What do people think of the home page and the background specifically? If the background doesn't suit could you perhaps attach a couple of examples of backgrounds that would work?
I'm not a fan of that background, but the general layout (navbar/text/info) seems decent. Perhaps you can use some paintbrushes/splats as a background (seeming as design is one of the areas you focus on). Here's one I found, but it may be a bit too colorful.
The background is looking much better now! I like how the tone of the color changes in different places. I think you should stick with this setup! Well done, by the way! ^^