James Dietz was commissioned by Warner Brothers to do all of the artwork for the promotion of the original Superman movie with Christopher Reeves

There are 12 original paintings that must be sold as an in-tact collection.  Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea has the exclusive on this collection available for $90,000-. Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is committed to representing more OPA and AIS credentialed Master Artists than any gallery in the world.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, June 18, 2014 - Mountainsong Galleries on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California is the place to find more of today's OPA and AIS Master Artists than anywhere in the World.  The gallery owners Jonathan and Lucinda Mountainsong have created a friendly, fun upbeat setting filled with contemporary Master Artists, whimsical and dramatic bronze sculptures, stunning glass art and custom wood furniture. Mountainsong represents some of the greatest artists of our time from coast-to-coast.

A historical painting stands or falls on how well it depicts the story it is attempting to illustrate, and how convincingly it combines the people, their actions, costumes, surroundings and atmosphere in an appropriate composition. A good historical painting uses all of these elements to tell the major story and perhaps a second subtext. Both are driven by how interesting the situation is that the artist is attempting to render. How the viewer reacts to a great painting transcends its immediate story and strikes a deeper chord, one that hopefully evolves and changes as the viewer contemplates the art over time.

It is this last and most worthy goal to which artists like James Dietz aspire. In his portrait of events in the 20th and 21st Centuries, he labors to achieve that rare combination of historical fact and the romance, adventure and color of fiction.

Born in San Francisco, Jim graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1969. He had a successful illustration career in Los Angeles and New York, with a steady flow of work ranging from automobile ads, movie posters, and romantic and historical/action book covers.

By 1978, Jim and his wife had moved to Seattle, where Jim’s work gradually shifted away from commercial illustration to primarily historical aviation, automotive and military art. Today his work is internationally known and collected, and his style, with its emphasis on depth of story, is recognized by collectors of historical art. His list of clients includes: Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Federal Express, Allison, Cessna, Flying Tigers, the Indianapolis 500, BMW, the National Guard and many U.S. Army associations: U.S. Army Rangers, 82nd Airborne, 3rd Division, 4th Division, 29th Division, First Division, 1st Cavalry, 11th Cavalry, 28th Division, 41st Division and 37th Division, Command General Staff College, Army War College, US Air Force Documentary Art Program, Wingnut Studios, Meadowbrook and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

* Awards include:

• Best in Show, EAA Aviation Art Show, three successive years, 1989-91
• Named Master Artist, EAA, 1992
• People’s Choice Award, American Society of Aviation Artists, 1988
• Best in Show, Franklin Mint Artists Show, 1992
• Best in Show & three Best of Era Awards, San Antonio Military Art Show, 1992
• Honorable Mention, American Society of Aviation Artists Show, 1994
• Best in Show, Flying Magazine/Simuflite Art Show, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001
• Award of Merit, Flying Magazine/Simuflite Art Show, 1995, 2000
• Best in Show, Naval Aviation Museum Art Show, 1994, 2000
• First Place, Naval Aviation Museum Art Show, 1995
• R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art, National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL, 1997
• Best in Show, Women in Aviation Show, C.R. Smith Museum, Dallas, TX, 1997
• Stanley Wanlass Award for excellence in strength of design and composition, echoing the spirit of the automobile, Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, 1997
• Featured Artist, Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, 1999
• Award of Excellence, Automotive Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 1999, 2000, 2011, 2013
• Peter Helck Award, Automotive Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 1999, 2000, 2013
• League of WWI Aviation Historians, four Silver Cups
• Lincoln Award for Elegance, Automative Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 2007

Jim has been a member of the World War I Aviation Historical Hall of Fame, an Artist Fellow of the American Society of Aviation Artists and a board member of the Automotive Fine Artists of America. He had one-man shows at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1990, 1998 and 2003; San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1990; and the US Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 2003. His paintings are part of the permanent collections of many military museums around the country, including the Pentagon, the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum, Special Forces Museum, 82nd Airborne Museum, and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

In 2001, Barnes & Noble Publishing released a book on Jim’s World War II art, entitled Portraits of Combat. In 2005, Jim fulfilled a childhood dream when he got the opportunity for a cameo role in Peter Jackson’s (Lord of the Rings) remake of King Kong. Jim plays the role of pilot of the Curtis Helldiver aircraft which fires at Kong while he is perched high above New York on the Empire State Building.

Jim and his wife, Patti, live in Seattle with their dog, Sarah, who shares the distinction with previous Dietz pets, of being a regular in Jim’s paintings. Their son, Ian, is currently an officer serving in the U.S. Army. Jim works in a warm, pleasantly cluttered studio that resembles a WWI aviation bar, surrounded by uniforms, props and models that have made their way into paintings over the years.

Save the Date: The gallery has announced a series of upcoming exhibitions through December 2014 including a first in the world OPA Masters Only Show in July.

· First in the World OPA Masters Only Show:  July 25 - August 24
o Opening Reception July 25 5:00 - 8:00  All OPA Masters
· Oil Painters of America Western Regional Show:  August 30 - September 30
o Opening Reception August 30 5:00 - 8:00
o The list of artists who have been juried into this event has not yet been made public.
· Huihan Liu & Weizhen Liang - Couples Show:  October 4 - October 31
o Opening Reception October 4 5:00 - 7:00 
o Huihan Liu, AISM, OPAM and his wife Weizhen Liang, AISM

Details on Mountainsong Galleries:
· Location: Ocean between San Carlos and Mission Carmel-by-the-Sea, California • View Map
· Phone: (831) 626-0600
· Private Viewings By Appointment - Call 831-233-8255
· Website:  http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com/
· Hours of Operation

o Monday - Saturday 10 – 6 and Sunday 12-6
· List of Master Artists
o Daniel E. Greene, N. A., AWS, PSA, OPAMaster
o Everett Raymond Kinstler, N. A., AWS, PSA, OPAMaster
o Neil Patterson, OPAMaster, President, Oil Painters of America
o Debra Joy Groesser, AIS, President, American Impressionist Society
o Cyrus Afsary, OPAMaster
o Kenn Backhaus, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Clayton J. Beck III, AISMaster
o Harley Brown, OPAMaster
o Nancy Bush, AISMaster
o John Michael Carter, OPAMaster
o William T. Chambers, OPAMaster
o Nancy Seamons Crookston, OPAMaster
o Kim English, AISMaster
o Albert Handell, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o David Hettinger, OPAMaster
o Doug Higgins, OPAMaster
o Quang Ho, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o William Scott Jennings, OPAMaster
o Steven Lang, OPAMaster
o Jeff Legg, OPAMaster
o Calvin Liang, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Weizhen Liang, AISMaster
o Huihan Liu, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Kevin Macpherson, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Ned Mueller, OPAMaster
o Paul Mullally, OPAMaster
o Joyce Pike, OPAMaster
o Joan Potter, OPAMaster
o William Schneider, AISMaster
o Craig Tennant, OPAMaster
o Zhiwei Tu, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Jeffrey R. Watts, OPAMaster
o William Whitaker, OPAMaster
o Alan Wolton, OPAMaster
o Jim Dietz, Premier Automobile and Military Artist
o Randy Strong who has three of his exquisite glass pieces in the Louvre in Paris

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Mountainsong Galleries
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com/

XebiaLabs Raises $12m in Growth Equity Round by Updata Partners

First Institutional Funding Will Drive Continued Growth in Fast Moving DevOps & Continuous Delivery Market

Boston, MA, June 13, 2014 – Leading delivery automation vendor XebiaLabs today announced it has closed a $12 million growth equity investment by Washington, D.C. based Updata Partners. Since its founding in 2008, XebiaLabs has experienced dramatic success with over 100% revenue growth every year and has gained validation from customers such as General Electric, Expedia, Xerox, KLM, and Société Générale. This financing will be used to fuel continued fast growth globally in the rapidly expanding DevOps and Continuous Delivery market.

"Updata's investment is a vote of confidence in XebiaLabs and our market opportunity," said Coert Baart, XebiaLabs chief executive officer. "Software is the most critical component to the success of many of today’s organizations. Lack of automation is preventing companies from delivering software and its corresponding business value fast enough. XebiaLabs is the first fully automated delivery automation software that solves this challenge and this funding will help us reach even more customers worldwide."

