Financial Advisor

Posted on by Thor

I went to a presentation by  a Raymond James financial advisor at a local library in the four years between my separation and finally getting a divorce. His presentation was about gaining control of finances during the divorce.

I asked him to sit in on the final mediation since my lawyer was not offering much advice. In that mediation he cut through the numbers and boiled it down to simple straight forward facts.

After all was said and done, he now helps me in keeping track of those finances through these rough times.

Since the divorce work, keeps coming into my studio despite the pandemic. In the four years of waiting for the divorce to finalize, I learned how to hunker down to keep expenses low. Now that the pandemic has kicked in that war mentality of hunkering down continues.

Stir Fry.

Posted on by Thor

Not every sketch I do is of a big event. I am always
encouraging my art students to carry a sketchbook everywhere they go. As a
friend prepared stir fry, I did a quick sketch. The smaller the sketch, the
faster it can be created. Every sketch good or bad, finds its way to this site. It is an ongoing visual journal of my life. Even the most mundane moments become important when
you take the time to sketch them.

I am in the process now of creating an inventory of every
sketch done since Analog Artist Digital World was founded in 2009. So far over
3,000 sketches have been added to the spread sheet. My work is being appraised
as a joint asset in my divorce case, so everything must be accounted for. I also have
been told I can not sell my work since it is a joint asset.

That’s a drawing of me! It’s mine!

Posted on by Thor

In April of last year I separated from my wife. For 6 months I rented a snowbird’s place in Winter Park. After being separated for more than a year, I went into mediation with my wife. The simple goal of the meeting with 3 lawyers and ourselves was to divide the assets we had built together over the years. The mediation lasted all day with my wife and her lawyer sequestered away in a separate room. When 5PM rolled around with the lawyers wanting to get home, she set a final demand. She wanted half of the sketchbooks that I had created since I started this blog in 2009. My lawyer was

stumped. What value could these sketchbooks have? There was a spreadsheet that divided up our assets. Her Porche was in her column, my Prius in mine. It was decided that my sketchbooks, my original works of art, should go on the spreadsheet opposite her jewelry. Negotiations broke down. I could not give up something that was so much a part of myself. There is also something called copyright which states that once an artist creates an image it is his. Certain reproduction rights can be sold, but the image remains the artists. The divorce will have to be settled in court.

Hurricane Maxine set me up on a date with an artist in town. Hurricane Mathew resulted in my lending my advice to this woman
about how to secure her yard items so they might not become missiles in
the high winds. I moved heavy items and secured the property. We rode
the storm out together. Over 6 months, this Hurricane Mathew relationship grew rocky as well. After we had gone our separate ways she decided that I owed her two prints of sketches that I had done of her in her home. I had already given her an original portrait for Christmas.That wasn’t enough. The sketches were of happier times that she wanted to keep.  She also wanted a signed copy of my book in return for some editing she had volunteered to do on my resume.  Why is it that any woman I meet starts demanding to take my work? I don’t get royalties for selling my book, so I would be paying the publisher wages I had earned by writing the book in the first place. Should I just start painting still lifes? Perhaps I should only be sketching cute cats and puppies, they seem very popular on social media and they offer unconditional love without needing to have the sketch. I’ve decided that people are too demanding a subject.

Divorce Court

Posted on by Thor

As I write this, I’m in New Orleans in a suit and tie ready to go to a lavish wedding… Ron and Maisy Marrs were seated in the waiting room for courtroom 16E. They had gotten up before the sun rose so they could get through the courthouse security and be ready for their divorce hearing at 8:30am. When I walked in they were already calmly seated together in the crowded waiting room. Maisy was reading the divorce papers. I grabbed the last remaining seat in the room, directly across from them. Then we all waited. Court officers disappeared into the courtroom door beside me.

Finally an officer opened the courtroom door and called in the first couple. They had arrived late and were seated out in the hallway. When they exited the courtroom they looked relieved. I raised my fists in mock celebration and Maisy & Ron laughed. The next couple called in was late as well. I suggested to Ron & Maisy that they should move out into the hallway if they ever wanted to be called into the courtroom.

When they finally were called in, I joined them. The judge asked why I was in her courtroom. Ron blurted out that I was there as a witness. I was blocking in a sketch already but I knew from the preceding couples that the hearing wouldn’t last more than 5 minutes. I was thankful I wouldn’t have to go on the witness stand. Ron was seated at what is traditionally the defendant’s table and Maisy sat at the prosecutor’s table. The judge asked Maisy why they were getting divorced. “Irreconcilable differences.” Maisy said. I was impressed, a very lawyerly response. “That isn’t a reason” the Vulcan judge responded. “Well, we aren’t in love anymore.” Maisy shot back. “That is a feeling not a reason. The court needs a logical reason for your divorce.” I felt bad for Maisy, she hadn’t thought to bring along any solid evidence or proof. It suddenly seemed that this divorce might not be granted. Ron stepped in and saved Maisy. “She is going to move to California and I am staying in Orlando.” he said. “That makes sense, now, was that so hard?” she said. “Have all your finances been arranged?” “Yes.” Ron responded. With that settled, the judge announced that their marriage was dissolved. They still had to do some paperwork, but they were now divorced.