Reflecting on 2024

'Golden Hour' by Xanthe Wyse

Just sharing a few images here summing up some of the paintings of 2024. Also a few changes going into 2025.

I already wrote a summary of the ups and downs for 2024, on my other blog at soarpurpose.com.

I've had a few weeks off my part-time merchandising job, and I've spent my holidays indulging in my hobbies, especially my interest in the art and science of colour.

In this blog post, I want to share a few recent paintings plus mention a few practical aspects with a hobby art business and the tax department (Inland Revenue Department, IRD, in New Zealand). All prices mentioned in this blog post are in New Zealand dollars and are subject to change.
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I've photographed the two paintings I did in December. 'Golden Hour' (at the top of this blog post) and 'In the Garden' (a black-and-white cat, called Moon). She was wild-born but is now happily a house cat and enjoys relaxing in her garden. Believe it or not, these two paintings have mostly a shared palette.

'In the Garden' by Xanthe Wyse

My art goal for 2024 was to do at least two paintings per month (it typically takes me at least 5 hours of actual painting time on each painting). If I did two paintings per month, it was a bonus. I ended up doing around 23 paintings total (some were more process paintings, such as grief processing). So my new goal for 2025, is to do at least two paintings per month, plus try and be more consistent about working on my book.

I have actually been finding it easier to achieve my painting goals, if I choose a shared or mostly shared palette. Work on both paintings, while my painting equipment is out (it goes away again, due to lack of space). Then to have a big rest when I'm done (focus on some other creative hobbies as a break). I still spend just as much time on each painting but I'm kind of in painting mode, switching back and forth.

Today, I managed to edit the two photos, ready for prints. Prints start from $35 for approximately A4 size and increase with size (as the printing costs also increase). Some are only in the smaller sizes if the painting was around that size. I have them printed on demand by a speciality fine art printer. Now, as lovely as the prints are, I still think originals have a particular glow about them and nuance in colours which can't be reproduced.

Read some lovely feedback from a customer. I also made a montage to go with an online trend, called 'artist vs art'. I think the idea is to see whether the artist's art looks like the artist.  Obviously, some of the art is cropped. What do you think?

My own thoughts about the image above, is that it's very colourful, with some yellows, greens, blues and a bit of orange and browns. Also some black and white (which actually have shades of grey). Each painting was using a different combination of paint pigments.

I've been called a 'colourful person', which I took as a compliment. I had been told in the past that I was 'too black and white' about things. I think it goes with being both a creative visual thinker and an analytical thinker. I'm an artist with a degree in analytical chemistry.

Some of my art is more stylised, with exaggerating proportions, or a looser style. Other art is paying more attention to details and more realistic proportions. I prefer expressive over technical (painting the boats was quite challenging).

Colour Analysis

I've update my other website, also 'soarpurpose' but with .com instead of .nz about how I'm now offering a custom, virtual personal colour analysis service. To recommend best colours of clothing and makeup to suits one's colouring. Did you know that customers were recommended to consult an artist to paint a custom palette, over 100 years ago? That's actually quite good advice, as artist's tend to develop an eye for colour.

Tax and Hobby Business Stuff

I've requested from my website provider to downgrade this website, to dump the e-commerce part. They've said previously that I could do this and keep the basic functionality and blog. Technically, I have another month or so but I have asked them to action it now. Especially as I mysteriously was unable to login to my websites for a bit.

One doesn't really know unless they try something, so I gave it a go. It's not financially viable for me, to renew it. Having an e-commerce website is way more expensive than a regular website.

I will need to update my website with changes. In the meantime, if you would like a print or original painting, contact me. I will need to relist my art when some parts of my website disappear (hopefully, not my blog).

Website costs are one of my biggest hobby business expenses. If I were selling lots of prints, it might be worth it, but I'm not.

I knew going into it, transitioning to hobby to hobby business, with more personal investment (on a low income, I may add), that I would make a loss for the first part year. I ran a pet sitting business in Australia for three years, so was familiar with record keeping (kept a spreadsheet for a cashbook). Now, I actually made a LOT more revenue feeding pets, than from art sales. It depends on the demographics and economy to a large extent.

Now, I actually loathe record-keeping and other such administrative tasks. I contacted IRD and they were pretty vague about whether my venture was still definitely a hobby (the occasional art sale) or a business. They said that anything over $200 per year should be declared.

I did their free tax workshop and some years ago I had done an online refresher course in accounts. I'd also worked in accounts years ago (tediously boring entering invoices). Plus I'd studied accounting at school (along with chemistry, German, etc). So had more than a typical understanding of accounts for both sole trader (which I am) plus for companies.

When I enquired about tax agents, they were ridiculously expensive. Accountants are very expensive too. So, I did my own tax return, knowing I would probably get audited.

Of course, IRD audited me. Probably because I declared a loss, plus did it myself. They said they were querying whether I have a hobby or a hobby business. This was very annoying, as I'd already asked from the beginning and in their vagueness, they said probably more a hobby business. They also said that if it was a hobby, that can only claim direct expenses. If it was a business, then can claim mileage and home office expenses. They asked for my calculations.

I send them my spreadsheet plus a link to my website. I actually deliberately only claimed 5% home office expenses (portion of rent etc). Way lower than most people would. IRD came back and said they would accept it and paid me a refund.

Well, they kind of had to, as it was pretty clear that I had stuff for sale (whether I sold much or not), had various business type expenses I wouldn't have if it was just a hobby. Plus I'd kept records. It's in the grey area for me, hobby vs hobby business as I can't do it fulltime and I don't make regular sales.

IRD said that going forward, I would need to put in my mileage (I forgot to add the tiny amount of mileage) plus declare income from book sales. I said the book sales are peanuts and have extra complications being foreign 'income' which I don't actually receive (pay horrendous fees to be paid by Amazon). Plus, I would be making a loss from the books if they want actual expenses from that. I pay tax to the USA from some treaty agreement thingy and there would be more documentation to complete for the overseas revenue which is so low that I don't actually receive it. Still waiting to hear back from IRD about that. 

My main gripe about IRD though, is apart from their vagueness, is that I feel like the pick on those who make very little (I earn WAY less than a full-time minimum wage). Rather than focus on those who do all kinds of tax dodges on very high incomes.

Anyway, I was happy with my tax refund and purchased a lovely glass art to celebrate the end of over 5 years of therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. It's of a kereru in flight. I managed to squeeze it into my cramped bedroom (which is also my art studio).

I am aiming to have enough art to exhibit again. Of course, there is no guarantee of selling it. I get compliments on my art but I don't actually sell as much as I'd like to. I also don't have storage space, so would like to move art on.

I currently have some art for sale at HeArtSpace Studio, Whakatane, if you are in the area. All my art is reasonably priced (mostly in $100-$200 range). Originals are also listed here.  I mainly prefer to work on my own pieces but I am open to the odd commission. I prefer to paint animals/birds/pets for commissions. Prices start at $200 for 1 pet portrait, approximately A4 size.

I don't usually paint smaller than around A4, as it's quite hard to do detail work on smaller pieces. I also don't usually paint larger than approximately A3, as I am only painting from a small desk.

Now, I can send prints overseas (if you're willing to pay the shipping). I am reluctant to send originals overseas.