Updata Partners is the first institutional investor in XebiaLabs. Post transaction, Updata general partners Carter Griffin and James Socas will join XebiaLabs’ six person board, along with founder and chairman Daan Teunissen, chief executive officer Coert Baart, and independent directors Alex Pinchev, formerly President of Red Hat, Inc., and Wim Heijting, formerly of Baan Company. Michel den Braver will serve as board observer and advisor. 

Delivering higher quality software faster has become a business imperative. Current software development processes cannot keep pace with the demand for the faster delivery of software. While application development times have accelerated of late due to Agile, scrum and other methodologies, deployment best practices have not kept pace, resulting in a significant bottleneck at the point of application release.

XebiaLabs helps companies accelerate the rate of innovation and time to market while reducing error and downtime. With XebiaLabs, companies can easily move to continuous deployment and create a fully automated customer feedback loop so companies can quickly adapt their applications to the fast-shifting changes in the market. Customers experience up to 50% faster release times, 50% reduction in release cost and eliminate nearly 100% of errors in the process.

“XebiaLabs’ offering is well-timed with the rapidly increasing demand for DevOps and Continuous Delivery solutions that drive faster time to value for the software delivery process,” said Carter Griffin of Updata. James Socas added, “We believe the market will continue to see a shift toward greater automation as organizations look to scale their efforts to deliver customer value at an accelerated pace. XebiaLabs offers a powerful solution for the industry and we are excited to collaborate with them in building a great company in an exciting category.”

Press Contacts:
XebiaLabs:
Heather Moses
hmoses@xebialabs.com

Updata Partners:
Tammy Falco
tfalco@updata.com

About XebiaLabs
XebiaLabs is the leading global provider of automation software for DevOps and Continuous Delivery helping companies to accelerate the delivery of new software. XebiaLabs’ products provide the automation, efficiency and insight organizations need to meet the demand for faster software deployment cycles. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Boston, XebiaLabs has a worldwide network of sales offices and partners. For more information, please visit www.xebialabs.com.

About Updata Partners 
Updata Partners is a leading technology-focused growth equity firm with nearly $500 million of capital under management. Updata invests in high-growth software, Internet, and technology-enabled service businesses with innovative intellectual property and market-leading solutions. Led by an investment team averaging more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, Updata seeks investments where the combination of the firm’s financial backing and the operating expertise of its partners will accelerate growth. For more information about Updata Partners, please visit www.updata.com

Contact:
Victor Cruz
Principal
MediaPR
Essex, MA
+1 (978) 768-6888
vcruz@mediapr.net
http://www.mediapr.net

Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea has the exclusive on this historic collectors' item at $40,000

James Dietz was commissioned by George Lucas to do a large scale painting of Star Wars for a book Lucas was putting together. Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is committed to representing more OPA and AIS credentialed Master Artists than any gallery in the world.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, June 13, 2014 - Mountainsong Galleries on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California is the place to find more of today's OPA and AIS Master Artists than anywhere in the World. The gallery owners Jonathan and Lucinda Mountainsong have created a friendly, fun upbeat setting filled with contemporary Master Artists, whimsical and dramatic bronze sculptures, stunning glass art and custom wood furniture. Mountainsong represents some of the greatest artists of our time from coast-to-coast.

A historical painting stands or falls on how well it depicts the story it is attempting to illustrate, and how convincingly it combines the people, their actions, costumes, surroundings and atmosphere in an appropriate composition. A good historical painting uses all of these elements to tell the major story and perhaps a second subtext. Both are driven by how interesting the situation is that the artist is attempting to render. How the viewer reacts to a great painting transcends its immediate story and strikes a deeper chord, one that hopefully evolves and changes as the viewer contemplates the art over time.

It is this last and most worthy goal to which artists like James Dietz aspire. In his portrait of events in the 20th and 21st Centuries, he labors to achieve that rare combination of historical fact and the romance, adventure and color of fiction.

Born in San Francisco, Jim graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1969. He had a successful illustration career in Los Angeles and New York, with a steady flow of work ranging from automobile ads, movie posters, and romantic and historical/action book covers.

By 1978, Jim and his wife had moved to Seattle, where Jim’s work gradually shifted away from commercial illustration to primarily historical aviation, automotive and military art. Today his work is internationally known and collected, and his style, with its emphasis on depth of story, is recognized by collectors of historical art. His list of clients includes: Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Federal Express, Allison, Cessna, Flying Tigers, the Indianapolis 500, BMW, the National Guard and many U.S. Army associations: U.S. Army Rangers, 82nd Airborne, 3rd Division, 4th Division, 29th Division, First Division, 1st Cavalry, 11th Cavalry, 28th Division, 41st Division and 37th Division, Command General Staff College, Army War College, US Air Force Documentary Art Program, Wingnut Studios, Meadowbrook and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance .

Awards include:

• Best in Show, EAA Aviation Art Show, three successive years, 1989-91
• Named Master Artist, EAA, 1992
• People’s Choice Award, American Society of Aviation Artists, 1988
• Best in Show, Franklin Mint Artists Show, 1992
• Best in Show & three Best of Era Awards, San Antonio Military Art Show, 1992
• Honorable Mention, American Society of Aviation Artists Show, 1994
• Best in Show, Flying Magazine/Simuflite Art Show, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001
• Award of Merit, Flying Magazine/Simuflite Art Show, 1995, 2000
• Best in Show, Naval Aviation Museum Art Show, 1994, 2000
• First Place, Naval Aviation Museum Art Show, 1995
• R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art, National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL, 1997
• Best in Show, Women in Aviation Show, C.R. Smith Museum, Dallas, TX, 1997
• Stanley Wanlass Award for excellence in strength of design and composition, echoing the spirit of the automobile, Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, 1997
• Featured Artist, Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, 1999
• Award of Excellence, Automotive Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 1999, 2000, 2011, 2013
• Peter Helck Award, Automotive Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 1999, 2000, 2013
• League of WWI Aviation Historians, four Silver Cups
• Lincoln Award for Elegance, Automative Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, 2007

Jim has been a member of the World War I Aviation Historical Hall of Fame, an Artist Fellow of the American Society of Aviation Artists and a board member of the Automotive Fine Artists of America. He had one-man shows at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1990, 1998 and 2003; San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1990; and the US Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 2003. His paintings are part of the permanent collections of many military museums around the country, including the Pentagon, the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum, Special Forces Museum, 82nd Airborne Museum, and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

In 2001, Barnes & Noble Publishing released a book on Jim’s World War II art, entitled Portraits of Combat. In 2005, Jim fulfilled a childhood dream when he got the opportunity for a cameo role in Peter Jackson’s (Lord of the Rings) remake of King Kong. Jim plays the role of pilot of the Curtis Helldiver aircraft which fires at Kong while he is perched high above New York on the Empire State Building.

Jim and his wife, Patti, live in Seattle with their dog, Sarah, who shares the distinction with previous Dietz pets, of being a regular in Jim’s paintings. Their son, Ian, is currently an officer serving in the U.S. Army. Jim works in a warm, pleasantly cluttered studio that resembles a WWI aviation bar, surrounded by uniforms, props and models that have made their way into paintings over the years.

Save the Date: The gallery has announced a series of upcoming exhibitions through December 2014 including a first in the world OPA Masters Only Show in July.
· First in the World OPA Masters Only Show:  July 25 - August 24
o Opening Reception July 25 5:00 - 8:00  All OPA Masters
· Oil Painters of America Western Regional Show:  August 30 - September 30
o Opening Reception August 30 5:00 - 8:00
o The list of artists who have been juried into this event has not yet been made public.
· Huihan Liu & Weizhen Liang - Couples Show:  October 4 - October 31
o Opening Reception October 4 5:00 - 7:00 
o Huihan Liu, AISM, OPAM and his wife Weizhen Liang, AISM

