Monday, November 28, 2005

developments

the wizard sent a strange ether message today. he says he has mailed a check and that I should come pick up my work. he has kicked me out. ?? ha. other new wizard maybes have anounced themselves. i think this is all for the best.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

interesting developments FB. Very interesting indeed. I am hoping for the best.

fairy butler said...

i am sitting here somewhat stunned by this latest wizard development. the plot thickens further in that on saturday night arthur, me and the rentals bumped into a wizardling at a restaurant and he said some strange words to me - 'whatever happens with the gallery I hope we can still be friends'. it set me off. why is the world so strange?

if i actually receive the golden coins that is cause for major rejoice. i do not believe until check clears. i also need to think about my ether response to this latest message. odd odd odd. did i screw up? it's fine. i can't trust this guy. it's all fine. ugh.

Anonymous said...

I am hoping that the new wizardlings are more sane FB. If the spell has been broken between you and current wizard then you are probably right in that it is for the best.

Here's to unbouncing checks!

fairy butler said...

honestly, i figured that i would NEVER see this money. Please let it not bounce!

sloth said...

FB, this will surely lead to a new and better situation for you! the Sloth-sense is tingling... good-luck dances are being performed.

sloth said...

Life is an interesting and weird ride, FB. An accomplished and successful artist once told me "we all just muddle along," which made peaceful sense. Even the ones who seem like they have it all together are confused, which is a relief to realize somehow. Confusion is normal.

fairy butler said...

yes, i am a master muddler. as the years pass it does seem more OK to just keep on with this.

Anonymous said...

I am in agreement with the muddling. If I were able to figure it all out, I'd put that insight into a bottle and hide it behind the socks. I'd only take it out occaisionally, because most of the time, muddling is okay. Makes things interesting.

Anonymous said...

FB - Did you see? Tyler Green linked to you today.

Anonymous said...

Good things are ahead for you I am sure! he is a fool. I once lost a gallery wordlessly. I was just taken off the website. unspoken weirdness.
Your beautiful relics deserve a respectful wizard.

fairy butler said...

martin, i just went and found the link. thanks for letting me know. it makes me feel like i should actually write more art reviews on this and less whining/code speak. ugh.

ps. the pillows have safely arrived in richmond. i got a note from oura today. thanks again for the hookup. i hope someone can take a picture or two of the installation in the gallery so i can see (hint, hint)

Mountain Man said...

Hi FB and Arthur. I want to see images of your pillows in Richmond. Hopefully Martin will blog it....more hint!!

sloth said...

Yes, Fairy... tell!

fairy butler said...

the bad wizard sent a check for only one of two relics sold. received it today. the saga continues....

i feel depressed.

sloth said...

AAAAARRGH, FB!!!! That man is unscrupulous to the core. He must be made to suffer!

Anonymous said...

Drag his name through the mud.

fairy butler said...

i know. i still have not emailed back. can't deal. maybe later...

Mountain Man said...

FB, we are in synch. My final check was supposed to have been put in the mail 2 weeks ago. They insist it is due to "holiday mail problems" that I have not received it. Very funny, really.

I hope you can lasso your funds post haste.

fairy butler said...

Goddamned them MM!! I just addressed my "leaving the gallery" email a minute ago. I basically said that i was sorry it didn't work out but there were too many messed up things. Of course i wanted to rip and scrawl and throw around some insults but instead i acted mature. very unsatisfying but for the best - especially since i am still owed money.

MM, you have received the majority of what was owed you though, right? Just the final bit you are still waiting for? somewhat of a relief?

Mountain Man said...

I am still waiting for a check for half of what I'm owed, the half they tried to pretend they didn't owe me. I have deposited 25%. So. Not so great.

I am proud of you for being mature. It's good to have a clean break. Now you can do what you wish without worrying! You will rule the world within days.

fairy butler said...

bad wizard just posted:
"One day you will realize what a mistake you are making."

hilarious. i am emailing again now. a bit nastier but not over the top.

Mountain Man said...

