Artist Software for Mac OS

Yesterday I received this email from Paula Zima. Like many artists, she was frustrated by the dearth of art business software for Mac users. I thought her insight might help others. Incidentally, the program also works with MS Windows.

I wrote you earlier about the art management program that a developer friend had told me about: Flick!, and you asked me to learn more about it.

It was kind of rough at first, the program had some "anomalies" in it, and there were several mistakes I made because things weren't spelled out for a person like me who doesn't mess around with computers a lot. However the developer was quite patient with me, and answered my questions, and helped me get it sorted out. He is continually updating the program, which sells for about $20 depending on the exchange rate (he is based in Australia), and I've noticed that he has taken all of my suggestions into account.

I stuck with it because, the other programs that you found were either way too expensive for me, or didn't work on a Mac, or were web-based and needed to be used with a high speed connection, or were ugly and had a cantankerous developer....

You finally suggested that I just use Filemaker, and set up my own . . . and in talking with my developer friend who  does that professionally,  was steered to the Flick! program that works with either your own Filemaker  program, or by itself if you don't have one. 

So for $20 you can get a lovely to look at, and easy to use art management program, that easily fills my needs as a painter, and sculptor. I use Quickbooks for my accounting stuff, but Flick! keeps track of what I've done, what it looks like, who bought it, and what else they have bought, my mailing list.... and has a great way of being able to do searches using any criteria I might have.

I'm in the process of  entering all my data now, the holiday time was a great time to clean out my files, and get this program going.  All stuff you suggested during the class, but I wasn't able to do at the time.

Image: Paula Zima, Chinle Dog. Oil on canvas, 28 x 26 inches.

Comments

[Laurie]

I only have time for one word: this is brilliant!!!!!
(oops, 13 words)

[Nicole]

Thank you for this information! I have purchased eArtist and I'm finding it very frustrating (because I'm a Mac user), to the point of not wanting to enter my information. I'm going to check out Flick the first chance I get. Thank you Laurie and thank Alyson!

[Susie Monday]

I agree. I purchased eartist and have not had the heart ot open it because it was so ugly. I am buying Flick (I do seem to have a hitch on the download purchase) because it seems much more intuitive and the design is so clean

[Susie Monday]

I still think this program is exactly what I need but after a week I still have not received the serial number from the company that I need to activate the full program. I have emailed them directly with a copy of my paypal receipt and still no word! This is a failure to communicate that is similar to the one that you speak of for your blog today, Alyson.

[Alyson Stanfield]

Thanks for keeping us informed, Susie! I hope you'll continue to do so. (See, this is why I need a wiki site for artists!