound in its simplicity. How many mediums do you work in? Which is your favorite, and why? I used to work in watercolor, color pencil, charcoal and acrylic and used my camera all my life to capture moments in which to take to paper or canvas. I have always loved visual art. Then in 2003 my right arm froze in place (adhesive capsulitis) and I had to have shoulder surgery. It took a year to work thru this whole process and so I began to work more with my digital camera as an art form itself rather than a tool for my traditional work. It was too painful to raise my arm to the canvas or apply pressure on paper so I started teaching myself Photoshop with the encouragement of a great Aussie photographer, Nick Lagos. I soon fell in love with combining photography and art in the computer and a new passion was born! (Thanks Nick!) To answer the 2nd part of the question: My favorite medium now is Corel Painter and Photoshop using a Wacom tablet and my Canon 1dMKIII camera. What subjects do you enjoy the most in your work? I have always been entranced by the human face! Since grade school I have been drawing and photographing the people around me. I was a very timid child and the camera or sketch pad, gave me the courage to express myself and share my thoughts and feelings by the wonderful interaction of Art. I have ventured into landscape and other areas of Photography, but the portrait will always be my passion. Tell us about one person or moment that has made your time on Redbubble particularly special or meaningful. I have to say Billy Boy is my favorite member here as he is always so upbeat and supportive! There are times I have had a bad day and get on Redbubble and see that Billy Boy has left a humorous or generous comment that reads as so heartfelt that it lifts my spirits up! Thanks, Billy! What three works or people have moved or inspired you? Denise Romano is a newcomer to digital photography and not only is my friend here in town, but I met her during my shoulder ordeal, as she was my superb physical therapist and an immediate bud. Denise also turned to digital photography in her own personal challenges and asked for some assistance in choosing camera equipment. It has been wonderful watching her grow and evolve so quickly and become the talented photographer you now see here! Don Seegmiller is my favorite Digital artist and I contacted him two years ago and asked how he achieved his amazing art and he said “Buy Corel Painter and a Wacom tablet” and I did. This was a real turning point and a big “AHA moment” in my exploration of digital art! This new software and stylus pen changed the whole look and feel of my work and started getting my work noticed on the web. Don teaches at CG Society and I was fortunate to make it into one of his figure classes last year, which I highly recommend. (His books are also superb) David Harvey I must thank! Not only is he a Professor of Astronomy in Tucson, AZ, but an incredible portrait photographer! I was amazed to find out he admired my work as well and he built and sent me a computer that was fast enough for me to start making Video DVD lessons to teach others how I create my portraits. I will never forget his generosity and sheer act of kindness. I now sell my lessons on my “web site“:http://susilawsonphotography.biz. What goals do you have for your work outside of Redbubble? I now write articles for Rangefinder, AfterCapture, Creative Photoshop and Corel Painter magazines which keeps me very busy and is also educational as we can’t help but learn as we write about what we love. I will continue to produce a new set of video lessons once a year. I now have three and I am planning another release close to Christmas. If anyone wants to share with me what they would like to see on the next lessons please do! I also am playing around with some book ideas! My daughter is leaving for college this week so I am considering teaching workshops. I have not yet decided if I want to teach through organizations such as NAPP or WPPI or create my own workshops. I plan to start locally to get my feet wet! I just want to keep evolving and growing and embracing the digital art field which I feel honored to be a part of. One of my dreams is to travel and meet some of the amazing buds I have made online in communities such as Redbubble. But even though I cannot reach out and shake your hand or give you a hug, know that you are appreciated and loved more than you know! Without a community to provide support, feedback, acknowledgment and encouragement, I know I would never have achieved my goals or be able to set future ones, so thank you Redbubble and all the Bubble Buds who make this place a home!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• New Group
  by Rosalie Dale IPA

  Hey if anyone is into BMK or Mountain Biking, two of my favourite people have started a group specifically for you!!! Stevie Millgate…

  Hey if anyone is into BMK or Mountain Biking, two of my favourite people have started a group specifically for you!!! Stevie Millgate and Bill Fonseca are the hosts – check it out here if you think this could be for you. (Strangely eating dirt is not something that I’m really into, but I do appreciate great shots and extreme enthusiasm when I see it!!!) Go guys – luv ya both!!! / Rosalie

