Are you a starving artist desperate to sell your work?

So is Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, apparently.

Or was.

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that an auction house sold Chavez’s painting, “The Yare Moon” for US $255,000.

Chavez donated his masterpiece, which he painted while doing a prison bid in 1992, in order to raise funds for his Socialist party.

According to the report, three Venezuelan businessmen chipped in to make the winning bid, which was significantly higher than most people expected. Bidding opened at $14,000 and just kept on going.

“The painting ultimately fetched more cash than works by some of Venezuela’s top artists,” the AP noted.

So take a clue from Chavez. Join the military. Become an officer. Lead a coup. Become president. And then sell your painting.

Photo: Quecomunismo! (Flickr creative commons)
Feature photo: alittlefishy (Flickr creative commons)