Posts tagged taxes

Tweek!

0

twitter.jpg

I have been in a mad dash to finish my latest piece and hope to be in the final stages this week — but I did find time to tweet quite a bit. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves — or hit the icon in the upper right above the menu. A link for my Facebook Page is there too.

In preparation for tax day, Hyperallergic shares a list of countries with far more progressive tax systems for artists than the US.
“Tax Tips for Artists” Just finished filing my taxes — it’s a shame I don’t live in a more forward thinking country.

You just have to see this to believe it. Someone took an old typewriter and replaced the keys with pigments.
A typewriter that paints — I want one.

Yet another Banksy siting — this one on the wall of a youth club in Banksy’s hometown in the UK. Unfortunately, the owners have moved the artwork and plan to profit on the piece — Banksy’s intentions unknown.
RT @mymodernmet: Update on Mobile Lovers: Man who removed Banksy artwork says he has been issued with death threats

I appreciate a good argument for the gray areas of life — and this article looks at the different sides of photojournalism: Is it art? Is it right to profit from the sale of pictures that you take as a photojournalist, or does that mean that you’re profiting from exploiting your subjects for money?
“The art of photojournalism – Art – How To Spend It” Is documentary photography art & is it moral to sell it for big$

This is another gray area of life. As a Christian, I have my own points of view. I’ll let you review the article to develop your own opinions.
“Sculpture of Homeless Jesus Sparks Controversy” how art fits into the larger scheme of religious org’s &at what cost

Beyond the pain of seeing the death of yet another brick and mortar bookstore, is it right to hasten the demise of a business in an architecturally historic building in order to tear it down for big money modern condos?
“The Last Gasps of Rizzoli Bookstore” “greed=the destruction of our architectural heritage”

I retweeted this graphic as a reminder of recommended sizes for Facebook pics (banners, profile pics, album uploads, etc.).
RT @abstanfield: All Facebook Image Dimensions: Timeline, Posts, Ads [Infographic] – Jon Loomer Digital

As a non-MFA artist, I would (of course) argue that art schools are not necessarily to best way to learn.
RT @ArtsyShark: Are Art Schools the best way to learn?

100 Years of Solitude is one of my favorite books. When I heard of the death of the author this week, I realized that I have missed out on all of his other works (although I’m fairly certain I’ve also read Love in the Time of Cholera).
“Gabriel García Márquez, Conjurer of Literary Magic, Dies at 87” author of 100 Yrs of Solitude

My mom, who is an impressionist painter, and I have talked many times over the years about the problems with donating your artwork. This blog post by Kate Vrijmoet covers all the reasons why it isn’t a good idea.
RT @abstanfield: The broader economic implications of donating your art via

I’ve seen work by this Russian photographer before — the pictures that she takes of her children are truly special.
Elena Shumilova – Russian Mother Takes Amazing Portraits of Her Two Kids with Animals

Tweek!

0

twitter.jpgThis has been a busy week. I’m frantically trying to finish my current piece so it will be ready in time for a specific exhibition entry deadline. As of Friday, it is almost ready to be pinned for quilting. There is just a little bit of stabilizer on the back I intend to rip before I sandwich it.

BUT — I did find time to keep up with what’s going on in the world and managed to find some nuggets to share with other Creatives. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves — or check out the social media icons in the upper right hand corner above the menu. You’ll find a link to my Facebook Page there too.

Vivian Maier is the photographer recently discovered who made pictures throughout her life but didn’t share them with anyone. I have a certain fascination with her because one of her pictures, recently published, shows a woman in New York that is almost certainly my great grandmother. This article covers a documentary of her life, following Maloof, the Chicago historian who bids on a trunk of film negatives at auction, through what has been discovered about Maier’s personal life.
“Finding Vivian Maier” a fascinating documentary about mysterious street photographer @ArtsATLcom http://tinyurl.com/kqlxafx 

When I was a teenager, my mom and I would travel frequently to New York. On every trip, mom would take me down to Chinatown to browse the aisles of Pearl Paint. To think that they are selling their iconic store is truly saddening.
“Iconic Downtown Art Supply Store Imperiled by Sale” My mom used to take me here when I was a teenager. http://feedly.com/e/sBUQ1vxQ 

