I didn't expect it to be so hard

I didn't expect it to be so hard. The selling of the paintings, that is. The ones I really like, more specifically.

The assumption (which, by the way, is faulty) is that the one's you really like are the ones that sell for the most. Truth be told, Big Jimmy was an important painting (if that's not too self-absorbed a word--I mean, important says who?) in the whole Wall Street series, but I didn't mind selling that one at all.

But I'm still all choked up about the fact that I don't get ever get to see Elena in the Morning--probably my favorite sold painting--anymore.



I love those strands of yarn peeking out on the side of the canvas.

And now it looks like I'm having a show in the Catskills in August and I'm worried that I'll have to sell some more of my favorites, because I don't have enough inventory of Wall Street ones. This, I suppose, is an okay problem to have, but still.

Plus, consider the following statement:

Hey buddy, I know you love this painting, but would you take twenty thousand for it?

The good news is that, given current trends, this is not so far-fetched a statement as to be dealing in hypotheticals. Okay, yes it is a hypothetical situation. But, given the trends, you might also call it good solid business practice--the anticipation of potential scenarios (i.e., the first twenty thousand dollar Raymond) and the planning of related strategies.

Now consider this potential scenario: The painting in question is Michelle A. And it's part of my Catskills show when the offer is made. And the dealer takes 45% off the top (which is neither high nor low). And taxes take 40%. And I'm sitting there at the front door of the gallery watching some asshole load Michelle A. into the back seat of his Bentley holding, speaking with some license here since, obviously, you don't pay the tax right then and there, a roll of about sixty hundred dollar bills.

I don't want to sell Michelle A. to net six grand. Who would?



And I know my dealer is gonna want this one in the show.

I'm so fucking depressed at the very notion of the thing that it's all I can do to keep from buying a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos and a thing of onion dip and watching the bicycle racing on Tivo.