And Also Smokeypo

I have been building websites amongst other things for just on 15 years. I was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of Ingrid Spielman and Thomas Ashelford, who owned one of Australia’s first web design companies Ether.
Ether’s first claim to fame was the legendary Wood & Wire web site – an online music magazine, described by the Sydney Morning Herald as ‘Australia’s first popular web site’. (SMH, 8/7/2000).
Within months I was managing the content updates for Wood and Wire as well being part of the team developing the ABC’s online presence - very exciting and intimidating times especially since before Ether I had never even switched a computer on.
In 2000 I moved Mullumbimby with my young family but continued to travel down to Sydney to work on the development of an online documentary; with Thomas and Molly Reynolds, about Celtic Music "The Pure Drop" - the development stages, discussing treatments, filming footage for the pilot episode After 2 years we still had not secured funding for the project and the travel and lack of funds were taking their toll. The Pure Drop did end up by being funded and was eventually completed in 2007.

In 2005 I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own small one man operation under the moniker of And Also Smokeypo; based in Mullumbimby, Byron Shire, Northern New South Wales, catering for the small business end of the market.

People often ask about the name 'And Also Smokeypo'. Maybe because I am based in Mullumbimby there always seems to be a slight nod and a wink to something illicit...
No connection to that at all I assure you. The name came about through my children. My daughter Aleka loved the story of Pinocchio when she was very young and as a 3 year old would ask me to read her smokeypo. The 'and also' part of the name comes via my son Marlow who, when enthusiastic about life would often start sentences with " and also dad" - 'this happened', 'I saw....', 'I did....' So there you go put two phrases together and you have And Also Smokeypo.

I have worked in essence with web-design as an evolving and creative process, that is my passion.
Web sites such as 'Paper Wings' and 'Aim Records' are examples of this. I am happy to work less creatively and for smaller jobs, but the challenges and learning that come with the more complex processes are highlights for me.

I try and balance my work flow with projects I personally believe in and have in the past negotiated my rate to make a certain project get off the ground, as much as possible. I aim to make the digital tactile and friendly, to bring a more wholesome reading of both content and format. my second passion (apart from raising my kids) is growing food……..