Are you freaking kidding me???? FB! That is insane!!!! He is deranged. A total idiot. I would love to see what you write back.

fairy butler said...

I NO JOKE!!! I am having a hard time figuring out how harsh to be in response. I am thinking of saying: maybe the mistake is yours in how you handled our artist/dealer relationship. period.

fairy butler said...

MM, I thought the bastard man had paid up more than a quarter. he really is a shit. how does this stuff continue to happen? on and on?

Anonymous said...

dunno if its good advice or bad, but here are some links in regard to contracts between artists and dealers. I think having a lawyer on your side negotiating terms of sales before art is sold by "dealers" is a must.

http://www.artsresourcenetwork.org/professional_growth/business_of_art/legal_tax_issues/contracts.asp

ps im tired..who wants to get wasted w/ me?

Anonymous said...

dunno if its good advice or bad, but here are some links in regard to contracts between artists and dealers. I think having a lawyer on your side negotiating terms of sales before art is sold by "dealers" is a must.

http://www.artsresourcenetwork.org/
professional_growth/business_of_art/
legal_tax_issues/contracts.asp

ps im tired..who wants to get wasted w/ me?

Anonymous said...

meh most of those links are broken (lazy non profits :p), sorry; but you get the idea.

fairy butler said...

ok, new message just sent. fearing but greatly anticipating the response. so far i am trying to stay on the high road. it is tough stuff.

fairy butler said...

I am all shaky now.

sloth said...

Courage and calm, Fairy... you are in the right. He has been abusive to you. Perhaps a cocktail?

Anonymous said...

awwww FB. The whole situation sucks. I'm glad you are parting ways with this crapstack of a wizard. I hope spiders fall on this wizard while he sleeps.

The leaving is for the best and new opportunities are definitely around the corner. I can sense them.

fairy butler said...

thanks krix,

i am waiting for the next installment of the email war. i may decline further word battle though. it makes me crazy.

fairy butler said...

wizard is asking for a detailed list of all of his offenses. do i oblige or ignore? he says he does not want to repeat these things.

Anonymous said...

that's a tough question FB. Why is it that the wizard cannot just accept the words "you sold x number of my relics. You owe me x amount. You've paid not x. You owe me the balance."

I'm sure the list doesn't stop there. It sounds like there are more offenses. The wizard does not sound like the person who would take a list of personal faults and try to rectify.

Anonymous said...

I'd call bullshime on the free therapy and wizard-stroking. Isn't he..um 50 or something? I'd go with the past due invoice idea; you sold this for this amount and you owe me this much $.

Anonymous said...

WTF? Can't it just end quietly? That would be my personal preference.....What a weirdo.

What are you going to do?

I received my final check, but I am told I need to call the gallery before I cash it. I have 2 checks to deposit. But what if I don't want to call? What if I never want to speak to anyone there ever again????? RIGHT??????????

Keep us posted on your response to your psycho ex-wizard.

fairy butler said...

i have written a detailed response but have not sent. should i post it here? i have shared it with ham paw already. part of me wants to give him what he asks for just to state my peace. i didn't want to have to do it. but??

fairy butler said...

what lunacy.

fairy butler said...

toodster,
it would be super fun to send a past due invoice every day to the gallery. ha. mm, maybe we could both employ this plan? that is crazy about you having two checks you cannot cash? wtf?

Anonymous said...

Post, FB. Curious.

Anonymous said...

send past due invoices EVERY DAY and employ someone to call like a collection agency.

fairy butler said...

here is what i am thinking of emailing back. i may erase this later today for "saftey reasons." i am going to talk this over with arthur.

Since you asked here are some of the problems:

1. not paying me my portion for sales of artwork within a reasonable timeframe. (within 60 days of sale or final payment from collector seems reasonable) and then avoiding the issue with me when i was not paid. not even offering a portion of the money or a payment schedule or plan. leaving me in the dark about this and making me worry that i was being scammed or taken advantage of.

2. the disorganization and miscommunication involving my show invitation - which ended up beautiful - but i had to run all over town to get the files to the designer last minute, provide a specially photoshopped image myself (luckily i had a friend who was able to help me on the fly). i was then told through email that you decided not to do it - it was very unclear - but then you went ahead. this was confusing to me.