• USA to Legalize Art Theft
  by Carson Collins

  The current May 17, 2008 U. S. Senate version of the “Orphan Works” legislation is a nightmare for artists. Every country in the world…

  The current May 17, 2008 U. S. Senate version of the “Orphan Works” legislation is a nightmare for artists. Every country in the world currently recognizes an artist’s rights to their own work, with or without a formal copyright; all you need to do in the case of a dispute is prove that you did it first. Leave it to the Legislative Branch of the USA Federal Government to attempt to pass a law requiring an artist to pay a fee to a Corporation in order to own something that already belongs to them! Can you imagine the revenue at $5 a pop? It boggles the mind. King George never had it so good. This is something that every artist in the USA must take action against. Read about it here and here Here’s a draft of a letter concerned artists can send to their U.S. Senators: Dear Senator __, I am one of your constituents, a professional artist. It is crucial to my livelihood that you oppose the “Orphan Works” bill, H.R. 5889, in its current form. If this bill’s current language becomes law, it would permit, and even encourage, wide-scale infringements of my copyrighted artworks while depriving me of many of the protections currently available to me under the Copyright Act, including the right to ask the courts to award statutory damages and attorneys’ fees. In the publication world, the reality is that most artworks will easily become considered orphaned, depriving me of a significant part of my income. I urge you to oppose this bill unless and until it is amended to contain at least the minimum provisions that are critical to protect artists, including but not limited to a notice of use that must be filed before the use is made, upon penalty of losing eligibility to claim orphan work status for failure to file the notice; an archive of the notices, to be maintained by the Copyright Office or an approved third party; and other protections that appear in the current (May 15, 2008) language of H.R. 5889. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can provide you with any additional information. Thank you for your time. I hope that you will take the necessary actions to protect my interests and prevent the passage of this bill until it is amended to be fair and reasonable to all parties. Respectfully yours, / ____ Here is a web site that makes it easy to find contact information for your U.S. Senators.

• Home Page billing !!
  by Phil Thomson IPA

  I am thrilled and feel very honoured and would sincerely like to thank redbubble for featuring my image, “The Chev” on the Home Page!! I…

  I am thrilled and feel very honoured and would sincerely like to thank redbubble for featuring my image, “The Chev” on the Home Page!! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your precious time to view and comment on, not only The Chev, but ALL of my other images. Your comments, support and friendship means a very great deal to me and has been one of the main driving forces behind my photography, especially of late. RB and its worldwide community have done untold wonders, not only for my photography, but raising the the bar and standards of workmanship in art, photography and writing in the community at large and have become a force to be reckoned with !! / Again my sincere gratitude and may we continue to be Blessed, grow and prosper in ALL that we do and create, / Phil

• Orphan Works Bill Put on Hold
  by Joyce Dickens, IPA

  Hi everyone to follow is a copy of an email I received yesterday….thought you all might be interested: / ___ / FROM THE ILLUS…

  Hi everyone to follow is a copy of an email I received yesterday….thought you all might be interested: / ___ / FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP / Senate Orphan Works Bill Put “on Hold” We’ve just received word that the Senate bill has been put “on hold.” In fact, there appear to be multiple holds on it. Senators who “hold” hotlined bills do not have to identify themselves nor give their reasons for holding it. Holds are temporary. We don’t know how many of you contacted your Senators on such short notice this afternoon, but many, many thanks to all of you who responded so rapidly. / / Most people are unaware of the process called hotlining. In the past it was used to pass non-controversial legislation, but increasingly, it’s being used to pass bills whose sponsors don’t want to see debate. An excellent article in Roll Call explains the process. Here’s an excerpt: Senate conservatives are upset that the leaders of both parties in the chamber have in recent years increasingly used a practice known as “hotlining” bills – previously used to quickly move noncontroversial bills or simple procedural motions – to pass complex and often costly legislation, in some cases with little or no public debate. The increase was particularly noticeable just before the August recess, when leaders hotlined more than 150 bills, totaling millions of dollars in new spending, in a period of less than a week. The practice has led to complaints from Members and watchdog groups alike that lawmakers are essentially signing off on legislation neither they nor their staff have ever read… In order for a bill to be hotlined, the Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader must agree to pass it by unanimous consent, without a roll-call vote. The two leaders then inform Members of this agreement using special hotlines installed in each office and give Members a specified amount of time to object – in some cases as little as 15 minutes. If no objection is registered, the bill is passed. - From ‘Hotlined’ Bills Spark Concern / By John Stanton, Roll Call Staff / September 17, 2007 / To read the full article, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3p8×2u This is the second time the Senate Orphan Works bill has been hotlined this summer. The previous hotline came on June 5, the same week artists descended on Washington to urge lawmakers to oppose this controversial bill. The bill was put on hold that time too. Since bills can be hotlined without prior notice, we’ll all have to stay vigilant throughout the rest of this legislative session. Thanks again to all of you who responded so quickly. Over 60 organizations, representing more than 250,000 creators, are united in opposing these bills in their current form. Illustrators, photographers, fine artists, songwriters, musicians, and countless licensing firms all believe this bill will harm their small businesses. / Read the list: http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00273

