Welcome to Nick's dining room table. (2 Viewers)

[nickderry]

I suppose my web shop is my website, where some of my stuff is for sale - the problem in France is that when you sell things, you must declare it all and then give 20% to the government, and then possibly have to pay business tax on top of that - or at least that's what most things seem to tell me - I'm trying to find a way of selling legally without working for almost nothing.

Got up and out very early this morning to have a look round Pagney - nice surprises in the form of two reeling Groppers showing very well, the Woodchats with 2 young out of the nest and other goodies in the form of Hoopoe, Red-legged Partridge, Wryneck and Green Sandpipers.

 

[nickderry]

the wryneck was very well behaved - hardly moving for a good ten minutes! The partridge was a France tick - one had been reported from the site for weeks, I finally found its field, with a Hoopoe on the opposite side of the road.

 

[phil baber]

Fabulous loose sketching!

That "Woodchatling" being fed is superb! Surely a painting there. Love the Hoopoe explosions, Gropper and the rest! Marvellous stuff Monsieur!

 

[colleenc]

awesome stuff Nick ....maybe 80% of something is better than none...:-C

 

[timwootton]

For *hrist's sake, Nick - can't you just give it a fecking rest!!!!!! These make me feel like I'm trying to draw using my left foot with all the toes broken - and I'm no Christy Brown. Absolutely out of this world!

 

[solitaryVSong]

For *hrist's sake, Nick - can't you just give it a fecking rest!!!!!! These make me feel like I'm trying to draw using my left foot with all the toes broken - and I'm no Christy Brown. Absolutely out of this world!

I was about to quote someone else, then saw that Tim had added his passionate comment. I have to agree Just extraordinary. I sort of wish I'd put up my own sketches from today before I looked at these. On the other hand they're a constant inspiration. The looseness is not to be believed, and Im sure it's looseness based on hard-earned observation and practice.

I know what you mean about selling stuff. The wasted time I spend trying to comply with all the tax laws here, fed, state, and city, for my measly sales is hardly worth it. In fact I vowed to hire an accountant after last year, but then that's one more expense taken away from the sales price. You might think that there's a conspiracy to prevent anyone making a living from their art. But as Colleen says, 80%, or 70% or whatever is better than nothing.

 

[orniodesigns]

Nick! Those costs ant taxes are just part of professional artist life. I counted that when I sell painting in gallery I will get 40% maximum for me. You just have to put price in a level where you are happy to that 40%. If I can sell the painting by my self I ofcourse will have more when there is no gallery taking its share.

Buyers know that you have to pay taxes.

 

[nickderry]

Nick! Those costs ant taxes are just part of professional artist life. I counted that when I sell painting in gallery I will get 40% maximum for me. You just have to put price in a level where you are happy to that 40%. If I can sell the painting by my self I ofcourse will have more when there is no gallery taking its share.

Buyers know that you have to pay taxes.

This is very true. It's not so much the amount I get after all deductions that is the problem, it is more the fact that the French system was so complicated to understand (it was a new system I was in) and the people I had to deal with were so inefficient and incompetent, it got to the point where I didn't want to paint. Every time I phoned them with a question, they couldn't answer. When I moved house, I phoned to ask which forms I had to fill in to do this, first they said that they couldn't inform me over the phone, second time I phoned, they told me to write a letter, when I'd written the letter which was ignored I went to see them where they finally gave me the form, then when I tried to login to declare anything I'd earned for that month I discovered they hadn't changed my address at all. When I phoned them again they wanted to know what I'd done with all my employees and why I hadn't declared their salaries!!! I receive letters for taxes I've never heard of (then two weeks later something to say I'm exempt from that for the year). I had to change my social security from the one I pay most of my taxes to (with my real job) to one that is paid for by the sale of two or three paintings a year. I've now packed it all in (as have many that set up their own 'micro business') and I'll go and visit the tax people in the week to ask their advice on what system I should be in. It woudn't be so bad to pay charges on what I earn if they actually went to something better than an institution whose mission in life is to lose documents and drink coffee. :C

Ah, feels a little better to get that off my chest.

