How I Built My Artist Website as a Creative and Informative Portal

How I Built My Artist Website as a Creative and Informative Portal

A behind-the-scenes look at how I designed my artist website as a portal to share creative work, educational content, blog posts, and real-time updates. Built with Weebly and Feedwind, it's a dynamic space for storytelling and community.

When I began building my website, I didn’t want it to be just a digital portfolio.
Instead, I envisioned a creative and informative portal that would reflect not only my artwork but also my teaching, blogging, everyday projects, and interactions with my community.
The goal was to make it feel both personal and functional—a space that offered inspiration, resources, and glimpses into an artist’s daily life.
To my surprise and joy, this format has been well received.
Many visitors ask how I built the site and how it stays updated so seamlessly.
That’s why I wanted to take a moment to share the tools and structure behind the homepage I created.

A Portal Layout That Feels AliveI designed the homepage to feel like a visual portal—similar to a news feed or an artist-focused magazine.
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At a glance, visitors can explore recent blog posts, see updates about student work, check out new publications, and discover useful art-related resources.
There are multiple sections, but they’re all intuitively arranged, making it easy for someone to navigate without feeling overwhelmed.
Real-Time Blog and Info Updates with FeedwindOne of the most effective elements of this homepage is the use of Feedwind, a customizable widget that displays real-time blog feeds or curated RSS content.

• On the left side, I share curated art-related articles, contests, and resources for students and artists.
• On the right side, my latest blog posts are automatically displayed, keeping the site fresh without manual updates.
  
  

I use the paid version of Feedwind (around $9 per year), which has been incredibly worth it for maintaining a dynamic and regularly updated homepage.

Student Gallery with Weebly

To showcase student artwork, I use the built-in Weebly gallery feature.
It allows me to display images in a clean, slide-style layout that visitors can click through.

I use this space to highlight the creativity of students in my studio classes and also to keep a record of class projects over time.
The gallery is one of the most popular areas on the site, especially for families and new visitors curious about my teaching style.
Featuring Children’s Books and Art ProjectsSince I’ve published several children’s picture books, I’ve created a dedicated space on the homepage to display their covers and link to purchase options like Amazon.
Each book is briefly introduced through visual previews, creating interest and connection without overwhelming the reader.
These projects are deeply personal, and by giving them visibility on the homepage, I’m able to share the process of storytelling and collaboration with children more widely.

Integrated Blogging and Daily WritingI maintain an active blog where I share reflections on art, education, daily life, and creativity.
Recent posts are automatically pulled into the homepage, and each one displays a thumbnail, title, and timestamp.

This allows casual readers to scan recent entries and dive into anything that catches their attention.

The blog gives visitors a fuller sense of who I am—not just as an artist, but as a writer, teacher, and thinker.

Additional Features That Add Value

The sidebar includes links to:

• My online stores (Etsy, Artflakes)
• Art class and solo exhibition information
• A weather widget showing local conditions in New York

These small additions keep the site feeling current, friendly, and multi-dimensional.

Why This Structure WorksThis homepage format works well because it is:

• Visually organized but information-rich
• Focused on both creative output and educational context
• Easy to maintain thanks to real-time tools like Feedwind
• More of a creative space than a promotional one
• A place to return to regularly, not just visit once

I’ve found that presenting my work in this open, navigable format invites longer visits, encourages interaction, and reflects the way I actually live and work as an artist.

Final Thoughts

​This site continues to evolve.
As I teach, write, draw, and publish, it grows with me.
My hope is that this space not only shares my work but also encourages other creatives—especially artist-educators—to build spaces that reflect the full scope of their voice.
If anyone out there is considering creating a personal artist site that goes beyond the basics, I hope this behind-the-scenes look is helpful.
Sometimes, the best platforms are not the most complex ones—they’re the ones that feel most like you.