Still searching for a handmade gift for Christmas?
These decorative boxes are a great gift idea for keeping a thumb drive full of memories. They are also a great gift for anyone who loves to store small items, special trinkets, keepsakes, or jewelry.
To buy a handmade box, visit my website or email me at louiselevergneux(at)gmail(dot)com
The closer it gets to the New Year the more I examine simplicity, minimalism, and time spent on different activities as an artist.
How do artists keep records of contacts, invoices, detailed information on artists’ books/artwork and inventory?
FileMaker Pro has been my software of choice for years and years. I store important information in four files that cross over depending on the information needed for an invoice or inventory.
© 2016 Louise Levergneux, layout of my contact database
The future has come. I will need to upgrade my computer’s OS soon or buy a new Mac Book Pro. In the long run, some software will become useless unless I upgrade. A new system and new upgrades mean more expenses. Cash is low!
Keeping in mind; I don’t want to spend too much time learning new software which defeats the purpose, ARRRGH!
After emailing the Book Arts ListServ to see what other artists are doing, I recognized the cost for the upgrade would be less when considering the time spent exporting or recreating. It might be better to continue working with FileMaker Pro by simplifying my layouts and the number of fields.
© 2016 Louise Levergneux, metadata of my book Finding Home. Each book created has a record with this information.
A huge amount of data requires many hours to recreate a database. It is unthinkable to lose any details on my artists’ books even with a back-up system like Time Machine”. This data was compiled following the digital repository of the Artists' Books Online in which I participated.
ABsOnline is an online repository project of facsimiles, metadata, and criticism founded in 2004 under the direction of Johanna Drucker hosted at the University of Virginia.
Artists' Books Online was designed to promote critical engagement with artists’ books and to provide access to a digital repository of metadata, scans, and commentary. The project serves several communities: artists, scholars and critics, librarians and curators, and interested readers.
After a visit to the Apple store and all the comments and suggestions received. I’m going towards the Apple’s suggestion of a split hard drive/dual operating system on a new computer. This decision is, of course, depending on a grant for new equipment. I find having two computers is not a good fit for me and I’m very concerned with security on my old OS!
© 2016 Louise Levergneux, a sample record of the information I keep on my artists' books, this record is of copy 5 of Traverse.
• What software do you use to keep track of your artists’ books?
• How do you keep your inventory in order?
• Do you find keeping a database of contacts a never ending job?
• Do you have an assistant helping you with this administrative activity? Nice!
• How do you cope with time spent on databases?
• Does this side of business keep you in control, do you need the control?
• Why do we spend so much time tracking?
I know inventory is important, send me your thoughts on the subject.
Finally,
• Is inventory and tracking an obsessive action?
• Once an edition is sold, do you still keep track of all the metadata?
• Should a published book live its own life once out of the studio?
• Should we even be tracking each copy and where it is sold?
• How do you continue the business side of your creations and still keep your sanity as an artist?
It’s time for me to get moving on my project City Shields, February will come soon enough.
© 2012 Louise Levergneux, manhole cover documented at Church St & 4th Ave N in Nashville, Tenessee, on September 9, 2012
Have a Merry Christmas and an auspicious new year.