 

[username]

GGGrrrr....time for an angry face icon...:C

I dunno Nick...you try and do the right thing and all the authorities do is tie your creative hands up with red tape...[makes me friggin well when i hear such stories]...!
Things could and should be made simpler for folk who, at the end of the day, are just trying to make some sort of living out of the talents they have...

My reaction is 'stuff em'....B

ps...minor rant over...[i feel better now]....:t:

 

[phil baber]

That's seriously f**ked up! I had the same probs with the UK system when I was freelance cartoonist/illustrator for a number of years. Ended up living on a boat in the end and not in a romantic way! So I get to use 3 of these...:C:C:C
So what's a decade of your life down the drain? A long story, but not one I will divulge here! So I completely empathise...:-C

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Brilliant sketching Nick

 

[nickderry]

That's seriously f**ked up! I had the same probs with the UK system when I was freelance cartoonist/illustrator for a number of years. Ended up living on a boat in the end and not in a romantic way! So I get to use 3 of these...:C:C:C
So what's a decade of your life down the drain? A long story, but not one I will divulge here! So I completely empathise...:-C

I wish I was more business minded, to be able to understand it all, but alas - I'm an artist with no head for such things. I don't understand why selling the odd picture here and there should be any different to selling my old clothes on eBay. They're both the sale of materials that I've left stains on. In any case, I think I've now got onto something as regards what financial statute I should affiliate myself with (I DO want to do all this legally and correctly, I'm not a criminal at heart, but when the system makes my decent actions criminal - well I don't know what (little queeny dramatic moment there). For anyone who's interested and wants to practice their French this is a link to what I've found on the subject - somewhere in there it tells me that artists aren't eligible for the regime I was under for the past two years!!!)

http://www.apce.com/pid601/artiste-auteur.html


anyway, enough of these silly things, bloody money - makes me sick - I'll go and upload my paintings from last night and move on. :t:

 

[nickderry]

things with wings and sunflowers, positively Mediterranean feel to yesterday.

 

[RussB]

I can't ever see me being in the position of flogging paintings so I'll pass on the business side of things and concentrate on the fine art work. Great to see superb sketchwork, again. That Wryneck is masterly done - I love the simpicity of how you've portrayed that complex plumage pattern. So too are the shrike juvvies - wonderful. Stonkingly good green sands, too, captured in your distinctive voluminous way!

I'm ready to get out in the field!

Russ

 

[solitaryVSong]

things with wings and sunflowers, positively Mediterranean feel to yesterday.

That's the antidote Nick! I' m like you. I'd like to follow the law. But the complexity of taxes makes it almost impossible to do even if you want to. But no more talk on that on a beautiful day like today.

I'm particularly taken with the last one, and the way the birds are so well hidden. But I like them all. That first one looks almost sculpted.

 

[phil baber]

Pow! An exploding Hoopoe! Just what I wanted!
A disappearing Bee-Eater...very clever!
And the Woodchatling being fed under sunflowers...fine composition (and gives an impression of just how small Shrikes are...in my youth I thought they were as big as crows!:eek!
Bold, brash, and beautiful all! With an underlying gentle subtleness soothing it all down...
These have made getting up today positively worthwhile!:t:

 

[orniodesigns]

Great paintings again!

I know how frustrating it can be. For me it has been great help to find fellow artists who have managed do arrange things before me. They have been able to give right information. I hope you will find someone who knows how it goes. One funny thing: I sell art works with 3 different VATs. 8% if someone buys painting, 0% if there is only first time licencing and 23% when there is more than paintings (texts, visual desing and so on). Anf other taxes on top of this.

You have great possibility to sell more than one painting now and then...

 

[Strandman]

You have great possibility to sell more than one painting now and then...

nicely understated!

what a privilege to see the woodchat series develop: that chatling is scalier than a serpent

 

[Phil Carter]

So much detail with so little detail...I don't get it. Marvellous stuff!

Phil

 

[halftwo]

I wish I was more business minded, to be able to understand it all, but alas - I'm an artist with no head for such things.

Well, thank the Lord for that, Nick. I know which talent I'd rather.

Anyway, if I wanted one of those wonderful paintings or sketches how would I go about it?