Details on Mountainsong Galleries:
· Location: Ocean between San Carlos and Mission Carmel-by-the-Sea, California • View Map
· Phone: (831) 626-0600
· Private Viewings By Appointment - Call 831-233-8255
· Website:  http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com/
· Hours of Operation

o Monday - Saturday 10 – 6 and Sunday 12-6

· List of Master Artists
o Daniel E. Greene, N. A., AWS, PSA, OPAMaster
o Everett Raymond Kinstler, N. A., AWS, PSA, OPAMaster
o Neil Patterson, OPAMaster, President, Oil Painters of America
o Debra Joy Groesser, AIS, President, American Impressionist Society
o Cyrus Afsary, OPAMaster
o Kenn Backhaus, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Clayton J. Beck III, AISMaster
o Harley Brown, OPAMaster
o Nancy Bush, AISMaster
o John Michael Carter, OPAMaster
o William T. Chambers, OPAMaster
o Nancy Seamons Crookston, OPAMaster
o Kim English, AISMaster
o Albert Handell, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o David Hettinger, OPAMaster
o Doug Higgins, OPAMaster
o Quang Ho, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o William Scott Jennings, OPAMaster
o Steven Lang, OPAMaster
o Jeff Legg, OPAMaster
o Calvin Liang, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Weizhen Liang, AISMaster
o Huihan Liu, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Kevin Macpherson, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Ned Mueller, OPAMaster
o Paul Mullally, OPAMaster
o Joyce Pike, OPAMaster
o Joan Potter, OPAMaster
o William Schneider, AISMaster
o Craig Tennant, OPAMaster
o Zhiwei Tu, AISMaster, OPAMaster
o Jeffrey R. Watts, OPAMaster
o William Whitaker, OPAMaster
o Alan Wolton, OPAMaster
o Jim Dietz, Premier Automobile and Military Artist
o Randy Strong who has three of his exquisite glass pieces in the Louvre in Paris

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Vendange Carmel
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com/

Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Only Wine Themed Hotel Introduces its Wine and Dine Packages

Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites has partnered with 15 local Monterey County wineries to create a unique guest experience celebrating the bounty of Monterey County’s vineyards.

Carmel, CA, June 12, 2014 - Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites has partnered with 15 local Monterey County wineries to create a unique guest experience celebrating the bounty of Monterey County’s vineyards. Each winery sponsors one room or suite, providing its own creative touches. From the McIntyre Vineyards room with its impressive 100-year-old section of grapevine to J. Lohr’s plush bathrobes, every winery’s room offers a signature luxury experience.  In 2014, Vendange will be releasing 2 new wine themed rooms.  The first room was released in April with Blair Vineyards.  The second room will be released Summer 2014 and will be decorated by Holman Ranch.

Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites Owner Brian Lee announced today that the hotel will be launching two new wine and dine packages beginning June 1st:

Wine and Dine Package: Andre’s Bouchee
Experience the best Carmel has to offer. Luxurious accommodations in Carmel’s only wine themed hotel, gourmet dining, chocolates and Monterey County wine  -- what a delicious combination!  This special wine and dine package has a French Bistro flavor with a lunch or dinner at the coveted, award winning, Zagat rated Andre’s Bouchee!

For $125 upgrade to our wine and dine package which includes:

* Cabernet infused blueberries chocolates and pinot noir chocolate cherries from local vintner Ventana Wines

* A bottle of Monterey County Award winning wine – your choice of white or red

* A $50 lunch or dinner certificate at Andre's Bouchee located on Mission Street, two doors south of Ocean Avenue in the heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Proprietor Elizabeth Lemaire wants to share a  Carmel favorite that lures locals and visitors with its chic style and neighborhood charm. Chef Jacques Zagouri prepares authentic French Bistro Cuisine with a Californian Coastal flair. Our friendly atmosphere buzzes with excitement and energy that makes you feel your dining in one of the small neighborhoods inside Paris.

Wine and Dine Package: Flaherty’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar

Experience the best Carmel has to offer.  Luxurious accommodations in Carmel’s only wine themed hotel, gourmet dining, chocolates and Monterey County wine  -- what a delicious combination!  This special wine and dine package offers the freshest catch in town.  If you are a seafood lover this is for you!

For $125 upgrade to our wine and dine package which includes:

* Cabernet infused blueberries chocolates and pinot noir chocolate cherries from local vintner Ventana Wines
* A bottle of Monterey County Award winning wine – your choice of white or red

A $50 lunch or dinner certificate at Flaherty’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar.  Located side-by-side in the heart of Carmel, Flaherty’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar are dedicated to providing you with the freshest, most delicious seafood.  Flaherty’s knows good seafood, they know how to buy it and they know how to prepare it. Unlike most restaurants (even the best of them) where fish is often a secondary item on the menu… at Flaherty’s it’s all about seafood. At Flaherty’s, you will experience a small town, comfortable, family atmosphere, where quality ingredients and quality preparation come together with quality service. It’s who we are…. come and experience seafood like it was meant to be.

To book any of these packages please go to www.vendangecarmel.com and go to reservations and when you choose your room category please make sure to choose the wine & dine package which will have the price included in your stay.

Rooms Overview:
* The cozy rooms have sleek, modern bathrooms finished with imported Spanish marble.

* Views of both the Inn’s beautiful gardens and the Carmel skyline are plentiful.

* Sleeping areas are appointed with memory foam-top beds, deluxe linens, and high-definition flat screen televisions - not that you’ll want to stay indoors.

Cottage Suite:
The separate Cottage Suite offers a generous 650 square feet of living space. With a California King bed, 50” high definition flat screen television, gas fireplace and kitchenette, it’s the perfect place for a honeymoon or romantic weekend getaway.

Wine Themed Rooms:
* Blair Vineyards
* Dawn’s Dream
* Galante
* J. Lohr
* Joullian
* Manzoni
* McIntyre
* Otter Cove
* Pierce Winery
* Tudor
* Twisted Roots
* Ventana
* Cima Collina
* Coming in Summer 2014 Holman Ranch

Wine Room Highlights:

Twisted Roots King Suite

Twisted Roots believes in letting the grapes speak for themselves. They feel that the work in the vineyard is where the wines get their flavor and overall complexity.  As "Green Growers" they follow sustainable farming practices throughout the entire wine making process. In creating the Twisted Roots room, winemaker Josh Ruiz took the same philosophy to design as he does to making wines. Canvas pictures from the Twisted Roots vineyard adorn the walls, custom artwork made from barrels, rod iron and wine bottles show case the bar and more!

Ventana Vineyards:
Ventana Vineyards believes great wines are made in the vineyard, and the Ventana Vineyard has the perfect combination of water, soil, climate, art and science to create superb, world-class wines. Our success is evidenced by the number of awards that we have won over the years on wine made from this remarkable property. In fact, wines from our Ventana Vineyard have earned more medals and awards than any other single vineyard in America. When creating their Ventana Vineyards wine themed room they brought the story of the vineyard to the room.

* Custom canvas prints grace the walls telling the story of the vineyards.

* The winemaker’s story can be found on the room for all to enjoy.

* A Ventana Vineyards wine barrel has been converted into a custom snack bar full of delicious Ventana Vineyard logoed snacks and wine!

* The bed has a logoed throw and the walls have actually small vines from the vineyard affixed to them.

J. Lohr:
Flavorful wines, quite literally “wines full of flavor” are the mission at J. Lohr. J. Lohr’s unwavering focus on flavors sounds so simple, yet it’s surprisingly complex. Achieving the best flavor demands total control, every step of the way, and is the result of planting each site to its ideal grape variety and applying artisanal winemaking techniques, including extended maceration, barrel and malolactic fermentation, among others.  When you stay in the J. Lohr room you soak up the flavor of the vineyard.  From grapevine wreaths and a barrel on the balcony that offers the perfect table top to enjoy some wine and cheese to art from the vineyard and a custom J. Lohr wine display, you will as if you have been transported to the vineyard.

Additional Rooms with Unique Features:
* McIntyre Vineyards brought in a 5 foot vine from the vineyard that is the masthead for the bed as well as created custom glass lamps etched with the McIntyre wine label.  Truly spectacular to view!

* Cima Collina has their vineyard artist create custom painting for the room made from wine barrels and rod iron as well as creating their own logoed bed side stand.

Amenities:
* The Inn offers breakfast daily and wine tasting on the weekends.

* ines that are typically available only in partner wineries’ tasting rooms are also available to guests for purchase.

* Guests can relax with a glass of wine around the inviting fire pit in the garden and enjoy live music. (available most weekends)

Monterey County Wine Facts:

* Did you know? Monterey County is the one of the largest wine growing and producing regions in California which is one of the reasons why it was named as one of 2013's "Top Ten Wine Travel Destinations" in the world by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

* In Carmel-by-the-Sea alone, you can spend a weekend wine-tasting without ever getting in a vehicle!

* Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea has become a bona fide wine tasting destination, with enough tasting rooms to keep visitors busy for a weekend and even more about to open.

* Carmel Valley's tasting rooms (11 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea) are not overly crowded and provide a warm, personal interaction with tasting hosts and winemakers.