• I've reached 10,000 views. yippee..!
  by Bill Fonseca

  As at this morning (1.15am Saturday morning). / 149 total, 149 public, 0 private, 10003 views I would like to thank everyone for their …

  As at this morning (1.15am Saturday morning). / 149 total, 149 public, 0 private, 10003 views I would like to thank everyone for their support as without you guys and gals, this would not be possible. I’ve only been on redbubble for about 3 months (to the day I think). which is amazing to have that many views and I intend to be around a lot longer. I want to thank Sarah and Andrew and the whole Sydney group for making me feel welcomed. Now lets ‘Rock on’.... Thanks again everyone. / Bill

• My Artist's Statement on The Genetic Bill of Rights Painting Series
  by Mariam Muradian

  Artist’s Statement I …

  Artist’s Statement I am Mariam Muradian, the Artist/Painter of The Genetic Bill of Rights Painting Series. This is my statement. I was born an Artist. My Father was a cellist, artist, mathematician, and composer. My Mother was a concert pianist who wanted to be a doctor (who later attended the University again in her 50’s and became an HIV/AIDS researcher.) My parents always encouraged and nurtured my gift. I am a formally trained artist, alumni of The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and La Universidad Literaria de Salamanca, Leon, Spain, among other fine institutions of higher learning. My degrees/course work is in Fine Arts, Foreign Languages & Literature, Linguistics, International Studies, Educational Leadership: Instructional Technology Systems Design, Cognitive & Behavioral Science, Human/Computer Interface Design. I have had many opportunities in my life; have lived and studied many places in the world. My collaborations with C.C. Arshagra on this Genetic Bill of Rights Painting Series, and other art/life endeavors, have been the most rewarding and important of my career and of my life’s contribution to the human race. I immediately knew how important it was to paint the Genetic Bill of Rights when C.C. introduced the idea to me in 2006. I was uniquely qualified in that I have dealt with a rare, aggressive metabolic disease my entire life. As I progressed through the series, I progressed through blindness, a side effect from a prescribed heart drug. I am 100% dependent on a multi-lead permanent pacemaker; I am a cyborg and thus I have been wrestling with and living these precepts/choices my entire life. Art at its best mirrors life and gives hope to those who will see. When you see the Genetic Bill of Rights, you realize that these and all rights come down to the individual, because if you don’t have control of your body, you can’t master anything outside yourself. We all interface with technology at different levels. Individually, whether the circumstance is deciding on medical care or replacement/enhancement, ethics, policy, life or death, the food we eat, or simply how to survive while living in a developing country; we each must grow into a level of accountability where we can assert our rights in regards to those choices. “Choice is will.”~ C.C. Arshagra If you don’t know that such rights exist, you’re not going to be able to make a choice/decision when you’re confronted with that technology, on whatever level. For your YES to be yes, and your NO to be no, for any combination of grey thereof, or for any foundation of belief ….you must know your fundamental rights. I consider this series my most significant artistic and social achievement. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to paint these. I trust that these artworks will go on to freely live, travel, and speak their intended message to inform, inspire, and motivate responsible species of the biodiverse world. Mariam Muradian / June 2008 / Mariam Muradian / Artist, Author / mariam@thebigboxofcolors.org / www.redbubble.com/people/muradian

• playing for change, peace through music
  by Christopher Ewing

  In this day and age, I think the world, not just the USA has been under so much stress, we tend to lose the way to finding peace amongst …

