I have to confess: I’m an art-news junkie. These days, I usually get my daily fix on the Guardian’s website (they have a great art and culture section, and all their articles are free online).

This morning I saw a tidbit worth sharing: the “most important” (I’m not sure who decides these things) painting in Monet’s waterlily series just sold for £40m (approximately $80,000,000!). Good grief! The weakened world economy doesn’t seem to have affected the art market too badly (or at least not the market for Old Masters).

If you sell art (or crafts) for a living, has the weakened economy affected your sales? How do you make ends meet during the slow periods? Click here for the messageboard discussion.

For more on the Monet auction, check out this article.