Vendange is conveniently located a short drive away from the Monterey Peninsula Airport, just off of scenic Highway 1, with free parking for guests. We’re minutes away from downtown Carmel’s shopping and fine dining, scenic 17-Mile Drive, and the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Vendange Carmel is located at 24815 Carpenter St., Carmel, CA 93923.  Telephone 831.624.6400, fax 831.624.5111. Website: www.vendangecarmel.com, email reservations@vendangecarmel.com.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Vendange Carmel
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.vendangecarmel.com

Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Only Wine Themed Hotel Introduces its One Tank Wonder Package

One Tank Wonder Package Available Sunday – Thursday Through June 30th, 2014

Carmel, CA, June 11, 2014 – Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites has partnered with 15 local Monterey County wineries to create a unique guest experience celebrating the bounty of Monterey County’s vineyards. Each winery sponsors one room or suite, providing its own creative touches. From the McIntyre Vineyards room with its impressive 100-year-old section of grapevine to J. Lohr’s plush bathrobes, every winery’s room offers a signature luxury experience. In 2014, Vendange will be releasing 2 new wine themed rooms.

The first room was released in April with Blair Vineyards. The second room will be released Summer 2014 and will be decorated by Holman Ranch.

Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites Owner Brian Lee announced today that the hotel will be launching a new package now through June 30, 2014. Ever wonder where you can explore on a tank of gas?  How about the beauty of Carmel-by-the-Sea? Lee makes a weekend getaway easy with his new One Tank Wonder Package.

Package includes:

· Two Night Stay
· 1 $50 Visa Gift Card to help cover the cost of your gas
· A bottle of Monterey County Award Winning Wine
· Available Sunday – Thursday Only
· To book go to www.vendangecarmel.com and go to reservations and choose your room category.  After everything is finished you should see an item that says “One Tank Wonder,” please click that rate to book the room. Rates vary depending on room category.

· Package available through June 30th, 2014

Rooms Overview:
· The cozy rooms have sleek, modern bathrooms finished with imported Spanish marble.
· Views of both the Inn’s beautiful gardens and the Carmel skyline are plentiful.
· Sleeping areas are appointed with memory foam-top beds, deluxe linens, and high-definition flat screen televisions - not that you’ll want to stay indoors.

Cottage Suite:
· The separate Cottage Suite offers a generous 650 square feet of living space. With a California King bed, 50” high definition flat screen television, gas fireplace and kitchenette, it’s the perfect place for a honeymoon or romantic weekend getaway.

Wine Themed Rooms:
· Blair Vineyards
· Dawn’s Dream
· Galante
· J. Lohr
· Joullian
· Manzoni
· McIntyre
· Otter Cove
· Pierce Winery
· Tudor
· Twisted Roots
· Ventana
· Cima Collina
· Coming in Summer 2014 Holman Ranch

Wine Room Highlights:

Twisted Roots King Suite

Twisted Roots believes in letting the grapes speak for themselves. They feel that the work in the vineyard is where the wines get their flavor and overall complexity. As "Green Growers" they follow sustainable farming practices throughout the entire wine making process. In creating the Twisted Roots room, winemaker Josh Ruiz took the same philosophy to design as he does to making wines. Canvas pictures from the Twisted Roots vineyard adorn the walls, custom artwork made from barrels, rod iron and wine bottles show case the bar and more!

Ventana Vineyards:
Ventana Vineyards believes great wines are made in the vineyard, and the Ventana Vineyard has the perfect combination of water, soil, climate, art and science to create superb, world-class wines. Our success is evidenced by the number of awards that we have won over the years on wine made from this remarkable property. In fact, wines from our Ventana Vineyard have earned more medals and awards than any other single vineyard in America. When creating their Ventana Vineyards wine themed room they brought the story of the vineyard to the room.

· Custom canvas prints grace the walls telling the story of the vineyards.
· The winemaker’s story can be found on the room for all to enjoy.
· A Ventana Vineyards wine barrel has been converted into a custom snack bar full of delicious Ventana Vineyard logoed snacks and wine!
· The bed has a logoed throw and the walls have actually small vines from the vineyard affixed to them.

J. Lohr:
Flavorful wines, quite literally “wines full of flavor” are the mission at J. Lohr. J. Lohr’s unwavering focus on flavors sounds so simple, yet it’s surprisingly complex. Achieving the best flavor demands total control, every step of the way, and is the result of planting each site to its ideal grape variety and applying artisanal winemaking techniques, including extended maceration, barrel and malolactic fermentation, among others. When you stay in the J. Lohr room you soak up the flavor of the vineyard. From grapevine wreaths and a barrel on the balcony that offers the perfect table top to enjoy some wine and cheese to art from the vineyard and a custom J. Lohr wine display, you will as if you have been transported to the vineyard.
Additional Rooms with Unique Features:

· McIntyre Vineyards brought in a 5 foot vine from the vineyard that is the masthead for the bed as well as created custom glass lamps etched with the McIntyre wine label.  Truly spectacular to view!
· Cima Collina has their vineyard artist create custom painting for the room made from wine barrels and rod iron as well as creating their own logoed bed side stand.

Amenities:
· The Inn offers breakfast daily and wine tasting on the weekends.
· Wines that are typically available only in partner wineries’ tasting rooms are also available to guests for purchase.
· Guests can relax with a glass of wine around the inviting fire pit in the garden and enjoy live music. (available most weekends)

Monterey County Wine Facts:
· Did you know? Monterey County is the one of the largest wine growing and producing regions in California which is one of the reasons why it was named as one of 2013's "Top Ten Wine Travel Destinations" in the world by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
· In Carmel-by-the-Sea alone, you can spend a weekend wine-tasting without ever getting in a vehicle!
· Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea has become a bona fide wine tasting destination, with enough tasting rooms to keep visitors busy for a weekend and even more about to open.
· Carmel Valley's tasting rooms (11 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea) are not overly crowded and provide a warm, personal interaction with tasting hosts and winemakers.

Vendange is conveniently located a short drive away from the Monterey Peninsula Airport, just off of scenic Highway 1, with free parking for guests. We’re minutes away from downtown Carmel’s shopping and fine dining, scenic 17-Mile Drive, and the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Vendange Carmel is located at 24815 Carpenter St., Carmel, CA 93923.  Telephone 831.624.6400, fax 831.624.5111.  Website: www.vendangecarmel.com, email reservations@vendangecarmel.com.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Vendange Carmel
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.vendangecarmel.com

Artist Fawn Rogers “I Love You And That Makes Me God”

Amid the bustle of the Paris Photo VIP Opening at Paramount Studios, I sat down with artist Fawn Rogers for a chat about her new installation, works currently on view, and the crossover of public and private dialogue in art.

Los Angeles, CA, June 11, 2014 - TG: I recently had the chance to check out your installation of ten new works at The Bank showroom in downtown L.A. Can you tell us a bit about that installation?

FR: The Bank is a powerhouse space, and Jeannine Braden is great to work with. I’m excited to be showing work there, both from the Visible Light series and a couple of new paintings.

TG: In the area known as “The Vault” you have two large canvasses on either side of the entrance to a walk-in vintage bank vault. Can you tell us a bit about those works?

FR: Those two works are the first canvasses I’m showing publicly from my new project, “I Love You And That Makes Me God.” One of the elements of the new work is interaction with settings of potential worship, including financial.

TG: What other locations are you using for this work?

FR: Anyplace that houses an object of worship is fair game. Strip clubs, churches, vice-driven advertisements, etc.

TG: How does the public art interact with the video installation you’re creating?

FR: In some ways it’s a reaction. The level of intimacy of the video project is so intense, so personal, that it demanded an opposite response. This project encounters dialogue at the direct one-on-one level, and as an indeterminate public conversation.

TG: Some of those settings – strip clubs, cathedrals – might be seen as a bit controversial, right?

FR: Sure. But again, the goal of the project is to invite dialogue, not to impose meaning. Unless I get the chance to project it onto the walls of the Vatican. [Laughs]

TG: With a central statement as provocative as “I Love You And That Makes Me God,” faith, or belief, has to be part of the conversation in some way.

FR: It’s been a ride to explore.

TG: What is your experience of the faith aspect of the work, personally?

FR: The Bible, Torah, Quran – books of science? They’re texts of pervasive cultural impact. The project is not about religion, at least not in any conventional sense.

TG: What shape is the video installation aspect going to take?