  In this day and age, I think the world, not just the USA has been under so much stress, we tend to lose the way to finding peace amongst us. / Thanks to Marianne who turned me on to this interview by Bill Moyers with Mark Johnson. I have to agree with her, that no matter what your faith or beliefs are, music is universal, it soothes all, and it does bring a personal peace to us all. / When I watched this interview, and saw what Mark is doing a serious lump came to my throat and tears just flowed down my face. I wanted to share this with everyone, especially when tomorrow is the “big day” for change..not just for us in the USA, but for the world. We know everyone is watching and praying for our country, and I’d like to thank you all for it. We are in a mess here, seems we just cant seem to get along and find that peace anymore. / I like what this guy Mark had to say about his quest to have music playing around the world for peace. A pity he wasnt running for president. / In this interview, Bill will be commentating on how he came about meeting Mark, and then Mark’s video will play. I cant stress enough to watch this whole interview, it is well worth watching. / So here goes nothing for tomorrow, but for today, alittle peace made with music. / playing for change Thanks again to Marianne for bringing this very uplifting message my way. I do hope the rest of you enjoy it also.

• JORDY UPDATE (16/04/08)
  by Craig Shillington

  VBS Jordy and I just got home from the vets and he has had his stitches removed :) I think he had about 35 stitches in total, so it was a…

  VBS Jordy and I just got home from the vets and he has had his stitches removed :) I think he had about 35 stitches in total, so it was a bit of a job ;) But I can tell he is so happy to have them out because now he is back to rubbing and bumping his head on everything, including me :) :) VBS I will try to get some photos tonight and upload them to my blog (Maybe tomorrow) :) He still looks all shaved, but he is looking so much better :) :) Don’t forget the Jordy Fund. :) It’s doing really well and so far sales from my works have raised $152.50 towards Jordy’s bills :) :) Thank you all so much for helping out and sharing the love, it is so much appreciated :) :) MEOW :) :) Here is a run down of the costs P.S. :) If you have posted what you purchased in the Buyers Booth, PLEASE send me the link and I will start making those links available for others to look at too :) :)

• Bill & Ted said "Promote Each Other"
  by Natalie Perkins

  Jo stuck her foot out for me to trip over and I landed in a host puddle at Promote Each Other...

  Jo stuck her foot out for me to trip over and I landed in a host puddle at Promote Each Other. So, I thought that it was well within my hostly rights to promote Promote Each Other to you :D The premise of Promote Each Other is simple – basically, you join and take advantage of the social blogging and/or book marking resources that you might use every day for promoting other Red Bubble artists. We’re not looking for people who are more concerned with promoting themselves exclusively because we believe that by promoting each other, we will create a flow on effect that will benefit all who sail the good ship Red Bubble. You may not be aware of the crazy Web 2.0 phenomenon that is social media. Here is a handy list that you might like to browse if you’re considering joining the 21st century (I kid!): Bebo / Face Book / Jaiku / Last.fm / LinkedIn / Live Journal / MySpace / Orkut / Plurk / Pownce / Twitter / Vox Then again, you might be a seasoned internets maven with Web 2.0 coming out the wazoo! What we’re after is a bunch of good sorts who love to tag, bookmark and blog their way through the internet; and are committed to raising the profile of their favourite Red Bubble artists. If you think that you’re a most excellent candidate, take a gander here. (Also, if you want to join Plurk and be my friend with minimal effort – use this link. Basically, it earns me “stars” and “karma”. Cool huh!)

• Grand Final
  by Sarah Moore

  Hey all! My gorgeous little girl Zoe’s soccer team made it into the GRAND FINAL for soccer on the weekend (this was their first year p…

  Hey all! My gorgeous little girl Zoe’s soccer team made it into the GRAND FINAL for soccer on the weekend (this was their first year playing!!). They played an awesome game but were beaten by a better team in the end. Thought I would share some pics that Bill took on his brand new Nikon D3 today… Oh and a couple of Meg playing in her semi-final for netball… P.S. Yep I am a proud mum, and nope I’m not afraid to admit it!!

• Tribute photos - Axel
  by Rosalie Dale IPA

  For those who are interested, Bill Fonseca very sensitively photographed aspects of Axel’s service...

  For those who are interested, Bill Fonseca very sensitively photographed aspects of Axel’s service today – feel free to view the lovely images and share in the release of the balloons. Just look at that blue sky – it has been so stormy recently. There is also a photo of Robert, Sam, Sarah, Steve and Boz following the release. Thank you guys for representing the RB community by your presence today. Sara Lamond has also posted photos of Jeffrey Hamilton’s construction wall art which he painted near Gallery26 as a tribute – I wonder if we can pinch the panels when the construction is finished!!

