New Idea...

[bethofalltrades]

I had the urge, the other night, to get on a plane and go somewhere.

I can't, because all my credit cards are maxed out from the last time I got on a plane and went somewhere.

I don't regret London. Going to London on a moment's notice was one of the best decisions I ever made. But my financial instability has started to weigh heavily on me.

So, I give you:

The Romantic Travel Fund(raiser)

1.) For those of you who want something totally unique, I have a proposition. For a limited time, for $50 I will go out and MAKE ART for you. You can give me general guidelines (a topic, a mood, a color) or not. I will take a photograph for you, retouch it, have it printed and mounted on matboard, sign and send it to you. It will be numbered 1/2. You will have one print, I will keep the other. No others will ever exist. This seems cool to me.

2.) Below the cut are ten of my favorite photos ever. I am selling signed 8x10 prints of these images, mounted on matboard, for $25 (including shipping).

3.) Send me $5 and I will send a surprise 4x6 or 5x7 print to you. You'll have no idea what it will be until it arrives.

I have no idea if this is going to work, but I know one thing: I want to click the shutter in New Orleans soon. So let's try.


1. Red


2. Cello


3. Ripples


4. Kitchen


6. Palms


7. Bicycle


8. Torso


9. Provincetown


10. East Village Van


11. Murder


12. Key




So, to recap:

Option 1 - TOTALLY ORIGINAL ART:

Option 2 - Choose an 8x10:

Name of Desired Print

Option 3 - Surprise Print!:

Love,
Beth

Comments

[researcher.livejournal.com]

Done!

Honestly, I've meant to buy some of your art for a long, long time, and had never gotten around to it. So now, damnit, I have.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

You are too sweet. (((love)))

[http://users.livejournal.com/retrospection_/]

you know. I'm in a weird money place too. I was thinking about charging, but that isn't the point of this story.

The point is to say I read you post 2 times before I realized you wrote you will "MAKE ART" for people for 50 bucks and not "MAKE OUT" with people, which I what I read.

I was like, damn, she can charge 50 bucks for makeouts? I missed out on something serious good in college.

I love you.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

I can't believe we never made out.

$50 for a makeout with me is CHEAP, yo. That's WITH the friends and family discount. (... and family? ew.)

I love you too. Will you be in Pittsburgh just after Thanksgiving?

[rahien.livejournal.com]

Question, how does option 3 apply when you live in another country? I'm in Australia and I wouldn't want you paying more to ship it here than you actually make off it. Thx <3

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

You know, I hadn't thought of that. Add in an extra $10 and I'll send it anywhere.

Australia is actually at the top of my list of places I want desperately to visit... anytime anyone mentions Sydney, I tear up a little.

[rekling.livejournal.com]

Just so you know, it's not that expensive to come up to rural Western MA, and I'd love to see you...

Also, I think I'm planning to be in Boston from November 17th-21st or 22nd. That's another place that's easy to get to...

-Rek

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Damn, I am on tour until the 24th when I'm in Boston. Ships passing in the night.

I would LOVE to come visit you... a little nature might be a good thing for me and a lot of Rek always is. Let's talk about your schedule this winter, I'd like to come when it's the least busy.

[slavetoreznor.livejournal.com]

I am totally broke right now so I opted for option 3 but I am still excited :-) I love surprises!

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

I will make it a good one, don't worry. (Randomly... why did I think you were a BOY?)

[wishme.livejournal.com]

wow..i didn't realize that hearing someone else want to go to New Orleans would trigger such homesickness. and i only left a few months ago.

i, too, would love to 'click the shutter' in new orleans soon.
i just recommend doing it either soon soon or wait until april when it's not wet any longer (wooo winter monsoons!) and starting to get warm. if you're lucky you'll hit the 3 days of spring we get each year. ;p

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Is it warm and wet? Because I could deal with warm and wet. It's cold and wet that I can't stand.

New Orleans has been popping up everywhere for me recently. I'm taking it as a sign.

[goditsfatal.livejournal.com]

i have to check my finances.

BUT.
i absolutely am in love with #6.
(and 1 & 10)

and love the idea of the random $5 photo.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

:) I am glad you like them!