FR: I’m working right now on developing a few different models. One is a small-scale installation box, designed with interior monitors and mirrored glass. The viewer approaches by putting their head inside the box to view the work. It’s very intimate, and meant to be a bit uncomfortable. The second model is a large-scale design, with dual-monitor projection spanning a space of about 800 cubic ft. It’s technically involved.

TG: You’ve mentioned a lot of social themes in conjunction with the project. If you had to summarize the work, what is “I Love You And That Makes Me God” about?

FR: I look forward to you experiencing the installation and letting me know.

Fawn Rogers is an American visual artist. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

Contact:
Tyler Greene
ArtPress Records
1430 5th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
213-355-5125
Tyler.R.Greene@gmail.com
http://www.fawnrogers.com

Daniel Greene. N. A., PSA, AWA, OPAM Works On Display at Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is committed to representing more OPA and AIS credentialed Master Artists than any gallery in the world.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, June 09, 2014 - Mountainsong Galleries on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California is the place to find more of today's OPA and AIS Master Artists than anywhere in the World. The gallery owners Jonathan and Lucinda Mountainsong have created a friendly, fun upbeat setting filled with contemporary Master Artists, whimsical and dramatic bronze sculptures, stunning glass art and custom wood furniture. Mountainsong represents some of the greatest artists of our time from coast-to-coast.

June Featured Artist:
Daniel E. Greene, N.A. is a former instructor of painting at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League of New York. He is the author of "Pastel" that was in print for 25 years and "The Art of Pastel," which were published in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. In 1969, Mr. Greene was elected to the National Academy of Design.

The Encyclopedia Britannica considers Mr. Greene the foremost pastelist in the United States and in 1983, the Pastel Society of America elected him to the Pastel Hall of Fame. In 2003, the Pastel Society of the West Coast named Mr. Greene a Pastel Laureate. In 1989, his work represented the United States at the first International Biennial of Pastel in San Quentin, France. In 1992, he was awarded American Artist's magazine's first Lifetime Achievement award in the category of oil painting and the Oil Painters of America Society named him to their Hall of Fame. In 1995, the American Society of Portrait Artists presented the John Singer Sargent award to Daniel Greene for lifelong dedication to the achievement of excellence in portraiture. In May 1999, Mr. Greene was the recipient of the Benjamin Clinedinst Medal of the Artist's Fellowship at a presentation in New York City. In 2001, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Portrait Society of America. On May 26, 1994 in a special White House ceremony, Mr. Greene presented to Hillary Rodham Clinton a pastel portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt. In 2003, Mr. Greene was the annual honoree of the Salmagundi Club and was presented their Gold Medal. In 2003, Mr. Greene was named a Pastel Laureate by the Pastel Society of the West Coast and was presented with the Joseph V. Giffuni Award by the Pastel Society of America.

In 2006, Mr. Greene was the Artist in Tribute at the 75th Annual Exhibition of the Hudson Valley Art Association. In 2007, Mr. Greene was presented with the Gladys E. Cook Award for Painting by the National Academy Museum at their 182nd Annual Members Exhibition. In 2007, Mr. Greene was presented with the Great American Artworks Award by the Pastel Society of America and also won First Place for Landscape at the ARC International Salon by the Art Renewal Center. In 2011, Mr. Greene was presented with the Herman Margulies Award for Excellence by the Pastel Society at their 39th Annual Exhibition and also was presented with the Art Spirit Foundation Award by the Salmagundi Club at their 128th Annual Member Exhibition. In 2012, the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists at the conference "Faces of Winter - A Daniel Greene Festival" honored Mr. Greene with their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2012, Mr. Greene was presented with a Distinguished Artist Award by the Oil Painters of America at their 21st Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils and was presented with the Gene Magazzini Memorial Award for Traditional Oils by the Salmagundi Club at their 129th Annual Exhibition.In 2012, the Pastel Society of America at their 40th Annual Exhibition also presented Mr. Greene with the Jack Richeson Gold Award.

Mr. Greene's paintings and pastels are in over 700 public and private collections in the United States and abroad. He has been the recipient of the Elizabeth T. Greenshields Foundation grant and the Anna Lee Stacey Foundation grant. A retrospective exhibition of Mr. Greene's paintings and pastels was held in 1987 at the Hammond Museum in New York. Five highly successful exhibitions of Mr. Greene's subway series appeared in New York and were featured on ABC-TV, Fox News, PBS, CNN, New York 1, NHK TV Japan, and in over 50 international magazines and newspapers. One exhibition "Subway Paintings" at the New York Transit Museum at Grand Central Terminal was the inaugural event in the centennial year of the New York subway. Mr. Greene has been the featured artist in American Artist magazine 15 times. Articles about his work have appeared eight times in the Artist's Magazine. Favorable reviews have appeared three times in Art News magazine. In February 1999, Mr. Greene's paintings were featured in a cover article of the International Artist magazine. In 1998 Daniel Greene was interviewed in the Academy Award nominated documentary "Ayn Rand, a Sense of Life" and was the subject of the cable documentary "The Genuine Article" as well as a PBS documentary featuring his subway paintings. Mr. Greene's figure and still-life paintings are handled by Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Eleanor Ettinger Gallery in New York, New York, Cavalier Gallery in Greenwich, Connecticut as well as Nantucket, Massachusetts and Miller Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Highly regarded as a portrait artist, his subjects include leaders of government, banking, education, and industry. A few of the early works include Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, astronaut Walter Schirra, author Ayn Rand, and William Randolph Hearst. Some governmental portraits include Governor Scott of North Carolina, Governor Laxalt of Nevada, Governor Beliles of Virginia, Governor Lehman of New York, as well as two mayors of New York City. Some later portraits include Dave Thomas of Wendy's, Governor Fob James of Alabama, commentator Rush Limbaugh, Congressman Billy Tauzin, composer Alan Menken and Bryant Gumbel of CBS. Some recent portraits include John and Adele Lehman for Harvard, Eric Widing of Christie's and Governor Benjamin Cayetano of Hawaii. A partial list of sitters includes the chairmen of the boards of Honeywell, Coca-Cola Company, Dupont Corporation, American Express, the New York stock exchange and IBM. Mr. Greene has also painted the deans and presidents of: Tufts, Duke, Columbia, North Carolina, West Point, Delaware, New York, Princeton, Rutgers, Yale and Harvard universities.

Save the Date: The gallery has announced a series of upcoming exhibitions through December 2014 including a first in the world OPA Masters Only Show in July.
·   First in the World OPA Masters Only Show:  July 25 - August 24
o   Opening Reception July 25 5:00 - 8:00  All OPA Masters

·   Oil Painters of America Western Regional Show:  August 30 - September 30
o   Opening Reception August 30 5:00 - 8:00
o   The list of artists who have been juried into this event has not yet been made public.

·   Huihan Liu & Weizhen Liang - Couples Show:  October 4 - October 31
o   Opening Reception October 4 5:00 - 7:00 
o   Huihan Liu, AISM, OPAM and his wife Weizhen Liang, AISM

Details on Mountainsong Galleries:
·   Location:  Ocean between San Carlos and Mission Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
·   Phone: (831) 626-0600
·   Private Viewings By Appointment - Call 831-233-8255
·   Website:  http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com/
·   Hours of Operation
o   Monday - Saturday 10 – 6 and Sunday 12-6

·   List of Master Artists
Daniel E. Greene, N. A., AWS, PSA, OPAMaster
Everett Raymond Kinstler, N. A., AWS, PSA, OPAMaster
Neil Patterson, OPAMaster, President, Oil Painters of America
Cyrus Afsary, OPAMaster
Kenn Backhaus, AISMaster, OPAMaster
Clayton J. Beck III, AISMaster
Harley Brown, OPAMaster
Nancy Bush, AISMaster
John Michael Carter, OPAMaster
William T. Chambers, OPAMaster
Nancy Seamons Crookston, OPAMaster
Kim English, AISMaster
Dan Gerhartz, OPAMaster
Albert Handell, AISMaster, OPAMaster
David Hettinger, OPAMaster
Doug Higgins, OPAMaster
Quang Ho, AISMaster, OPAMaster
William Scott Jennings, OPAMaster
Ramon Kelley, OPAMaster
Steven Lang, OPAMaster
Jeff Legg, OPAMaster
Calvin Liang, AISMaster, OPAMaster
Weizhen Liang, AISMaster
Huihan Liu, AISMaster, OPAMaster
Kevin Macpherson, AISMaster, OPAMaster
Ned Mueller, OPAMaster
Paul Mullally, OPAMaster
Joyce Pike, OPAMaster
Joan Potter, OPAMaster
William Schneider, AISMaster
Craig Tennant, OPAMaster
Zhiwei Tu, AISMaster, OPAMaster
Jeffrey R. Watts, OPAMaster
William Whitaker, OPAMaster
Alan Wolton, OPAMaster

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Mountainsong Galleries
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com

AuraPortal Helium Sparks an Interest at the 20th GCC eGovernment Conference in Dubai

AuraPortal Helium Government was presented as the most advanced management tool for government entities in the market and a gateway to the future of administrative management, with the slogan: "Stand out as leader and model of Smart Government."

