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Last weekend, I believe me and many others (like Patti, Melanie, Geoff and others) heard a welcome sound, it was like a giant booming, cracking sound, it has been missing for several years, but I heard it big-time last weekend.  You know what that sound was? It was the sound of people taking their credit cards out of their wallets--and buying art, bigtime.  

This was my first time at this show, I usually do Mt. Dora.  Well, I am glad I came.  I think a whole lot of other artists are glad they came.

Mind you, I had serious reservations about this show.  After all, isn't the Ft. Myers area the king of real estate meltdowns in America?  Well, not exactly.  The meltdown is over more on the Cape (think Cape Coral) than in Ft. Myers.  Also, people with money are getting great deals on homes down here now, and they are decorating.

Here is the meat about this show.  It is held along the river, all of it is on concrete, you need weights.  Mostly everybody has room in the rear, and on the sides.  Show has roughly 217 exhibitors.  Staff is very helpful.  Plenty of free water, a nice artist lounge, meals in the morning, even food after that.  They have boothsitters.  It is a pretty easy setup and teardown, I have seen lots worst.  Demographics-wise, a lot of older people--but, they were buying.  They even had prize money this year and AFI-er Jim Parker got a nice award.

We were under edgy weather all weekend but came out smelling like a rose, which was not the same for Sarasota and Mt. Dora, which were both north of us.  Enthusiastic crowds came, free admission.  And the y bought--all kinds of work.  Traditional, edgy, vibrant colors.  I saw more work go out of this show in packages than I have seen in my previous four for 2011--this includes New Years Naples, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral and Images.  I think people are starting to loosen up and say,"What the heck! Let's buy some art now.  I had a killer show just like a lot of others.  Not everybody made big bucks, but they still pulled a paycheck.  Let's hope this trend contin ues for the spring in Florida, and then the midwest.

The highlight of my show, maybe even of my career in art, was when Capt. Lou Garofalo showed up in his 25-foot,seven inch boat at close of show on Saturday.  We then cruised home for five miles on the river.  That is the way to travel to an art show, and I even have a pic to show for it.

Last weekend found Ellen and I back at Images.  I used to live here back in the 80's and have done the show off and on since 1981.  Many years this fine show is plagued by bad weather, either rain or extreme cold.  This year's weather was perfect.  Can't say the same for sales--it was hit or miss, depending on whom you talked to.

New Smyrna is a laidback beach town just south of Daytona Beach on the east coast.  Mellow amply describes the community, their approach to art and how the show is run.  It is one of the easiest and teardowns in the business.

The show has 225 artists.  Frankly, I think it is too many for the size of the community and the crowds it draws.  It slices the pie too thinly for many artists.  The show is held on concrete along Riverside Drive and then on a stretch of Canal Street, their main drag.  So you have the Intercoastal waterway as a backdrop--not too shabby of a setting.

Most spots are tight on the sides, but all have ample room behind for inventory and yourself. The crowds are big, early in the day with a good mix of oldsters and youth.  Lots of dog-walking at this show, but no ponies.

At Saturday's end,many people had barely covered expenses especially most of the photographers that I talked too.  By the way the second photo is of AFI's Jim Parker and his wife, Karen.  They had a nice corner spot and he snagged a nice Award of Merit--it paid off his tequila bill for the weekend.

I also got a nice award for $500 and it too paid for a lot of tequila and other things.  Sales were mostly lowend for many of us.  As always there were delightful exceptions.  Down from me, a fellow artist with ceramic lamps sold steadily all show, and hids lamps are not cheap.  As usual, photographer Steve Vaughn killed them with his canvassed images.  So did a certain Italian photographer.  Several painters sold one or two nicely priced works.

The real winners at this show were the ice cream people.  By my humble calculations, I saw at least a gazillion ice cream on the stick go buy me Sat.  They cost $5 each, which means they made five-gazillion dollars off of it.  We are in the wrong business.  To their credit, they make their own ice cream and regularly sell out wherever they go.  Their business model obviously works, well.

The show has a very successful Patron Purchase Award system.  Notice all the green ribbons on the booth in my second image.  Those are all Patron ribbons.  There were a ton of them at this show.

Sunday brought equally good weather and crowds.  I did a little better than Sat. and ended up doing as good as Bonita.  My January gross for four shows in 2011 is 25 per cent better than last year.  I think that is a good economic indicator.

As I said, sales were all over the board.  This is just one of those shows that you have to try for yourself.  It won't cost you an arm and a leg, and New Smyrna is a lovely beach town with a great beach that you can actually drive your vehicle on.

Well, this weekend I go to Ft. Meyers and Ellen goes to Sarasota.  Hopefully good sales wil follow.

  Oh, I would be remiss if i didn't mention Bill and John Slade were at the show, and they killed them as per usual.  And I got to drink some Three Monkey Beer---a Slade fav.