The random photo may end up being VERY random... I think it will be fun.

[abigaillouise.livejournal.com]

If we were to chose #1, how do we give you guidelines? Here?

Also, you say "ten of your favorite photographs" are under the cut, but there are twelve. That's so ARTY...

[kylecassidy.livejournal.com]

you should go to new orleans for photoNOLA -- it's a huge ginormous photo exhibition that takes up the whole town. sally mann is going to be there and so am i. my show opens december 6th.

the lighting in "kitchen" is great.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

That. Is. Amazing. Photography EVERYWHERE plus NOLA? I think the timing might actually work, too, with the tour.

I saw you blogged this. Thank you. You are awesome.

Kyle Cassidy > Sally Mann

[fluffy-the-cow.livejournal.com]

Beth, my darling, how long will you be running this? I don't have the funds at the moment, but I'd LOVE to do the $50 option! If you're still running it in a week or two, I should have the money!

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, it will definitely still be around in a week or two... I look forward to hearing what prompt you'd give me. This is like art bootcamp, I love it!

[magickcat.livejournal.com]

May I ask, with all due respect, how do you define your financial crisis?
I mean, you said that your credit cards are maxed. Okay. So are mine. The limit on mine are $500 each. I bought medicine and groceries. I am on a fixed income because of serious health issues and am fighting daily with my health and with bill collectors and I take pictures too.
I don't have the "professional" status that you do. I don't know who you are because of Amanda. I know who you are because of Kyle, and I signed on because after reading your profile, I thought that you genuinely sounded interesting and enjoy reading things.
I'm sorry, but it makes me sick that people kiss your ass because you work for Amanda. I wonder why you don't make enough money to NOT be in this situation of you work for such a successful artist, honestly.
I'm not downing your project- not at all- I think it is very creative and I may at some point try to do my own version of it... I think it is fantactic, but how... I just don't get it- you seem so totally put together and then two posts later, not so much. I've done that too... but it just seems that there are so many people in "crisi" right now asking for money and GETTING it and I'm in a huge crisis and haven't asked and I just wonder where it comes from from everyone and well, you win the comment. :P

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

I wonder why you don't make enough money to NOT be in this situation of you work for such a successful artist, honestly.

Ah, there's the crux of it.

Without divulging too much about financial realities of being a "successful artist" of Amanda's level-- although, if you go to her blog (http://blog.amandapalmer.net) she is pretty honest about it (http://blog.amandapalmer.net/post/51110498/new-song-at-soundfix-traincrying), I can say this: I make enough to survive (ie, pay rent, utilities, school loans, the credit cards, buy food for me and the cat) but likely MUCH less than you imagine.

I took this job, despite knowing it would make my financial situation precarious because I loved Amanda's art and wanted to be part of the circus. I don't regret this. BUT, I also know that I need something more to be happy.

Believe me, you are speaking some of the things my inner critic whispers. But, it comes down to this for me: It's not a handout--- people who buy/commission pieces from me are getting value in return. If they don't think my art is up to par, they won't buy it. It's commerce.

Believe me, for every person who is nice to me because I work for Amanda--- and I like to think that most of them are nice to me because they are nice people who like me, rather than that they think it puts them one step closer to a "rock star"-- there is another who dislikes her and then dislikes me by proxy and there are FIVE MORE who assume my job involves lots of partying, drugs, sex and glamour rather than 14 hours a day alone at a computer.

There is not a single photo of Amanda for sale in this set. As much as she is the reason some of my readers know who I am--- and, actually, she is the reason KYLE knows who I am as well-- I'm also an artist in my own right. A photo of Amanda would probably sell really well, but this isn't and shouldn't be about her.

I just don't get it- you seem so totally put together and then two posts later, not so much.

That would be because sometimes I am totally put together and sometimes I am totally off my rocker. I suppose if I screened all the low points from my blog the story it tells would be more consistent, but it is what it is. Sometimes life is amazing and sometimes life sucks, even if you have a "glamorous" job. Moms still get sick, bills still come due, girls still break your heart. I don't pretend to have it all figured out. Actually, I think I'm pretty honest about the fact that I 100% do not have it all figured out.