Woburn, MA, June 08, 2014 - AURA (www.auraportal.com), a global provider of Business Process Management (BPM) software, has announced the success of the presentation of AuraPortal Helium at the 20th GCC eGovernment & eServices Conference in Dubai, one of the largest "eGov" conferences in the world.

AuraPortal has been distinguished with great advantage over its competitors by Ovum in its Decision Matrix report and by other renowned analyst firms.

The conference focused on the development of smart organizational transformation strategies, on promoting excellence in the shift to smartGovernment, and showcased various modern leadership practices for upgrading the performance and effectiveness of government services.
The conference was widely attended by regional and global eGovernment executives and authorities, including:

• Ministers, Deputies, Senior Executives, Police and Armed Force Officials

• eGovernment and eService Leaders

• Educational Institution Officials, University Deans, Academics and Researchers

• Banking and Finance Officials

• ICT and eService providers and experts

Given the importance of the event, Pablo Trilles, Vice President of External Affairs, and Olivia Trilles, Director of Operations at AuraPortal, travelled to Dubai to support the staff of their Dubai office (AuraPortal Middle East).

One of the objectives was to highlight how with AuraPortal Helium an average of 70% reduction in record processing time can be achieved, as well as a drastic reduction in administrative costs, simple access to the latest organization and communication technologies (internal and external), and maximum citizen satisfaction, as they have access to a private and exclusive channel with the administration officers.

AuraPortal Helium Government covers all the activities performed in public entities, such as record processing with BPM, administrative organization and the management of citizen services with workflow.

The widespread presence of AuraPortal Helium Government in ministries and public entities from different countries (Spanish Ministry of Defense, Colombian Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Technology, Chilean Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Mining, and many more) has consolidated it as a key tool to achieve the objectives sought by governments all around the world.

Using AuraPortal Helium Government as a management tool in public administrations is the key to reaching greater data transparency, to achieving more citizen centricity, consolidating eServices, promoting environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, etc.

About Aura (http://www.auraportal.com)
AURA is a global BPM (Business Process Management) software provider delivering a solution that creates, without the need of IT programming, Business Process Workflow Execution Models. AuraPortal is 100% Web-based, and is complementary to existing ERP and CRM systems.

AURA has a presence in 40 countries with more than 300 customers including, among others: Walmart, Toyota, General Motors, Pemex (Petroleos Mexicanos), Carrefour, ArcelorMittal, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Danone, INCAE, Kimberly-Clark, Yamaha, Royal KPN, Bristol-Myers Squibb, etc., as well as many Government Agencies and Departments in several countries. All of these customers benefit from maintenance contracts.

It is headquartered in Europe and has an executive branch in North America (Florida). It also has offices in several countries and a vast network of partners who locally attend customers throughout the world.

Aura Contacts:
Cristina Siscar
info@auraportal.com
Skype: auraportal
Phone: +1 (857) 239-0070 or +34 96 295 4497
http://www.auraportal.com

WHAT THE TOP EXPERTS SAY ABOUT AURAPORTAL BPMS

OVUM:
In the "Product Quality" category, AuraPortal has obtained the highest score (9 points), situating itself clearly above the next best vendor on a scale of 1 to 10.
(Decision Matrix on BPM Vendors 2011, OVUM)

TEC:
“With a dominant placement in nearly all areas of the BPM module, AuraPortal BPMS is well positioned as one of the leaders within the BPM space according to all standards provided by TEC”.
(TEC Technology Evaluation Centers 2013)

GARTNER:
“AuraPortal is the example of next-generation BPMS”.
(MQ 2007-2009)

BPTRENDS:
“AuraPortal is one of the most complete and advanced BPMS solutions on the market backed up by a financially strong company with a large number of satisfied customers of all sizes that have been working with the product for several years”.
(BPMS Report 2010)

IDC:
“In Customer references, AuraPortal has a strong ease of implementation and ease of use from both IT and business user perspectives”.
(MarketScape 2011)

BLOOR:
“For what you get, AuraPortal is really good value for money with a very low maintenance percentage”.
(Bloor 2011)

Contact:
Nina Moon
AuraPortal
400 Trade Center
Woburn, MA 01801-7472
978-808-6340
info@auraportal.com
http://www.auraportal.com

Hofsas House Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea Invites You to take A Hike this June and July!

In Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Theis family is celebrating more than six decades of European hospitality at its beautiful Bavarian-inspired Hofsas House Hotel, which is as charming as the town itself.

Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, June 06, 2014 -- In Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Theis family is celebrating more than six decades of European hospitality at its beautiful Bavarian-inspired Hofsas House Hotel, which is as charming as the town itself. With firm roots in the past, the family is looking toward the future by keeping abreast of guests’ every need.

The Hofsas House invites you to take a hike this June and July!

Take a Hike at the Hofsas House Hotel (Available during June National Great Outdoors Month and July National Picnic Month)

The Hofsas House Hotel offers the perfect European ambiance for hikers or a hiking club retreat! Within minutes of the hotel, you can experience Big Sur hiking trails ranging from tranquil walks along a coastal waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to miles-long ascents through the redwoods and into the rugged wilderness at the Los Padres National Forest. Point Lobos State Park is also a short drive away! After a day of hiking the Big Sur coastline, relax your tired muscles in the hotel’s heated swimming pool or European dry saunas.

The Hofsas House explores nature with its special Hiking Package. Mention this Hiking Package when reserving a minimum of two nights in June, National Great Outdoors Month, and receive a $25 gift certificate to 5th Avenue Deli, the perfect place to get your picnic for the hike. 5th Avenue Deli is located only 2.5 blocks from the hotel. For National Picnic Month in July, receive a complimentary day pass to Point Lobos State Park. When booking online, indicate HHNature to receive the $25 gift certificate in June or the Pt. Lobos Day Pass in July upon arrival. This offer is not valid with any other discounts or promotions and two consecutive nights must be reserved.

Hofsas House Background:
Owned and operated by the Theis Family, Hofsas House Hotel is within walking distance of everything Carmel has to offer, including a stunning beach, fine restaurants and shops, and wine tasting. It provides peaceful respite and European charm just minutes from Monterey , Pebble Beach, Big Sur and Pacific Grove . The Hofsas House’s 38 spacious, one-of-a-kind rooms boast European comfort and lovely views, not to mention amenities like fireplaces, private balconies, wet bars, kitchens and patios. Large suites provide the perfect stay for newlyweds and everyone else seeking an extra special getaway. Dutch doors in every room allow guests to welcome in the ocean air, and free WiFi enables them to stay connected — if they want to.

The Hofsas House Hotel family works to ensure every visitor's experience is special, striving to offer the highest quality personal services. Consider the continental breakfast, abundant with fresh French Roast coffee, tea, juice, fruit and pastries from a neighborhood bakery, or the personalized concierge services for guests and their families, including their four-legged family members, who are welcome, as well.

For large groups — wedding parties, company meetings, family reunions and others — Hofsas House Hotel offers a spacious room equipped with a fireplace and full kitchen that can comfortably accommodate 40 people. A heated pool, dry saunas, decks with views and off-street parking are on offer as well.

Hofsas House Hotel is located on San Carlos Street, north of Fourth Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea. For more information, call (831) 624-2745 or visit www.hofsashouse.com. Like us on Facebook ww.facebook.com/hofsashousehotel

Media FAM Trips Available Upon Request. Air fare Not Included. All FAM Trips Subject to Availability.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Mountainsong Galleries
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.hofsashouse.com

Macro Express Pro Automates your Computer Tasks

Macro Express Pro is the ideal way to record or store repetitive keystroke and mouse entries.

