One Happy Monet
Go to OneHappyMonet.com →One Happy Monet was a passion project for me many years back. I love Monet and thought it would be fun to build a website as if he had hired me. Since then, I use this website to test out things like upgrading to the latest PHP, or new WordPress feature or features I am building. No clients are depending on it running, so it is a good place to do those kind of development activities while testing the waters.
And it is just very fun to look at Monet’s work.
Challenge: How to best display some of the best works in the world.
Solution:
To bring this playful sandbox to life, I built a clean, inviting About page to share Monet’s story, an organized Gallery that beautifully displays his work in curated sections, a dynamic Events listing that updates itself by showing upcoming fictional exhibits and hiding past ones, and a personal Blog where I share my love of Monet’s art and thoughts on his enduring influence. This setup gives me a safe, inspiring place to test PHP upgrades and WordPress features while keeping things creative.
How I built this website:
- Designing a timeless showcase: Create a website design that surrounds Monet’s work with elegant, unobtrusive visuals that enhance — not compete with — the beauty of his paintings.
- Organizing a prolific career: Structure the site to highlight Monet’s artistic phases, key works, and milestones in a way that feels accessible and engaging for visitors.
- Bringing Monet into the present: Add playful, fictional events — like modern gallery openings or “Monet Meetups” — to test how the site handles dynamic event listings and bookings, all while imagining he’s still painting today.
- Connecting personal inspiration to my work: Build a blog to share my own reflections on Monet’s influence and connect this sandbox back to my own business and creative philosophy.
Galleries
Events
Blog