And finally... you seem to be questioning if those around you who have asked those around them for support deserve it--- we do. You do too. So, with all due respect, why HAVEN'T you asked?

[muzikmaker21.livejournal.com]

I would LOVE to support you...but I've hardly got a dime to spare at the moment. I'll put a sticky note on my computer to remind me to come back to this next week.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

You can support me by dragging me out with you when you busk, yo. Although I won't argue with you re: buying prints, sometimes a little artistic shove can be as or more important.

[fairytalevegas.livejournal.com]

I'll buy art from youuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you. I just need my own money first. I just used up any money I had on The Lens.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Dude, *I* should be buying art from YOU. Lauren Goldberg is my newest art crush. ;)

[madweasel.livejournal.com]

Well I can't really go spending the cash at this stage, but if it will help I'll totally donate my body and various characters to science fiction for you to exploit with your soul capturing device, and later resale upon these "inter nets" I hear spoken of...

[lobstermagnet.livejournal.com]

I will buy a $50 piece of art as soon as Jake gives me rent, mmmkay?

I will be needing something for my apartment. I can show you pictures of the place if you want, but I've got some blank white walls that need filling with beautiful light to shine all over the artwork. I'd rather support you than anyone else :)

Will next week be alright?

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Next week will be more than alright.

Pictures of The Perfect Apartment would be VERY helpful in creating something for it. (Also, I just want to see it. When do you move in?)

[nixonsangel.livejournal.com]

How the heck are we not LJ friends, Beth Hommel? This is not acceptable.

Now make me art to put on my living room wall. They are bare save for an origami flower. Your creation will clearly be in good company.

I feel you on the I Need To Fly Somewhere thing. Once I'm not a fake lawyer, I'll buy us a jet.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Those are beautiful. If I wasn't in the middle of moving and renovating I'd definitely buy something. Maybe once I'm settled...

[stilesmeister.livejournal.com]

i am so flattered that i am in four of your photos! (and half nakey... whew, good thing i don't want to be president...!)

i will be doing the first, but i need to spend some time brainstorming.

love you. can't wait for thanksgiving! read my email. smile. breathe.

[devery-01.livejournal.com]

Great photos....and I just had to get one. I think I can squeeze a little more space out of my walls for a place to put it.

[magentadoll.livejournal.com]

I want to buy one for my friend for her birthday but the Australian dollar is really screwed up at the moment. In which currency are the prices?

(My friend is Mr. Leave Me Alone, by the way. Oh man, she's almost famous!)


(I sure hope you know who I'm talking about or I'm just a big fat fool.)

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Currency is in USD, not sure how that translates to the Australian dollar.

I LOVE AUDREY. She is awesome. And once the damn Leeds United video comes out, she WILL be famous.

[littlelotte.livejournal.com]

I need to jump on this bandwagon once I get paid again. I just spent most of my next paycheck play money on getting started in ballet again.

[georgiaclaire.livejournal.com]

Hey. So, I'm currently unemployed. There's more owing on my credit card than there is in my savings account, and, yeah, I don't care, but combine that with christmas and the current exchange rate and I can't quite justify paying you to make art for me at the moment (ask me in six months and I'll commission you to design something for my room), so.

I asked you if it was okay and didn't get a response, but I've put you on my reverse christmas wishlist. Wherein I ask for things for other people. So, I gather minttown1 bought something earlier and xjennifahx may too. I hope that's okay.

And while I want you to photograph me when you're here, I read the above chat, and yeah, that's fair. The girl with the camera always gets used! (although I would also pay you to make out with me. :P) Although it would be awesome if plumbers and electricians bought their gear to parties, I have a leaky toilet and I broke the light fitting in my room.

And I still owe you a story. What do you want?

[pleasexbleed.livejournal.com]

i bookmarked this a while ago and just finally came back to it. are you still doing the $50 option?
if so i'm totally in.

[bethofalltrades.livejournal.com]

Yep... I'll do it until I get bored and I'm definitely not bored.