Kaysville, UT, June 06, 2014 – Insight Software Solutions, Inc. announces the latest release of its Windows automation tool, Macro Express Pro v4.6.0.1.

Macro Express Pro is the ideal way to record or store repetitive keystroke and mouse entries. Create the macro once and press a key to play back the keystrokes and mouse entries at a much faster rate than can be done manually. In addition to saving time, Macro Express Pro reduces or eliminates errors caused by boredom, fatigue or carelessness.

One customer had the following to say about Macro Express. "I've used it to automate some of the most stupefyingly boring repetitive tasks. Fun to use. Great stuff."

Quickly transfer data from one application to another. Speed up big data conversion projects. For example, when thousands of records or more need to be converted, Macro Express will do the work of several people and do it more accurately. Quicker and cheaper.

Easily insert chunks of boilerplate text into documents. Load programs, files or web pages with a key press. In fact Macro Express Pro lends itself to any industry or business that performs repetitive computer tasks.

There are several methods available for creating macros. No programming language or special skills are required.

* Over two dozen Quick Wizards guide you through a series of questions and build the macro for you.

* Record keystrokes and mouse movements with the easy to use Capture process.
Utilize the Script Editor or Direct Editor to write more powerful macros.

* Macro Express Pro provides a number of options for executing (running) a macro.

* Press a hotkey such as Ctrl + R or Alt + F11. Choose from over 840 combinations.

* Type a shortkey – a short letter combination from 2 to 32 characters.

* Run the macro on a schedule – hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or practically any other schedule.

* Run automatically when a window opens or closes.

* Click on a specific area of a screen or window.

* Plus a variety of other activation options.

Macro Express Pro automates boring, repetitive computer tasks. Do it quicker, more reliably and with less stress. The software pays for itself within days and frequently much sooner.

To learn more about Windows productivity software from Insight Software Solutions, Inc. contact the company directly.

Contact:
Stan Jones
Insight Software Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 106
Kaysville, UT 84037-0106
801-927-5009
info@wintools.com
http://www.wintools.com

Enservio Debuts Web Series Celebrating Insurance Claims Professionals

Videos Educate Public on Worthy “Unsung Heroes”

Needham, Mass, June 05, 2014 – Enservio, Inc. today announced the debut of “Making it Right,” a new web series that honors those claims professionals who have gone the extra mile in helping policyholders to restore their lives and businesses. “Making it Right” shows the faces of those passionately committed claims professionals who pull off small miracles every day in making tough situations easier for families and businesses.

“These first responders are typically the first people a policyholder sees after disaster strikes and are an incredible source of comfort,” says Christine Washburn, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Enservio. “In working with the industry’s top carriers, we were stunned, humbled and honored to hear of the efforts many claim professionals took on behalf of their policyholders. ‘Making it Right’ shines a light on the character, patience and resiliency that these professionals show every day while servicing customers.”

Security First Insurance Vice President of Claims Eva Mowry says, “We are responding to people when they are going through one of the worst times of their life. We minister them through the chaos. We are their rock to hold on to.”

Similar to law enforcement, EMS and fire departments, claims professionals and adjusters may put themselves in harm’s way while servicing a call. Yet unlike fire and police personnel, adjusters go largely unrecognized. In many cases, they too face dangerous and threatening situations. By showcasing these professionals, the hope is that the videos will change prevailing attitudes and have a positive influence on how the public perceives the insurance industry as a whole.

Says Claims Network Manager Trevor McDonald of The Main Street America Group: "You can't change the bad stuff that happened. You can't change that they've lost things. What you can change is how they feel going through the process of restoring, and I think that's where the connection is."

Claims Manager Otto Kieslich of Universal North America, says, “Give them what the true meaning of an insurance policy is. It's to protect them. It's to help them… it's to make things right.”

Enservio encourages the industry to freely share the “Making it Right” videos with their colleagues and customers on websites, YouTube and other social media channels. Toward this objective, some carriers plan to use the videos as training to new employees and for motivational purposes.

To view the introductory trailer to the series, please visit www.enservio.com/makingitright.

About Enservio, Inc.
Enservio® software and services help you solve one of the biggest issues in property insurance - knowing what's inside an insured's home or business. This visibility helps you right-price your policies upfront, settle claims quickly and accurately, manage replacements to keep customers happy, as well as run your business more efficiently. Founded in 2004, we are headquartered in Needham, MA, with offices and professional staff across the U.S.  Enservio is a strategic partner of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) in their continued fight against insurance fraud. For additional information, please visit the company's web site www.enservio.com or call 888.567.7557. Connect with Enservio via LinkedIn (http://us.linkedin.com/company/enservio), Twitter (https://twitter.com/enservio), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/enservio).

Enservio is a registered trademark of Enservio, Inc.  All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective holders.

Contact:
Victor Cruz
Principal
MediaPR
PO Box 961
Essex, MA 01929
978-768-6888
vcruz@mediapr.net
http://www.mediapr.net

Balance Energy Introduces their First Product for customers who want to bring Balance to their Lives

Balance Energy, a new natural health supplement company has just announced the release of their first product.

Clearwater, FL, June 05, 2014 - Balance Energy, a new natural health supplement company has just announced the release of their first product. The company just introduced their Garcinia Cambogia product which now stands as the firm’s initial offering in the appetite suppressant supplement space. A company spokesperson revealed the new product and commented that, “Garcinia Cambogia is a much talked about supplement, but we feel that our version will appeal to those who want a natural and effective weight loss supplement that also helps restore balance to everyday activities.”

The company decided to start with a Garcinia Cambogia product because weight loss is often the main focus for those who turn to supplements. The Balance Energy Garcinia Cambogia is made from all natural Garcinia fruit and when used as a supplement, that fruit is often helpful in reducing appetite, preventing fat storage and speeding up metabolism. Some even suggest that Garcinia Cambogia is helpful in reducing cholesterol levels, boosting the immune system and even helping prevent ulcers.

Balance Energy points out that consumers interested in Garcinia Cambogia should seek out a version that contains at least 50% HCA, which is the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia. The best results come when users take the supplement 30 minutes before each meal along with eight ounces of water.

Balance Energy is a family-owned business, managed by individuals that believe in the power of all natural foods and ingredients to promote a healthy lifestyle. The philosophy that the company promotes is that issues arise and things go wrong, but an all natural diet and supplements can work to bring balance to life when those issues arise. The Garcinia Cambogia is just thet first product offered by Balance Energy and company officials have announced that several more all natural supplements will be available in the near future.

The Balance Energy Garcinia Cambogia is available now and can be purchased directly from the company’s website. More information is available by visiting http://www.balanceenergy.org and company representatives can be reached via the embedded form on the site’s “Contact Us” page.

Contact:
Kelly Weber
Balance Energy
Clearwater, FL 33755
210-501-9669
balance.energy.inc@gmail.com
http://www.balanceenergy.org

Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is committed to representing more OPA and AIS credentialed Master Artists than any gallery in the world

Mountainsong Galleries announced today they will be the only gallery in the world to carry Kevin Macpherson’s Reflection on a Pond Series. Mountainsong Galleries has announced that the entire series - all 368 paintings – is now available for acquisition for $1.75 million.

Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, June 04, 2014 - In August 1996, Kevin Macpherson conceived of a series of paintings. The term “series” is perhaps too modest a description for what came to be called the Pond Project.

This is not simply a group of works on a theme, nor a one year exploration of a single subject. Rather Reflections on a Pond was conceived as a physical challenge and psychological adventure in which a view out to a nearby pond would be documented on canvas at different times of the day and night, in all seasons. It took five years to complete.

Kevin describes the “Reflections on a Pond” series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O1DnVSLIAJw#t=0

“This was a five year painting project that is definitely the legacy of my work. The series sums up what my work is all about -- light atmosphere and color. I believe painting the space between me and the subject, because of the persistence and dedication to complete a series such as this is, is indeed unique. This series of work is extremely personal and the sums of the parts are greater as a unit. It would have been very easy to sell off the pictures one by one but it is an important collection that says more as a whole,” said Kevin MacPherson.

Although he knew change was at the heart of the project, Kevin held several elements constant. Each painting was done on a 6 by 8 inch panel. His palette was consistent, and he remained faithful to the reality of the scene’s compositions.

While the series is about seeing as an artist, it takes its substance from feelings. Interwoven with Kevin’s eye is his heart. Emotions emerge in the paintings and echo in his commentary.

