ABMB Week: Thursday Report

There was definitely a different "vibe" today with the crowds at Context. For starts, there were a lot of art students floating around, plus several major collectors finally made their way over from Art Miami and from ABMB itself.

I dropped Audrey Wilson at the fair around 11AM and had her switch a couple of Elissa Farrow-Savos' sculptures. I then headed to Hialeah to visit my mother.

On the way back I stopped at Casablanca Bakery and stocked up on Cuban pastries, yuca rellena, croquetas (ham, cheese and chicken), papa rellena and pasteles de guayaba con queso for the crew back at Wynwood.

Brutal traffic back to the fair, but got there in time to avoid the monster Florida showers which fell all day.

Over the last couple of days we had sold two works by DMV painter Tim Vermeulen, and today he scored not one but four commissions (all from the same DC expat, now Florida-based collector).

I took a little walk to capture a good shot of a terrific piece by the DMV's Mark Jenkins (with Fabien Castanier Gallery).

Back in our booth... hosted a Facetime call from Anderson, and the little dude always brings me good luck... then a visit by the DMV's super artist Akemi Maegawa, and she also always brings good luck.... and I finally broke my personal ice with a major double sale of my largest drawing in the booth and a second smaller drawing to a very beautiful and talented Miami Beach personal consultant.

Soon afterwards, the very talented Audrey Wilson breaks her personal ice with a sale of her electric glass work from her Collection of Abstuseness series to a DC collector!

Collection of Abstuseness: Operation Big Bugs by Audrey Wilson
Pate de verre, kiln formed tempered glass, refractory glass, found objects

Soon afterwards I get a commission from one of the board members of Site Santa Fe based on my works that embed digital components... Five commissions on one day must be a Context Art Fair record!

As the skies continue to fall with thunderous rain (which in these giant tents sound like monstrous WWI trench gunfire), we begin to pack to head off as the fair closes, when one of those magical moments happens when a collector approaches a piece, looks at it and says: "I'd like to buy that."

The "that" is my largest work in the fair.

Nice way to close the day.

ABMB Week: Opening Day

First of all... good morning Atlantic!

We leave Hollywood Beach around 9:30AM (the fair opens to the public at 11AM)... it's a 15 mile drive, which in this area's unpredictable traffic, today takes almost an hour and a half! Last night the drive from Wynwood took over two hours as 95 North was essentially closed - all four lanes closed for miles and one slow row of cars driving on the side of the road - It was because of construction.

The word "construction" is used here ironically, as there was one guy - yep, one dude - with a small painting machine - not the kind that you drive to paint the road stripes, but like a hand held one... and a second dude with a potent flashlight, while the first "worker" was repainting the road's traffic lines.

Miles of closed 95 North for this...

Several DC folks come by (yesterday JT Kirkland and John Adams); today Judy Berman, Gabby from Strathmore Hall, the immensely talented Sharon Moody, as well as other interesting people, such as uber collector Ardis Bartle and blue chip artist Sandra Ramos.

The Lenster with Sandra Ramos

Jodi Walsh's work at Context

Sometime in the late afternoon the horrible news about the terrorist attack in California begin to filter in, casting a shadow on the day.

View of one of the aisles at Context Art Miami