Is it a myth or the truth that artists used to pay their bills with a work of art? Don't you just think that's a cool idea? Ok Mrs. Dentist, give me my crown and I'll give you this painting. Some day it may be worth several crowns.On her blog, Heaven and Earth, Hanne Matthiesen writes about art money. Art Money? I am fascinated and inspired. I read an article about Art Money in Somerset Magazine. But didn't follow it up. Art money is small (4 3/4" x 7") pieces of art work that can be used as money at various businesses.
You make your art money, post it on the art money site and then people can buy it and use it as money. Or of course keep it as a delightful small work of art. Hanne also makes beautiful books. Check out her Flickr site for photos. With her permission I posted a link to her studio photo in my studio list in the sidebar.
The first three photos are mock-ups of art money I may make. One regret, most of the businesses and travel establishments that accept art money for payment are not in the USA.
My table top. Stuff for art money.
Trying a slightly new bookbinding style. These are covers for four books I want to bind using little metal posts so that people can add more paper or different paper if they want. I still need to glue up the back covers and tear the interior papers. It is very similar to my Japanese sidebound book, but I will not sew the bindings, but as indicated use the posts.They are proceeding verrrrrry slowly.
28 comments:
ART MONEY!
What a fascinating idea! The photos you've shown look like they'd be super art currency to me! Always love the sheet music in a work.
I adore the new book covers you're making,,,those are great papers.Sorry,,,I forgot what I read,,,did you make those papers? Very nice,,,,looks like they're textured.
Hi Babs, the book covers are of mixed origin. The paper on the lower left cover is self-made handmade paper. The paper on the upper right, colorful, is rice paper I decorated myself. The other two papers are purchased handmade paper. You can buy huge sheets of flower infused handmade paper sometimes very cheaply. Paper made in India for example is sold for just a few dollars here. That indicates what a low wage the papermakers are getting over there.
Suki! I love this idea of ART MONEY! You always give me the greatest things to think about and here is another one! I am going to be exploring Hanne's site and thoughts on this subject. I love all of your art money making supplies!
Ohhh, and those books you are making. They look like great journals or photo albums!
i love this idea of art money! i also like your new books. will you be selling them on etsy?
Suki...this art money thing is really interesting. I have signed up for it! My mind is racing...see what you do to me! :)
Suki I enlarged,,,and that paper you made is oh so cool,,I want to touch it!
I too was fascinated about the art money idea, and read it,,,though rather quickly. I thought it said you have to give your bank info,,,and I wasn't into that, so I backed out quickly. Am I wrong?
What a delightful idea. and what delightful art money works of art you have going here.
I will check out your link there.
You do keep us thinking. :)
KIm, I think it would be way cool if there were a way to get more USA businesses to sign up. I am excited about the art money too, but am trying to finish (or at least move on a bit with) the 4 handbound books before I start on gluing up the art money.
Thanks Mary. Yes, most likely will place the new books on the Etsy. I am not timing the making of them. I know my simpler Japanese sidebound books take one hour each. Hard to believe. These take a little longer to make because I cut mat board for the interior bookboard and there is also a hinge and the cutout center part. So what to charge is always my eternal dilemma.
Kim, I guess it is sort of like ATC's only larger. I can't wait to see what you come up with for your art money.
Babs, thanks about the paper. I got out the few pieces of my own handmade paper that I have left and took photos to post soon. Just working with it on the cover made me thirst to make some. But i left all my mold and deckles back in the storage unit. I have purchased a blender however, in prep. You grind the paper, leaves etc up in a blender(one way of many). That "beats" it. Really a blender cuts it. To really beat it you need an expensive device. OR...I have hand beaten fibers with a meat mallet which is great fun and gets out a lot of aggression.
Re: art money. Yes, I too just skimmed the site quickly and looked at the application. They do want your bank info that would be to transfer sales money. I need to go back and look again too. I have already put my checking acct info on line at Paypal and am now just keeping a low balance in the checking acct. I feel a little funny about it too, though with paypal you can give them your credit card # instead, which i don't know if that's any better. But Kim, who says she's slow, has already signed up so she could answer this question better than I at the moment.
Hi Cris. Did you look at Hanne's art money which is the post I'm linking to on her blog. I just love her stuff and find it mega inspirational. Be well, have fun looking out your new window on the bird world.