3. at the end of my show it was suggested that you were going to continue it for two more weeks. i brought more work in. then you did not do this - which was fine, but again it was unclear. i didn't know what was going on.

4. fiasco involving pickup of my work when i scheduled and paid for a truck (myself) and no one was there at the gallery. i waited over an hour. gallery was still not open at noon. then I had to reschedule a delivery myself and organize it all again.

5. calls during my show that i should be hanging around the gallery and 'selling' my work. unclear what you wanted me to do. unfortunately, i did not 'come to the table' with a stable of collectors/connections. i don't think that i misrepresented myself but perhaps i was a dissappointment? i ended up feeling partly bad about my show - like it was a failure.

6. talking/complaining about some of the other artists you represent in a negative manner to me (fran mostly). all i could wonder is what are you saying about me when i'm not around?

7. telling me how awful business was. i appreciated your frankness in one way but it made me feel insecure about working with the gallery. I was/am sympathetic but it might be a better idea to not repeatedly say this to the artists you represent.

Overall it was the non-payment issue that sent me over the edge - the constant worry about whether or not i would ever see my portion of sales. I started to question going forward (would i be paid for any future sales if something else did sell?) but I was still kind of seeing what happened. I didn't want to leave and de the "bad, ungrateful artist." Then I received the email from you on Monday nudging me out of the gallery - suggesting that i pick up my work and that you would recommend me to other dealers, etc. I got the point.

My experience was not totally negative though. I was blessed with the opportunity to show with you in your beautiful gallery. I felt my show turned out well (at least on the 'art' end, maybe not business-end) and I thank you for that. I thank you for the sales and the enthusiasm you had for my work - at least in the beginning. In the end I felt that you were disappointed, but I couldn't change the fact that I wasn't reviewed and didn't sell out. I'm sorry if I wasn't the artist you expected.

I think you have a great eye for talent and I wish you the best. I am still waiting for that last $2,000.

-fb

Anonymous said...

FB, I think I would keep it just to the money and say thanks for your enthusiasm for my work...just to be the bigger person, maybe? I think going into all the details may make you too vulnerable to someone who is clearly not on your side. I mean, it would be good for him to know what he did wrong, but not your reactions inside, maybe, not your feelings, because he is too much of an a-hole to have the right to know this stuff. That is my opinion. What does Arthur say?

fairy butler said...

you may be right mm. thanks for reading it. i haven't talked with arthur yet. I will need to think on this one...

maybe he does not deserve any more of my time & attention, you know?

sloth said...

It sounds honest & forthright to me, FB, and maybe something he should know -- but I would change #5 a bit - you undermine yourself by revealing your self-doubts. HE should have been more supportive of YOU. Doesn't he stand behind his artists??? Also, do not apologize at the end. You didn't do anything wrong - you delivered the goods and more. You have no reason for insecurity ... he was lucky to have you!

sloth said...

Maybe more like: "I really regret that things have turned out this way. It makes me sad - I had high hopes for this relationship," etc. etc. Keep yourself in the driver's seat.

fairy butler said...

you are right sloth. i think i am not going to respond at all for a while. or just keep it very short and sweet. while it felt good to write it all out i don't think he deserves to see it in the end. this is the way i am leaning anyway.

Anonymous said...

slothy and MM are wise FB. listen to their councel. Less is always more. I agree with slothy too. You upheld your end of the relationship; you have nothing to apologize for.

Everyone has advice. Here's mine. If you feel like you want to respond for the sake of closure, stick to business and facts. The wizard should know if the way that he handles business with his artists is ambiguous and confusing and inspires a lack of trust. Facts or clear examples will demonstrate that well. MM is right too, though in that the wizard doesn't need or deserve to know that much about your vulnerable points.

Mountain Man said...

The committee on FB's wellness has spoken!!!! I agree with Krix and Sloth. I hope you are feeling better FB. You are above it all.

Happy Friday,

MM

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