Tax Time.
My favorite time of the year. Can you hear my voice dripping with sarcasm? Every year, I mean every single year I say that I am going to do our taxes monthly. (You know, sort receipts and check them off and balance them against the account) Some years I have done just that, til June... Then the "busy season" starts and it all falls apart. At least those years I have half the year done and only have to slog through 6 - 7 months of receipts and bills and statements. Not this year. I've had a kind of head in the sand approach lately. That never works. Time to kick my own ass and get it in gear. See when you work for your self, there is no boss to look at you and tell you that your performance sucks. You have to judge that yourself...
off to the pile of receipts...
off to call all the people that files the 1099's incorrectly...
joy, Taxes.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
You don't really know what they do...
So, I don't think anyone, other than other artists or their partners, have a clue what an artist does all day. Then again, I have no idea what a neurosurgeon or a wall street trader does all day, so why do people seem to always want to know what an artist's day is like. How they come up with ideas, what is in their brain, how they generate their craft, how long it takes them to do a piece... As if the length of time spent on a certain piece of art makes that piece more valuable or worthy of consideration.
If you watch my husband he seems to stare at a blank piece of paper for extended periods of time... sometimes it is a canvas, other times it is the computer screen. Sometimes it is a half done piece of art that has him completely stumped and frustrated. Most often his head is down, huddled over a drawing or painting moving tiny pieces of graphite or paint into just the right position that he wants them in. Sometimes I can't even tell what the hell he has done all day. The piece looks like it did in the morning... but don't think I'm horrible, I'm usually a little distracted with kids and life.
But maybe I am being completely self absorbed and people actually don't give a flip what happens around here. I can almost guarantee this is not a topic of conversation for anyone other than maybe the .01% of people who look into others lives and have an interest in art.
But I find it interesting that when I tell people he works in films they always say, "animation?" first. The answer is no, live action films. I find it intriguing that the general public has no clue what goes into making a summer block buster hit or the academy award winning film. I tell them that he is a concept designer and a creature designer for films. (Along with an author and fine artist and book cover illustrator)
People don't get that before the actors put anything on and before they utter a line in front of the camera that there was an artist showing the art director or the director what those people would look like and how they should be dressed. Artist figure out costume design, landscapes of the real world and the fantasy worlds, what buildings could look like, what creatures will terrify you or melt your heart. There are artists who just do storyboards so that the director and crew can know what they will be looking and and how it will all look on film.
Then of course you have all the 3D artists, key frame artists, sword makers, the person who does the opening title sequence, CGI artists oh man! How about the model makers!!! The director, he directs what these guys are doing. Or the art director does, they give the "look" to the film.
I'm sorry I could go on and on... There are artists involved in every aspect of that movie you liked, or hated. Yup, that's them. That's what they do...
or, they stare at a blank page trying to make the next cool thing jump outta their head and onto their canvas.
Of course that's not what I do all day...
that's for another post...
If you watch my husband he seems to stare at a blank piece of paper for extended periods of time... sometimes it is a canvas, other times it is the computer screen. Sometimes it is a half done piece of art that has him completely stumped and frustrated. Most often his head is down, huddled over a drawing or painting moving tiny pieces of graphite or paint into just the right position that he wants them in. Sometimes I can't even tell what the hell he has done all day. The piece looks like it did in the morning... but don't think I'm horrible, I'm usually a little distracted with kids and life.
But maybe I am being completely self absorbed and people actually don't give a flip what happens around here. I can almost guarantee this is not a topic of conversation for anyone other than maybe the .01% of people who look into others lives and have an interest in art.
But I find it interesting that when I tell people he works in films they always say, "animation?" first. The answer is no, live action films. I find it intriguing that the general public has no clue what goes into making a summer block buster hit or the academy award winning film. I tell them that he is a concept designer and a creature designer for films. (Along with an author and fine artist and book cover illustrator)
People don't get that before the actors put anything on and before they utter a line in front of the camera that there was an artist showing the art director or the director what those people would look like and how they should be dressed. Artist figure out costume design, landscapes of the real world and the fantasy worlds, what buildings could look like, what creatures will terrify you or melt your heart. There are artists who just do storyboards so that the director and crew can know what they will be looking and and how it will all look on film.
Then of course you have all the 3D artists, key frame artists, sword makers, the person who does the opening title sequence, CGI artists oh man! How about the model makers!!! The director, he directs what these guys are doing. Or the art director does, they give the "look" to the film.
I'm sorry I could go on and on... There are artists involved in every aspect of that movie you liked, or hated. Yup, that's them. That's what they do...
or, they stare at a blank page trying to make the next cool thing jump outta their head and onto their canvas.
Of course that's not what I do all day...
that's for another post...
Friday, January 10, 2014
I have art in my life... Not the "stroll through the museums and contemplate the meaning of life" kind of art (though we do that sometimes.) I have a spouse who is a professional artist. My sister is a professional artist. My other sister is a seamstress/artist/I can make anything and sell it kinda person. My good friend is a professional artist. They are everywhere I turn. They are my life. I love my life, it can just get exhausting sometimes.
Like, if one more person at my children's school asks me if I would like to help with the giant project, whip together this sign or be an art docent or can I blah, blah, blah... You get my meaning. Right? Little tiring.
I am me. I am the left side of art. I am my own. Although... my spouse and I are like one person split in two. The right brained one people ooooo and ahhhhhh over and left brained one people can't figure out what I actually do.
The Left Side of Art. That is what I was going to call this blog, or the Other Side of Me. But those were taken... they both would have worked, maybe better, but I came up with Art Widow. Cause, well, over everything else, art is the core of our family. Its how we pay rent, health care, food and extra curricular activities for ourselves and our kids. Art is the never ending game here.
Sports widow, baseball Widow, football widow, art widow. "A woman who must deal with the temporary death of her relationship during a sports season." Only, art is our life and living, so there is no end to my season. The relationship is far far far from dead (excellent and loving husband.) But at no time are we without the all encompassing thing "art." So there are times I feel like an art widow, and I wanted somewhere I could talk about it.
Like, if one more person at my children's school asks me if I would like to help with the giant project, whip together this sign or be an art docent or can I blah, blah, blah... You get my meaning. Right? Little tiring.
I am me. I am the left side of art. I am my own. Although... my spouse and I are like one person split in two. The right brained one people ooooo and ahhhhhh over and left brained one people can't figure out what I actually do.
The Left Side of Art. That is what I was going to call this blog, or the Other Side of Me. But those were taken... they both would have worked, maybe better, but I came up with Art Widow. Cause, well, over everything else, art is the core of our family. Its how we pay rent, health care, food and extra curricular activities for ourselves and our kids. Art is the never ending game here.
Sports widow, baseball Widow, football widow, art widow. "A woman who must deal with the temporary death of her relationship during a sports season." Only, art is our life and living, so there is no end to my season. The relationship is far far far from dead (excellent and loving husband.) But at no time are we without the all encompassing thing "art." So there are times I feel like an art widow, and I wanted somewhere I could talk about it.
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