Made In USA

Thursday, December 3, 2009

“TAXI” !

So you’ve heard of it, but has it ever really happened to you? Have you ever been seated on a plane next to that hottie that you saw crossing the street on your way to the airport? Maybe you gave up your taxi in NYC only to catch the Cash Cab? (Hope you got the Video Bonus Question right!) Serendipity, albeit not rare… is also not common. So when happenstance lands on you be sure you’re prepared to make the most of your opportunity as you may never get THIS chance again.

My serendipity moment came just recently when I stopped in to see my friend Tony. I had just come out of a 30- day run at Touchstone Gallery in DC where I unveiled the new painting series “Rust In Peace”. Despite a good volume of visitors, none of the pieces sold. There were plenty of attaboys and geetheirgreats but nothing that the bank would take in trade for payment on my mortgage. However, the butterfly effect was already in motion. A friend and DMS collector was unable to make the show, but saw the new pieces on the updated DMS website. He, wanting to purchase one for his wife’s birthday, requested a private viewing. I of course obliged. On my way to deliver the piece that he called dibs on is where the story gets back to Tony.

For as long as I can remember, Tony at the Art Warehouse has been doing all of my framing and hanging. I only stopped by to return a key to his beach house on my way to deliver the painting for sale. Long story – short: He boasted about my work to some clients that were in his shop and insisted that they see the pieces I had in tow. Impressed by the new series, Tony suggested I show them to a gallery owner friend of his. He went so far as to call his contact and rave about the work and how he needed to see these in person. In spite of my heading in the opposite direction and it being the height of rush hour, I rushed down to Bethesda for a rare one on one portfolio review with Boots Harris, owner of Discovery Galleries.

(Digression): Anticipating the end of the Touchstone show I contacted dozens of galleries around the country (including Discovery) in search of my next exhibition. Circumstances, the economy or what-have-you yielded me no official deals with any of these contacts.

Upon seeing the paintings firsthand Boots loved the work and we shook hands on a tentative deal right there. To date, he has taken delivery of four paintings from the Rust In Peace series and I plan on delivering the Mustang late next week. I stopped by yesterday and there seems to be a prospective buyer interested in one of the larger pieces. Cross your fingers with me that the deal goes down before the holiday. Now if I could only figure out which one if these hybrids is the Cash Cab.