2011 Wrap Up

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, as much fun as I had over the past year, I'm kinda glad it's over. Full of ups and downs 2011 was. I turned 40 (!), Jason lost his job, art sales and commissions were practically non existent. But this blog isn't about bitching, it's about celebrating. So lets go through the better parts :)

Wu Tang at the Wilber Theater, Boston

What better way to start off a show season with Wu Tang (if you want a great drinking game, go to a Wu show and drink every time they mention Ol Dirty Bastard... you'll be silly in no time!) Other shows included Mastodon, Deftones, Helmet, the reunion of Honkeyball, Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Clutch, Wrought Iron Hex (which is J's band and probably one of the best things to come out of 2011) Gut, All Dinosaurs, Ella Riot, Sherman Burns (another 2011 discovery!) the Lepers, the Kills, Corrosion of Comformity, Taiwan Typhoon (so freakin' awesome) Motorhead, Twilight Singers, Planetoid, X, Gozu, Explosions in the Sky, Give Up, White Denim, Rival Schools, Doomriders, Opeth, Helmet, Black Thai, Karma to Burn, Beneath the Stone and Black Helicopter. Of course there were more, I just don't remember your names LOL... Yes, as you know love watching live music. For 2012 I'm already have tickets to Mission of Burma, Tool and the Kills.. Love this town. :)

Chester's front yard February 2011

If you were in the northeast this past winter of 2011, I don't have to tell you the obscene amount of snow we received. Jason and I spent a lot of weekends going to Chester and working on maintaining feed for the deer that were there. Cutting small trees so that they can eat the browse is mostly what we did. There were times I was stuck in snow drifts up to my hips. And living in the city with no driveway wasn't all that fun either. I hoping that this year won't be so nasty, but we've only just begun!

Shed Antler found in Boxford MA

If you don't know, white tail deer drop their antlers every winter after the mating season is over. Jason and I will go out looking for them in the woods every year from March to May. They don't last as rodents will eat them for the calcium and they are difficult to find. J's been on a roll lately and will usually find them all where I find none... until this year! I wandered down to the swamp on my parents property and finally found my first shed! I also had about 7 tics on me too. Gross.




Me and Heidi at Black Thai, April 2011

2011 and Heidi. Unfortunately, one of my closest friends has gone and moved to LA. She got a job offer she couldn't refuse. We made some serious waves in 2011 together. Best of luck, H. Love you.






Dead Leaf & Stick



16x20 Acrylic




I really started to explore more acrylic this past year and this piece I think was the best that came out of the experimentation. This will also be on exhibit at the Turners Falls Discovery Center in December 2012 and January 2013. Santa Tracy also bought me some water based oil paints for Christmas and I'm so excited to use them!!



Me, June 2011

So in Feb 2011, I was accepted into the Cambridge Y Weight Challenge. Like Biggest Loser, except instead of measuring pounds lost, this was measured for fat percentage lost. I came in second with 14lbs of fat lost, 8 lbs of muscle gained and went down from a size 12 to an 8. I had always been going to the gym, turns out I just was eating the wrong things at the wrong time of day. I felt like I broke a secret code and couldn't be happier. I mean, look at those biceps!! I'm so much stronger and feel so much better now. The only thing I've really stopped eating is potato chips and heavy beers (ie. Sierra Nevada). Bud lights and/or Crown Royal from now on! LOL



Glacier National Park Montana
June 2011







Me and J

GNP June 2011



So, this past June I turned 40 and Jason and I celebrated by making a trip to the Northern part of Montana. It was a great trip and it was made better by being with the love of my life! The whole trip was a "constant upgrade" from our rental car, lodging and we managed to see some grizzly bears. I can't tell you how badly I want to go back!!



My Boots!
Nothing significant, just love a good leopard print :)











My Art at the Douglas Paul Real Estate Office

Allston MA

Unfortunately, the selling of art and commissions wasn't that great in 2011. So, I focused energies elsewhere and was able to hang my work in the Douglas Paul real estate office for the Allston Art walk that happened in September. I also met some people like Alana Olsen, the head of the Allston Villages program, who are working hard to clean up and culture our little neighborhood. I also became heavily involved in the Allston Open Studios and hope these efforts will make Allston less like a drunken college town and more like a funky hip place where people can see art and hear music. This is an ongoing effort for sure!

My space at the Allston Open Studios

November 2011



Lucy and her portrait

Lucy's owner Chris C was the winner of my gift certificate for a 5x7" pet portrait that I donated to PBRC (Pit Bull Rescue Center) She sent me this picture after the holidays and I love it! Lucy's such a good dog!

So I'm excited for 2012. I've always felt that the "even" years tend to be a bit tamer than the odd ones so,

Here's to 2012

May it be the best year yet!

Tax Time

"Llamas"

5"x7" watercolor & colored pencil

It's tax time. Time to assess the damage my little hobby has caused over the year. I call my art a hobby because my accountant suggested it the last time I saw him. About 4 years ago, I thought, I'm going legit with this Art Career. I kept most of my receipts and when I went to the guy he gave me a list of lists of all the things that I could claim as a business. Well, the following year I did and came up as a loss. Of course. Look at all the things I was buying to keep the art careeer going: art fair fees, frames, brushes, a percentage of gas and repairs to the van, etc. Well, this went on for a couple of years and I have to admit that I am a better watercolor artist than a watercolor sales person because year after year.. loss loss loss. Then he suggested that I should call this a hobby. Because the IRS will start doing it and not let me itemize my deductions. At the time, I was insulted! How dare he, or better, the government, call my dream a hobby! It's a passion! A love -not a hobby.

But then this past week, the Canine Art Guild started talking about making your art your business. Tax id's, the laws that differ from state to state and all that. There's a user there who also runs artcareerexperts.com and had this to say (which hit home with me):

"There is nothing magical with the word "business". So many artists feel that they must justify this somehow. It does not happen overnight and I have to constantly remind artists that it is hard work. It is a state of mind. Combining creativity and business is also a state of mind and you will be unsuccessful if you cannot switch gears to accept and embrace what needs to be done. Do you need a have or use a sales number in order to sell the occasional painting? No. But you sure do if your going to collect any sales tax on that painting. Sales tax is not included in your gross profit. You are temporarily holding it for the state. And often artists rush out and get a sales/tax number and they are surprised to find themselves paying a fine at some point because they had a month of no sales and forgot to send in a report (any way). Keep this whole thing in perspective. There is no need for an artist to "Justify" her expenses to anyone. Not her friends, not her spouse, not her relatives. Art is no more expensive than golf, video games, gardening, fishing, or any other hobby one chooses to have. Only in art does one's husband (and I see this with women ALL the time) say "You should sell this, Honey, and make some money!" Well, why doesn't he take his fish to the market and pay for the boat? Or his golf score last week on Ebay? You see my point. So relax. Only when you find your sales regular and "real"* should you even consider going the business route. Regardless of all the easy ways to sell your art that experts all over the Internet are selling or advertising, use plain old common sense. There is no such thing as an easy business. Art and business can be fun, excited and stimulating but only if you accept the mindset and your sales justify this decision. Now go have fun at your easel and don't be pressured into a premature decision."

*Although I have to ask, what is REAL sales vs. non-real sales?

So I will claim again this year my art as a hobby. I'm not upset, less paper work for me.

Incidentally all paintings on my website are up for sale. When was the last time you were there? :)

http://www.thepedigreeartist.com