please review my site

regardless of the url "templatesbypete" i am actually just starting out but i hope to be making templates soon. also i don't know how to fix css validation error

It's quite boring looking. Your images are old paintings or dead people, your colors are fairly dull, and all I really see are blocks of text.

I do have a bias - I am a web designer and rate sites based on web design standards. You however, seem to be more of a copywriter/writer? So your standard may be different than ours.

I agree with the above comment. Also consider that your eyes scan from left to right as you're looking at the homepage of a website, much like when you read a book. Where's the logo? Why is there an image of a guy writing/drawing/getting all sciency at the top left? What does it have to do with the site content?

We can understand the theme of a site by the use of typographic style and the visual impact that texture can make. Maybe go for a light parchment paper texture in the background, and a respected serif font like Georgia? Maybe look for something with a bit more flair for your headings?

thanks Phil for the detailed post. i will be back with a better site

No problem. We all start somewhere. When it comes to dissecting a website for the first time, there are many things one doesn't consider, and it may seem daunting, but don't let it discourage you. Take a look at some sites that you DO like and draw some conclusions in similarities. You may be able to identify consistency in the way the site is physically laid out (wireframed), or specific design elements, like rounded, beveled, or scalloped edges to bounding boxes etc...