ABMB Week: Saturday Report

In the morning we departed our cool hotel-by-the-beach at Ft. Lauderdale and that night, after the fair, we'll head to my cousin's fortress house in Little Havana, where we'll stay for the next couple of days.

As soon as we got to Context, yesterday's vibe continued today as the crowds (and the rain) continued to come and fall to Context Art Miami.

There seemed to be good sales all around, and there was definitely a continuation of yesterday's art-buying crowd.

Multiple sales of my work, plus a "come backer" disappointed to find that the piece he wanted was sold - so he ordered a commission.

Also first sale of a wondrous Simon Monk piece as well as multiple sales by Elissa Farrow-Savos.

Elissa also got attention from a press art critic, and we expect to see her mentioned when the review comes out.

The reports from DMV visitors and others about the other fairs also began to pour in - some not so good, but good reports about Scope, Miami Projects and others.

By the end of Saturday, a cursory look at the "numbers" showed that we were having the best fair (from a  financial perspective) ever!

We closed at eight and headed to Little Havana - less than four miles away - on the way we ran into a monster traffic jam in from of the Marlins' Stadium (there was a concert)... we actually stood at a red light on 7th and 17th for 20 minutes before the cops changed it to green.

Once at my cousin's house, his wife had dinner ready for us; a couple of wine glasses later, I punched out.

ABMB Week: Friday Report

Morning starts with the December issue of the super glossy Brickell Magazine, which has done a people focus piece on me! See it here (scroll down a little).

Rainy day again.

Part of being at the big dance in Miami is the fact that Miami weather has a big impact on the fairs. Context is no exception  and this morning there was ample evidence of rain damage to some booths from last night's torrential rains.

At 11AM good crowds begin to pour in, and yesterday's good art "vibe" continues. As the day progresses we get multiple sales by Elissa Farrow-Savos, who once again (this is her second exposure to Miami) is getting extraordinary attention (and 100s of photo-taking events).

 A sale to a New York collector of Alma Selimovic's "Hammer Girl" soon follows - this is Alma's first exposure to Miami.

Hammer Girl by Alma Selimovic

My own work hits a good stride and I sell my latest video work (Mother Nature Observing and Upside Down World Version Two), which goes to a member of the board for the Birmingham Art Museum as he rushes out to the airport - several drawings follow - including two heading to Puerto Rico and one to Boston.

The Bostonian piece is my latest work - completed just minutes before the van had to leave for Miami: How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnets to the Portuguese). 

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnets to the Portuguese)

Later on, my 2012 video piece on Frida Kahlo finally finds a home with a local collector; this piece has been traveling around in various University shows in the west coast.

Fellow DMV art dealer Maurine Littleton comes by and we chat for a while - she reveals a great secret to minimize feet pain during an art fair: switch shoes several times a day!

Cell phones beep all over the place... we're all getting a weather warning for tonight...

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