Ever wonder how to manage your artwork and keep a listing of:

• what you have made?
• what you have sold? 
• what galleries or shows you have submitted work to?
• etc.

At one time I was considering writing my own crude program to track my art quilts and the shows or galleries where I was sending them. I had mapped out the information that I wanted to include and how I was going to link everything in the database program. Then I started thinking about the hours and weeks it would probably take to get it written. I am so glad I decided to do some research first to find out if there was a program that already existed that would do everything I wanted.

I found a great program called Artwork Tracker. There is also an Apple/iOS version of this software. It is easy to use, reasonably priced and the publisher/creator is very responsive to questions if you cannot find help in the FAQ section or help files. There is also an app available to transfer your information to your phone or tablet so you can take the information with you if needed.

Like me, I am sure most of you have all your photos, full and detailed, along with descriptions squirreled away on your computer. It is a simple matter of pasting text into the appropriate areas and attaching your photos to the gallery area. What else do you have to do while you are at home during this time of quarantine? Lets get productive and organized and all ready for when all the shows start opening back up!

You can download a trial version but there are limits on it. The download version initially runs in an unregistered trial mode, limited to 5 artworks with 5 photos each, 5 clients, and 5 submissions. It will also only allow a single database window, and database import is disabled. The pricing for the full product is reasonable and any information you entered will be carried into the purchased software.

The current pricing for the PC and Apple versions is $14.99. A very good deal.

Do you have a favorite program to track your art? If so, leave a comment below of what it is and why you like it.

Visit the website for the full list of what the program can do but here are some of the ones I feel are extremely useful:

• Sort artworks by title, artist or status, sort clients by name or status, and sort submissions by date or status.
• View total income earned for each artwork.
• View the submission history for each artwork or client, sorted by date.
• Clients approaching deadline are highlighted with a tinted background on the client list.
• Past due submissions are highlighted with a tinted background on the submission list.
• Review statistics for your collection.
• Saves changes automatically.
• Print artwork, client, or submission lists, or information for a particular artwork, client, or submission.

I am experimenting with my new #Chromecast and I am lovin' it. This is my new favorite techno geek hardware. The best thing about it is that I no longer have to watch videos on a small computer screen with less than perfect audio. My computer set up is not bad, but it is so much better to watch on a large screen television.

This morning I "cast" one of my Craftsy classes to the TV. It worked flawlessly. It was great to see all the details of what was being discussed without wanting to zoom in. I would highly recommend getting one of these for your viewing pleasure.

Here are the details:
I picked mine up at Costco. This was for a couple of reasons. One: Costco is close to my house; Two: It was packaged with an HDMI cable (not standard in other on-line packages); Three: If you get it now, Chromecast has 9 bonus offers, two of which give you cash credits for movies, etc. This brought my cost down to $10 for the actual unit.

It is easy (sort of) to set up. You will need WiFi in your home, an HDMI connector on your TV (it will be labeled as HDMI and is sort of a long skinny D shaped plug), a power outlet for the Chromecast and of course your router/internet information and password. You can power it by a USB port on the TV, but it is recommended to use the power cable that comes with it. 

There is good information on the Google site if you have problems. I had to go into my computer security settings and "allow" the Chromecast access. This was the only real issue that took a bit of figuring out. Your security settings may be different. 
Load the app on your phone, tablet or browser(s) and you can "cast" from any of them. Just too much fun.

So have you got some new geeky hardware that you love? Let me know and I will check it out.