As a skeptic, I found the argument in this book review truly compelling. The analogy of a swimmer being helped by the hidden current — and then being hindered by it when swimming in reverse makes the point perfectly obvious. Biases are part of our social fabric and work like hidden currents, helping or hindering our progress.
“The Hidden Brain: How Ocean Currents Explain Our Unconscious Social Biases” http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/brainpickings/rss/~3/5QsM8WlE80M/ 

I reported about six months ago on billboards in Europe holding masters paintings and lamented that we could not have that same exposure to good art here in the US. Now we will.
“National Exhibition Will Fill US Billboards with Art” — just like they’ve had in Europe! Yay! http://feedly.com/e/K6pm3Dd4 

I was flipping through Hyperallergic and came across this article about George Dureau, a photographer from NO that recently passed. Although the majority of his pieces are homoerotic — not a particular subject of interest for me — I truly wanted to weep at the mastery of some of photographs. He obviously developed a very caring relationship with his subjects and that affection comes across in his work.
“Remembering George Dureau” Provocative art — but his photography is amazing. He will be missed. http://tinyurl.com/k7vyzql 

This group of inspirational photographs is captioned by a pic of a young girl smoking a cigarette. It’s like a car accident — you can’t look away even though you know at its heart that it’s wrong — and truly, it pulls you in and makes a story develop for you, the viewer. Most all of these photos are equally compelling.
“The 60 Most Powerful Photos Ever Taken That Perfectly Capture The Human Experience” http://tinyurl.com/kr9lx78  @Distractify

I’m currently finishing up my taxes and was mesmerized by this article about how Mexico taxes artists. Rather than ask for money, they ask for artwork that is then stored, some of which becomes part of the national heritage collection. No valuation of the pieces are made — if a certain number of sales are made, the government asks for one piece — if more are sold, they ask for more pieces. Artists hope to be included in the national collection so they are motivated to provide good pieces for their donations.
What a great idea! “In Mexico, Artists Can Pay Taxes With Artwork” http://tinyurl.com/qa9nodj  @TheAtlantic

Tweek!

0

twitter.jpgA frigid week but a good one for reading. Here are all of my tweets for the week.

If you’d rather follow my tweets in real time, I’m @vsgreaves or hit the Twitter icon in upper right above the menu. The Facebook icon is next to it & will take you to my Facebook Page where I post about my studio and what I’m working on.

I’m developing almost a study on what art is more likely to sell. There is not as much published on this subject as I would like:
The Most Popular Subjects For Art That Sells http://artyfax.squidoo.com/popular-art-that-sells 

Another artist had put this pic of a painting on her blog. It was painted by John Baldessari 1966-1968 and looks more like a modern day JPG — but it’s actually a painting — and it offers some suggestions for subject matter:
“Tips for Artists Who Want To Sell” by John Baldessari http://tinyurl.com/lzw53j6 

Is it OK to make work that is not that good? Of course! It takes time for your work to match your taste. You need to make a large volume of work to close the gap.
In Just 2 Minutes, This Video Will Make You Feel Silly For Ever Having Doubted Yourself http://huff.to/1exd3ki  via @HPGoodNews

I am beginning to contemplate my taxes and my successes of last year have some bearing on what I might need to do differently on my taxes. This list gives some helpful tax advice for artists.
Great tax info, checklists, and worksheets for #artists http://www.artstaxinfo.com/artists.shtml RT @abstanfield

It’s hard to miss the coverage of the Winter Olympics going on now in Sochi — and there was an incredible moment last week when Shaun White DIDN’T win a medal — and came out a real winner:
“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.” RG Ingersoll http://tinyurl.com/laxwsa7

There was also an female snowboarder at the Olympics who used a board with an artist’s work on the back:
“Artist Judith Braun Finds Her Work Part of an Olympic Medal Win” http://feedly.com/e/v8qAvERD 

This was yet another example of a corporation taking an independent’s artist’s work and using it on their products without prior agreement — very similar to what happened to Lisa Congdon. The end of the story, however, is good news — JCPenney has given the artist a contract to pay her for license of her work:
Winnipeg artist’s work taken from website, sold at J.C. Penney http://tinyurl.com/pdvw4md  via @DaleAnnePotter

 

Go to Top