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I Hate Math

This is what is brewing in my studio right now...

I'm in the midst of a new piece and I'm working with some very time consuming techniques and effects on this one. Each painting has to challenge me more than the last. I hate just cranking things out at the same level as the last one. What's the point? That's not climbing up the mountain that's playing around on the elliptical machine.
(each section is painted and then "feathered out" with a dry brush technique to make it soft)

So today I was thinking about how time consuming these were, how many new paintings I need to make for some upcoming opportunities, how many I will need to make to turn around now to make rent and bills and how much I charge for my work. I hate math. I really do. 
Let's say I have been charging $400 for a piece that is 24" x 24". And Paypal will immediately take out about $15 of that. $385 and let's deduct the price of canvas and paint which if it was on sale might be about $40. $345 is what we're looking at and I haven't been charging sales tax on my Texas sales which is... I don't wanna know how much this is going to bite me in the arse. So it's time to get straight and proper with the IRS in the mix and I'm going to have to start adding my sales tax into the price like a good self employed artist. And buffering that Paypal fee. So if you see a small hike in price it's not me trying to be Miss Snooty Patootie, it's me trying to not screw myself and get into trouble I can't afford. I wish I could just paint and let someone else handle the numbers, really!
It is my goal this year to get all my pricing down straight finally and not sell myself short yet still be affordable to my friends and collectors. Ah the art market, so strange and foreign to me still!
This new piece is in the works and I will reveal a little more when it's farther along. So much work to do, so many opportunities to try to grab!
Have a great Saturday everyone! Condolences to everyone messing around with their taxes right now! :P


Comments

  1. UnknownApril 29, 2014 at 1:34 PM

    Rent, bills and taxes – those are why we should learn to appreciate Math, no matter how unlikely it is. Grown up stuff are most about calculations, measurements and dealing with digits that has significant impact in our lives, so might as well learn to embrace it while you were young. Sarah @
    GradePower Learning

    ReplyDelete

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