I love the idea of art money and oh I wish it would catch on here in the U.S. Suki, your art money is really beautiful and your handbound books gorgeous!
Oh Suki, I love this idea! And I love what you are doing with it. Here in Taos we do trades a lot, sometimes for art, somethimes for other talents we have. I am getting photos done of my paintings, in trade for plastering a wall ;-). Not that I know anything about plastering a wall...
Also love the book covers :-).
Suki and Babs, I have not done the bank info thingy. I know we had to do some of this when we lived in England and had to deal with wiring money. My husband handled it all, so I thought I would ask him about it. The other thing I thought might work is if we approached them with the possibility of using paypal. I get paid that way with my other work from abroad. Since so many people already have that, I thought they might be willing to make that decision. Like they say, all we can do is ask.
It just felt right to support the idea, so I just signed up, but didn't commit to the bank thing until I get more information. I will let you know.
Lynette, thanks for stopping by. I lvoe the art money idea too. Thanks for your kind remarks re: the art money layouts and the books in process. You know, I am not a measuring and exacting kind of person, yet I love to bind books. It probably takes me longer than a really handy and or/technical person, but I love the end result.
thanks for all your kind words Annie. Have fun plastering a wall. I mean, how hard can it be? You just slather on the plaster, right??? :) Just kidding. Annie, wow am I psyched as they said in the 60's. I thought you lived in Santa Fe. You are in Taos. Gosh, I love love love taos. I stayed there in that bed and breakfast place made out of tires about 12 years ago. Back then, across the street was a vegetarian restaurant. I sat one afternoon in the Taos library, I do love it. And wanted to look at a little one of those tire houses for sale, but then they said she took it off the mkt. Just last year I was looking at the earthships on the web, some are for sale. I would love one but they are pretty far outside of Taos. I find the mountain haunting, etherial. cool place.
Kim, good idea. sign up but don't do the bank info yet. I think I'll do that. Yes, for some reason I'd feel "safer" doing Paypal although i dont know why. I'll be interested in your husband's take on it.
Why not art money? A friend of mine exchanges her services... um... let me clarify... cleaning services with her dentist.
Okay, so I wrote Art Money to ask about PayPal...they have considered it, but for some reason it doesn't function well for them. So a no go there!
I will ask S. about the wire transfers. My guess is he will be reluctant, but I will let you know. I pick and choose the times I bring these things up after I have assessed his work day (his job is very stressful)! :) How is that for protecting him? Ah, it goes both ways, I am sure.
Chewy, you're so funny. I have always wished I had something to exchange. I had a lot of friends on Cape Cod who were massage therapists and shiatsu practitioners and they were always able to exchange their talents for things. But most often, people don't want a piece of artwork. Although, that said, I just exchanged a collage with someone for one of their artworks. This is unusual for me though.
kIm, thanks for asking at the Art Money site. Well, too bad. Is that what you call the way they work? Wire transfer? I think it's lovely that you assess what kind of day your husband has had, before presenting him with questions. My mom was very protective of my dad and his time. I do think these sorts of things work both ways. Be well, suki
Okay Suki, S said he thought they could only make deposits with the wire transfer, but you still have to give your bank account number. That feels a bit scary for me, personally. S. was not quite so concerned, but he is used to doing these things.
We might be able to contact some of the other artists and ask about their experience. They also only want to pay quarterly or yearly and did you see how many they had at the brick and mortar gallery? Wow!
I still they they will be fun to do and this will sure be fun to watch.
Thanks Suki for this post...I am still excited about it!
And I would trade art with you!
Suki, if you don't mind 4 furry animals and a hard futon, you are welcome to come for a visit. The moutain is magic. There are many things to love here, but like all places, it isn't perfect, if only we had the ocean and a nice sandy beach...:-).
Thanking Kim for the background on the $$ stuff!
I have complete confidence in Paypal,,,,but I don't know enough about this other entity that I'd feel safe giving my info.
Not that I have any money,,,lol,,,
I just think about things like identity theft, etc.
But I DO love the idea of the art money, and trading.
Suki, this is a great post! I wonder how many businesses would even care about art money here in the US? When I had my dog boarding/grooming business I used to trade services with other businesses all the time. I might be able to trade mine for a coffee!
I love your book covers. When I get my traveling sketchbook back with all the artist's pages in it, I should let you bind it for me.