• Bill & Sarah Wedding Photography
  by Bill Fonseca

  Early this year I asked Sarah Moore to assist me doing a wedding which she gladly accepted. Sin…

  Early this year I asked Sarah Moore to assist me doing a wedding which she gladly accepted. Since then we have had such positive feedback from the Bride and Groom at all the weddings we have shot and now we have decided to take it seriously and start up www.billandsarahphotography.com So we are now Bill and Sarah Wedding Photographers! As mentioned our website is www.billandsarahphotography.com (Under construction) and a Gallery all of our own here on RB. From now on all our wedding photos will be uploaded to this gallery so check us out add us to your watchlist!

• For those who are interested in Workshops....
  by Bill Fonseca

  Welcome All, I thought I’d give you Sydney based people (only because the workshops are in Sydney – LOL) but that’s not to say anyone …

  Welcome All, I thought I’d give you Sydney based people (only because the workshops are in Sydney – LOL) but that’s not to say anyone else can’t attend. You’re all welcome. Especially Redbubblers…. Anyway, you would have noticed that I’ve attend a couple of workshops and I have taken along Sarah Moore and David Iori on 2 separate occasions. The guy that runs them is Mick Connolly and every now and then he has them pop up. The next one is on photographing Food, so get those macro lens out…. I’m sure those who will attend will get a good feed. I’ll provide the contact details for Mick so, please feel free to contact him directly. He is very easy and accommodating to speak too and he too is on Redbubble. Mick Connolly Workshops / abn # 76 600 433 596 / (m) 0406 662602 / (w) www.mickconnolly.com / Award winning photographer, writer and tutor / Private tuition available

• JORDY UPDATE (27/03/08)
  by Craig Shillington

  Okay … after much anxiety and stress I finally rang my Credit Card company and they agreed to lift the limit on my Mastercard enough so…

  Okay … after much anxiety and stress I finally rang my Credit Card company and they agreed to lift the limit on my Mastercard enough so that I can now pay for Jordy’s operation on the day!! At first I thought I could pay the bill via payments, but when I rang to talk to them about that, they simply said they’d rather full payment … or at least 50%. So I have been stressing a lot about that, but now I have the credit (and with the help from the Jordy Fund … I am in the process of booking him in. I rang them Wednesday Morning to let them know I have the money and want to go ahead … they still haven’t rang me back (am expecting a phone call at work today). I am really anxious because the longer this is left, the more chance the cancer has spread. Jordy has got a bit worse. The tumor on his eyelid is now big enough that it is rubbing halfway up his eyeball … and has started to secrete some sort of pus … so his eye is always dirty. Plus it is still bleeding a lot. He is still purring a lot and he sleeps with me (he has got really close lately). I will try to get some photos of him before the op … and progress shots after the op .. but will post them on my blog, because they won’t be pretty photos sadly. But I think everyone has a right to know that this is real … that your money is going to a good cause. I want to take this opportunity to once again thank those who have purchased my work knowing the profits are going towards Jordy’s Operation. As of writing this … together we have raised just under $100!!!! That is amazing. But please … keep buying :) :) It helps so much!!!! Hopefully after the phone call today … I will be heading to Perth either tonight or tomorrow for an overnight stay. Fingers crossed!! For those interested in seeing where the money goes … I will break down what has been spent so far and predict future costs. It’s amazing how much it adds up :( Merriden Vet Clinic (Initial Consultation about growth on eyelid) Consultation – $44 / IDEXX Blood Test – $125 / Anaesthesia Inhalation 1st hr – $110 / Cryosurgery – $50 / Biopsy – $33 / Histopathology – $125 / BETAMOX LA Injection – $13.45 / METACAM Injection (pain relief) -$15.77 / METHOPT TEARS 50mg BAYTRIL – $21.35 / MELOXICAM ORAL 10ml – $23.72 Total for Vet Bill – $566.30 (Paying this off) Trip to Murdoch Vet Hospital for prognosis last week. Fuel – $110 / Consultation – $129 Total – $239 (I borrowed $200 from a guy here for that trip and am paying him back) Operation Total Fuel – $79 / Operation – $2099 Total – $2178 Grand Total – $2983.33