Viewing the 368 paintings, either in the book or at an exhibition, heightens our awareness of the subtleties in nature we often overlook and emotions we repress. 

“The magnificent series of 368 paintings is a portrait of a year in the life of a pond: 365 days, the last day of the century, and the first day of the new millennium. But in reality, it is also a portrait of Kevin Macpherson—artist, husband, teacher, and member of the human race. You know this not only by looking at the paintings, but also by reading Macpherson’s journal notes.” said Jean Stern, Executive Director of the Irvine Museum.

In many ways, Macpherson’s Pond Series is a visual documentation of a journey into the Spiritual significance of being an artist. The pond is much more than a subject recorded throughout one year. It is a reflection of one year of life that defines all individual years of our lives. The pond is Macpherson himself, but it is also you and I. The Pond Series represents a speculation on life that gives meaning to the passage of time. It celebrates that passage in statements of color and form, of light and atmosphere.”  Where is the beginning quote and who said this?

Kevin’s own reflections on the series provide more insight. “I did the Reflections on a Pond series for me. One painting led to another, to many, and eventually to the series. My visual objective has rewarded me with much more. It has led to a record of my thoughts in color, a vocabulary I’m more familiar with than words. This is my visual diary.” 

“My intention is for you, the viewer, to take a moment to wander through the paintings in no specific order. Look a little deeper, a little longer, pausing to see similarities and differences. Free your mind to explore. Perhaps you will venture somewhere unexpected.”

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Mountainsong Galleries
PO Box 3396
Ocean Avenue 3 SE Of San Carlos
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921-3396
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.mountainsonggalleries.com

Lady Justice and the Pharaoh’s Curse Released by Mystery Author, Robert Thornhill

Award-winning author Robert Thornhill announces the release of the seventeenth installment in his Lady Justice mystery/comedy series, Lady Justice and the Pharaoh’s Curse.

Independence, MO, June 02, 2014 - The first sixteen novels in the series, Lady Justice Takes A C.R.A.P. City Retiree Action Patrol, Lady Justice and the Lost Tapes, Lady Justice Gets Lei’d, Lady Justice and the Avenging Angels, Lady Justice and the Sting, Lady Justice And Dr. Death, Lady Justice and the Vigilante, Lady Justice and the Watchers, Lady Justice and the Candidate, Lady Justice and the Book Club Murders, Lady Justice and the Cruise Ship Murders, Lady Justice and the Class Reunion, Lady Justice and the Assassin, Lady Justice and the Lottery, Lady Justice and the Vet and Lady Justice and the Organ Traders are currently available through bookstores, online and on the author’s website.

An artifact is stolen from the King Tut exhibit, setting in motion a string of bizarre murders that baffle the Kansas City Police Department.

A local author simultaneously releases his novel, The Curse of the Pharaohs, attributing the deaths to an ancient prophesy, ‘Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King.'

Are the deaths the result of an ancient curse or modern day mayhem?

Follow the clues with Walt and decide for yourself!

Once again, Walt discovers that very little in his world is black and white.

Elizabeth Whitaker of Article Write Up writes, “A stolen artifact, a string of murders, and the claim of an ancient curse are all intricately woven into this new book by Robert Thornhill. Are all these events related or is it merely coincidence? This riveting and well-written mystery delves deep into the past while remaining grounded in the present.

“This tale of mayhem and murder explores the past and present and takes the baffled Kansas City Police down a road with many twists and turns. The clues are all there, but will they make sense? Can the mystery be solved in time?

“Robert Thornhill has once again created a plot that will keep the reader guessing right up to the very end. His focus on events, interesting characters, and depiction of real-life situations is what makes the book come alive. The main plot is accompanied by subplots that come together to tell a fascinating story. This work of fiction is well-researched, compelling, and an all-around great read. Navigate through the twists and turns with Walt as he uncovers what could be the most perplexing mystery yet.”

Lady Justice and the Sting and Lady Justice and Dr. Death, Lady Justice and the Vigilante, Lady Justice and the Candidate, Lady Justice and the Book Club Murders, Lady Justice and the Cruise Ship Murders and Lady Justice and the Vet won the Pinnacle Award for the best new mystery novels of Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Summer 2013 and Spring 2014 from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs.

Robert is also the author of the Rainbow Road series of chapter books for children.

Visit him on the web at http://booksbybob.com

Contact:
Robert Thornhill
Books By Bob
21312 E. 37th Terr Ct S
Independence, MO 64057
660-383-6011
booksbybob@hotmail.com
http://booksbybob.com

Finding Success in A Growing Industry: Monterey, California Lawyers Meeting The Legal Needs Of CannaBusinesses

Monterey, California law firm L+G, LLP Attorneys at Law and their top CannaBusiness lawyer Gavin Kogan are leading the way in California by providing clients

Monterey, CA, May 31, 2014 - Monterey, California law firm L+G, LLP Attorneys at Law and their top CannaBusiness lawyer Gavin Kogan are leading the way in California by providing clients with the experienced legal assistance they require to provide their customers with needed medical cannabis while building a profitable, legally sound cannabusiness.

Firm Founder and Partner Jeff Gilles believes “It is imperative that each jurisdiction begin a planning process that embraces the fact that our local citizens should be able to purchase Cannabis locally for medicinal purposes rather that driving to another jurisdiction to fill a prescription. We are losing tax revenue, increasing Green House Gas Emissions attributable to unnecessary miles, and increasing the burden on patients suffering from MLS, Cancer and other illnesses where Cannabis has successfully been used to help those patients.”

Much of their interest has stemmed from the lack of available dispensaries in Monterey and San Benito Counties. “There are three kinds of counties, those that ban it outright, those that regulate it, and the most malicious has nothing on the books,” Kogan said in a Monterey County Weekly cover story by Mary Duan on May 29, 2014. “Well, maybe ‘malicious’ is too strong. But because of it, people don’t know what to do. If the county banned it, it would be easy, we could not run operations there.” L+G, LLP Attorneys at Law believes in changing perceptions and changing laws. They have a proven track record at achieving political and governmental advocacy for their clients and the fledgling and growing CannaBusiness industry is going to need careful navigation to achieve its goals.

L+G, LLP Attorneys at Law is leading the way in California on Cannabis Dispensary Law and the coming legalization of recreational marijuana. The firm advises and represents cannabusinesses handling marijuana as well as cannabusinesses that not directly handling marijuana, also known as "ancillary" cannabusinesses. They support their clients with the legal knowledge they will need to effectively structure and operate a cannabusiness.

Clients confidently rely on Attorney Gavin.Kogan to help them identify and manage the legal issues that are relevant to a cannabusiness now, during prohibition. and in the future after legalization. This means that Mr. Kogan holds a command of the law, not only as it exists today, but also with respect to how it may evolve. This professionally developed legal judgment enables Mr. Kogan to critically assess both state and federal legal developments.

As an active participant in ARCView and in the cannabusiness community in general, Mr. Kogan appreciates the need to provide collaborative legal representation in this area of practice. He knows that cannabusiness owners want attorneys they can work with on an individual level in order to develop long-term legal business strategies tailored specifically to their own unique interests.

The bottom line of cannabusiness is the same as any business – the constant striving to have a sound, productive firm. But in order to be successful, cannabusinesses must be able to protect their product from seizure by law enforcement and avoid operation shutdowns. Working with a strong law firm who has the experience to minimize loss and disruptions is tantamount. Gavin Kogan and L+G, LLP Attorneys at Law are dedicated to preparing cannabusinesses for success.

About L+G, LLP – Attorneys as Law:
L+G, LLP is California’s premier law firm with offices in three counties including Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey Counties. The company is a full service firm with a highly diversified practice. Jeff Gilles, Managing Partner, started his legal career in the 1970’s. Since that time he has put together a team of attorneys and paralegals with offices in downtown Salinas, downtown Hollister and now downtown Monterey. Jeff, along with his partners, associates, and staff offer legal services ranging from agriculture, business formations and transactions, civil litigation, estate planning, labor and employment to land use, municipal law, planning and zoning, and real estate.

The firm has more than 30 years of experience and over 15 employees in 3 offices. For more information about L+G, LLP please call (831) 717-4995 or visit www.lg-attorneys.com

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
L+G, LLP Monterey
270 El Dorado Street
Monterey, CA 93940
831-747-7455
Marci@chatterboxpublicrelations.com
http://www.lg-attorneys.com