I have three paintings in my home that I took as barter (art money)sometime in the 1970's I believe for work done in a field then when bartering was considered okay/ethical. In my present career it is not. It's interesting to me that since blogging and exposing myself to so much art I suddenly seem to understand the value of these painting much more than I did when I acquired them. I have one more at work and one lives in my daughters home, all from the same artist. I feel very fortunate to have them now.
I of course love all of your art Suki. I think I can see some of the same paper here as is in my handmaiden's cupboard piece, which I call ark of the covenant. ;-) Which you made of course.
oh amazing... loved imagining a world with this currency!
isn't it fabulous when our economical interactions could be full of art!
thanks Suki for introducing art monery to us...
your works were full of life...
love the book covers too... new windows to beauty... and i wonder why squares have got a sense of coziness for me? or perhaps for everyone... ha?
:)
You art money mock-ups look negotiable to me. But why am I not surprised that the concept of art money hasn't caught on in the U.S. as fast as it would in Europe or some other places? We've gotta get everybody to turn the TV off for a while.
And the books are simply beautiful.
I have been wanting to make art money based on a Somerset issue I got long ago. So much fun and very interesting. Add that to the list of 10,000 things I want to do in the next week of creating. Love that it never ends though!
Kim, Thanks again for asking S about this. As i said, I gave my banking info to Paypal. I got wary abt paypal one time re: a strange email I got so I cancelled, but then later signed up again and I now just keep my bank checking acct balance fairly low. But I will begin making money soon and then just see what happens. I can write to Hanne and ask her her experience. See what she says. If by brick and mortar gallery you mean the quantities of art money available at this site, yes I did see it was LOTS. Interesting. Yes, I too am up for trading if I have anything anyone wants to trade for. I don't have a large quantity of stuff. I'm so sloooooooooooooooow.
Annie, what a dear. Well, you never know. I might get out that way again. Thank you. Right now though I'd love to do some traveling I have to stay here to help with Mom, and my sister-in-law seems to be getting closer to the end of her life which is a lot of stress on my brother so I'm helping out more just by being here than any actual activities other than feeding SIL's hummingbird feeders. Anyway, now I can dream of Taos.....
Babs, I love the idea of trading too and of art money. It would probably be way too much work to set up an art money site of our own. What i mean is more work than I'd want to do. I dont like to spend lots of time at the computer.
Katie Jane, thanks for the words on my bookcovers. Dog grooming seems a good talent to trade, lots of people want your services. Also massage therapy. Next time i go to the farmer's market I should offer someone art money and see what happens. Tee hee. That'd be less scary than offering some to say, a doctor.
Lynn thanks for that great bartering story. Well, you were open and eager to barter back then, which allowed that to happen. How wonderful that your appreciation for the artworks has grown in recent years and no doubt the value of the art works monetarily has grown too. Thanks for the kind words about The Arc of the Covenant. I like that title very much. Now I know where it hangs too. On that lovely wall with so many lovely photos and artworks.
Hi human being. Yes, art money as real money would be such fun. And so pretty too. Of course in times gone by people often bartered for things and traded skills amongst each other. But now everyone wants the green back dollar even though it's value here in the US is going down down down.
Thanks for you compliments on the books covers. Could squares be comforting because all sides are the same? I dont know, i never thought about squares that way before. Interesting. You are always thought provoking hb.
thanks san for your kind words re: the books. Yes, here in the US we want either actual dollars or art we think is going to increase in value. Though how people can tell I'm not sure. Still, there is a sort of "underground" thread of folks out there who do barter and trade. Though whether they would want art money rather than say, getting their lawn mowed is another question.
Hi Karen. I saw that Somerset article too. In fact, it was Hanne of Denmark who wrote it. But it wasnt till recently when Hanne made some more art money and posted it on her blog that I really got excited. I've got a number laid out to make although not sure what i'll do with it when its done.
Cool idea art money!
Nice link I enjoyed it!
Your works are lovely (as usual) Love the covers, especially the little flowers. And what is inside the little bag is intriguing. The idea of trading things does exist long, but when you have art to trade you can do it as money. Funny!
Love >M<
thanks Marianne. I'm having fun gluing up some art money now. In the end after binding the books didnt come out as I'd imagined. Still, I havent made any for a long while so have to get back into the "swing" of it.
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