Looming financials and quality control for artists

Its "Decembeard" now so I have to option to shave off the "Movember" moustache (pictures below). And I've got to pay rent for both my studio and my house. They cost nearly the same, and though I need a place to eat, sleep and shower, I'm starting to thing it's not the studio that's expensive, well it is, but maybe it would be better if I could sleep on the floor a few months saving me a couple thousand dollars.

At least I make paying it out kinda fun! I spent the better part of yesterday battling my bank who has been putting holds on my business account on all my cheques causing quite the problem and expense. Then today my other bank calls me......

You know you are an artist when you get a call from the bank, and you are so relieved that they dialed the wrong number, phew!

On a lighter note, a friend calls me for some advice and asks me "Why the hell aren't you a millionaire by now?" My reply is "I'm wondering the same thing". So I asked my lady friend, who told me its not so hard (she's half way there and 4 years younger).....
She replied: "You have what it takes. You just need to reach a wider audience, meet more (rich) people, network more."

SMART GIRL!

Now how do I do that....(better) ?!

Here are some pics from the latest group exhibition I was a part of "Outside the box" (see previous posts) where I showed my "Wheel of Deluded Existence"

I show like crazy, work my butt off, sleep fast an am very amiable. My work may take 100 hrs. to create and I use the highest quality paints and supports I can as I work towards being an international quality artist. My ducks are lining up and I'm not giving up. At times, I hit the wall and realize how difficult this dream can be to follow. Fact: Van Gogh never sold a painting in his life. But there is so much wealth and opportunity around. There must be something I'm missing.

Here I am pictured with another painter, Ted "the hat" Mayer

Tyler (one of my QAS - After Effects students) and his cutie pie in the gallery as the show is closing.

Julia Burns and I talking shop.

Doing lots of shows is good. You have to have enough work stored up to keep on going. Especially if you want to progress and evolve, you have to keep at it and continue making stuff, continue improving, continue taking chances which at times means constant failing. Last night I was sketching while watching Lord of The Rings. The sketches were abysmal failures, really bad. I told my roommate, that they were so bad I'll have to rip the page out. He said "can you do that?". I replied "Hell yeah I can!" It happens rarely, but at times it must be done. I have no quarrels with ripping out pages of bad drawings in sketchbooks, stripping the canvas off a stretcher and beginning anew, or even burning the work, I don't like, to ashes. Its my form of quality control =;)