[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest              Friday, 4 December 1998      Volume 05 : Number 363

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Don Furst <furstd@UNCWIL.EDU>
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 10:54:36 -0500
Subject: [Baren 2241] Re: Expressions Graphics Small Print Show 

Congratulations to April Vollmer! I just received my Winter 98 issue of the
English journal Printmaking Today, which this time is focusing on relief
printmaking.  April has a handsome two-page spread, complete with a color
reproduction, in which she succinctly and clearly describes her work in
"moku hanga."  Well done! 

------------------------------

From: "Roger A. Ball" <beckorro@inquo.net>
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 09:05:35 -0700
Subject: [Baren 2242] Record keeping 

Dave said, 
>for ten years now, I know how many sheets
>of paper I've bought, how many were used for each print, to which
>collector each print was sent, when it was sent, when it was paid for ...

Well, I'm at a point of wondering about this.  I used to track everything
this closely as well--it drove me *$(&@#! nuts keeping it up.  I decided to
hell with record keeping entirely except cost/profit.  To think that it
will matter 10 years from now who got print #3 of the second run of woodcut
'x' seems silly when the upkeep of such records would vex Job.  Are there
reasons that this kind of data would help down the line that I'm not
seeing??  --I will say I'm very in favor of tracking the profitability of
the endeavor, however.  Is everyone else tracking each and every bleeding
print?

I'm also about to decide to _not_ number my prints.  Some of my thoughts:
record-keeping, yes--but also stuff like, the false sense any numbering
scheme gives the collectors or the fact that the bottom number is an
artificial limit or goal.  I mean, you and I know that #1 of 20 is probably
not better than #13 but collectors have different ideas.  Anybody out there
just use a _single_ number?  At this point I guess that seems more
appealing than a) no number or   b) a # of a #.  
I do have such a number (the true print # in order from the start) already
in pencil on the back upper corner of every print...I guess I could use
that to track even if I don't number on the front.  Your thoughts/rants?

Just got my paper/brushes/pigments from Dan Smith.  Finishing CARVING the
last block of five over the next few days.  Doubt I'll get to proof even by
this weekend, though.  We'll see.

Cheers fer now,

- -Roger
http://www.inquo.net/~beckorro/woodcut/woodcut.htm

------------------------------

From: Elizabeth Atwood <elizuno@midcoast.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:01:00 -0400
Subject: [Baren 2243] Record keeping 

Thanks to Graham and David for the info on record keeping. This is one area
of knowledge that has always been in short supply for artists.

My records predate the use of the computer.......I have always kept a large
card file....with several checking account books to cover the monetary
history. My many other records I have been keeping on the Claris
works....but suspiciously convert everything to disk.

Question for Graham....could one switch over to the new Appleworks without
redoing their files.......did you do that?.....

ElizAtwood

------------------------------

From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 09:54:51 -0800
Subject: [Baren 2244] Re: Record keeping 

.ElizAtwood wrote....
>Question for Graham....could one switch over to the new Appleworks without
>redoing their files.......did you do that?....

What are you switch over from.....?

Graham

------------------------------

From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 09:59:57 -0800
Subject: [Baren 2245] Re: Record keeping 

ElizAtwood wrote....
>Question for Graham....could one switch over to the new Appleworks without
>redoing their files.......did you do that?.....

AND I did not read your posting when I sent the first e-mail. Sorry about
that..

Yes you can easily open a ClarisWorks with AppleWorks.  Fundamentally the
same program with more tots and whistles....

Open Appleworks and then open your document.   Presto..... Have fun.

Graham

Take care of the means...........  and the end will take care of itself.

------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 10:00:46 +0900
Subject: [Baren 2246] Re: Record Keeping 

Roger asked - re record keeping:
> Are there reasons that this kind of data would help 
> down the line that I'm not seeing??

I have two reasons (aside from whatever personality 'quirks' that make
me want to keep things orderly ...).

The first is the legal requirement - to keep 'adequate' records for tax
purposes.  I operate as a proprietorship, and am legally bound to
maintain fairly detailed records.  The tax people don't care 'who got
print #3 of the second run of woodcut 'x'', but they _do_ want to be
able to see that the number of prints that I have declared sold sort of
matches up with the amount of supplies that I buy.  

Self-employed people like myself are well-known here as being the worst
kind of tax evaders, and I want to make very sure that I keep things
clean and straight.

The second reason is more general.  Good record keeping is part and
parcel of running an organized (and successful) business.  I mentioned
some figures in my previous posting (prices down 40%, costs down 50%,
etc.) and those numbers were not just randomly plucked out of the air. 
I have spent many hours poring over spreadsheets, trying to balance
projected income/expense calculations.  Without good and detailed
records of my past activity, I would be completely at sea for projecting
future plans.

I know that my washi cost was 8.96% of last year's income, postage costs
were 4.11%, part time workers ran at 7.82%, the newsletter accounted for
4.67%, etc.etc. With this sort of data on hand, I can make sensible
plans for the coming year.

Yes, it's sometimes a bit troublesome, but everytime I start to grumble
to myself about it, I remind myself that this is a very small price to
pay for the personal freedom I enjoy - getting up in the morning
(_every_ morning!) and not having to go out to a job.  

Dave

P.S.  Don wrote about:
> the Winter 98 issue of the English journal Printmaking Today

Don or April,
Can we see this 'on-line' anywhere?

------------------------------

End of Baren Digest V5 #363
***************************