Blog

Well, not a lot of people blogging about their art shows.

So, I will throw in my 99 cents worth, (Inflation, 50 cents ain't what it used to be).

I am sitting at my fav beach bar in NSB, the Ocean Breeze.  It is Man-day Monday, which means everything is half price-- food and drinks.

I am blogging while sipping Don Julio anejo tequila , lightly salted rim with two limes on the rocks.  With a Yuengling draft chaser.  Gonna have blackened salmon on basmati rice with mango.  Gonna do the tequila again and get out of this place for under $24 while sitting on the Atlantic Ocean and blogging to all you.

Somebody has to do it.

Jeeze! Nels, will ya ever tell us about Bonita!

Thought you would never ask.

OK, Bonita, actually Bonita Springs.  It is like a north suburb of Naples.

Lots of money here, most of it from the Midwest.

The local art league runs this.  Run by Barry Witt. He was a former director of the Naples Art Show.  He started this show over 20 years ago.

Looking at the Weather Channel forecast, we knew we were in for serious bad weather on the Sunday of the show.  This show was two weekends ago.

Forcast for Saturday was sunny, cool, with winds in the15-25 mph range.

Sunday, was supposed to be rain most of the morn with wind gusts up to 40 mph.  Not pretty.

Thankfully, most of the patrons were aware of this.  They showed up in serious numbers on Saturday.

Down here, they like big pieces to go their big walls in their big houses.

Sales were fast and crisp. People bought strongly up to about 4pm.

I had nearly a $3K day.  I was happy, along with most of my neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, my neighbor is a noted glass artist who I first met at Main Street Fort Worth, 20 years ago.

She is my hero. She and her husband are in their eighties, both are battling serious health problems.  Yet, here they were with a double booth.  And she was selling and wrapping all day.  They are my heroes, when I grow up I want to be just like them.

Aware of the weather, Barry made a great decision and told all artists they could pack up Saturday night and nobody would be blackballed.

Earlier in the day, the Naples show, down the road, told artists to pack up, the show was cancelled Sunday.

I think almost 99 per cent of our show packed up that night.

Most of us had a great day.  They bought knowing there would be no Sunday.

In Florida, January shows are hostage to the weather.  And usually we have some brutal fronts come along with heavy winds, rain, and cold temps.

My roomie for the show, jeweler Phil Hall and me slept in on Sunday morn, happy to know our displays and Art were safe.

It rained hard and the wind blew very nasty.  We were glad to not be in it.

We are both from New Smyrna Beach.  We knew the weather was tracking southwest to northeast.  We headed home just after 11am.  It was a piece of cake.  No bad traffic or weather, I was home in less then four hours.

My next blog will be about my hometown show, Images.

Later, Gators, I am in my 48th year of doing shows, and I still love it.