11-10 &11-2017  Slotin auction time again!

It's that time of year again!  The bi-annual Slotin Folk Art Auction in Buford, Ga.  In the folk auction world, this is a huge event and we live just a few miles away from it!  We may not be Folk Art collectors, but it's interesting to go to.  Angie and Josh are Folk Art collectors, so it's really fun to see the excitement they get from it, too.
Unlike in the past, this time we went to the preview the night before, too---Fri. Nov. 10th.  Got there just as the sun was setting---one of our prettier sunsets.  After the preview, we all went to dinner in Old Town Buford at the Tannery.  Such an interesting little old town that we hardly ever go to!

Anyway---back to the Slotin Auction stuff---I am amazed at all the medias of art here---paintings, furniture, pottery, charcoal on card stock, painted gourds, embroidery, ... .  There are several pieces I do like, but would not spend the kind of money for them that they go for.
 I liked this one---Hawaiian like!  It's by Albina Felski and is called "Garden Party".  Felski's work is on permanent display at the Smithsonian.  She often took more than a year to complete a painting.  This one was estimated to go for $8,000-$12,000.  It went for $9,840.

This piece of art was done by Myrtice West and is titled, "The Book of Daniel Ch. 2".  Estimated value of $2,000-$4,000.  Went for  $6,600.

 I found this guy's figure paintings interesting and unique.  The artist is Purvis Young and this painting is one of his large collage works.  Estimated value of $3,000-$4,000.  Someone got a bargain for $1,440.  There were 5 pieces of his artwork in the auction---at least that I noticed.

 This intricately twisted wire with mixed media train was made by Crazy Mac and titled, "Wire Three Car Train on Tracks".  It has an estimated value of $1000-2000 and went for $2,040.

 Many of the art pieces aren't even that old---like this piece by Casey McGlynn.  It was dated 1998 and is titled "The Thing We All Eventually Figure Out".  Estimated value of $3000-$5000 and went for $1320.

 This odd shaped piece is called "Scrap Art Faces" by Howard Finster.  It is paint, marker and glitter on scrap board.  Estimated value of $2000-$3000 and went for $1200.
The Coca-Cola Button Sign is also by Howard Finster and estimated value of $300-$500.  It went for $1320!  He's also done a series of really neat looking Coca-Cola Bottle cut out boards that regularly go for over $1000.  There were 2 more of them in this auction.  They went for $2,760 and the other one went for $3,240.  Angie and I got to see a large collection of them at the Coke Museum and Atlanta several years ago.

 Miss Lafitte is a mixed media construction of a Louisiana Shrimp Boat made by J. P. Scott with and est. value of $1000-$2000.  It went for $4800.

 This guy looked familiar.  Angie and Josh bought this guy's bigger brother a few years ago and had it hanging in their living room in Florida.  They're made by Jimmy Lee Sudduth and are made of heavy mud and paint on board.  This one is estimated at $1000-$2000 and is relatively small at 48"x24".  He's done a lot of alligator paintings.  This one went for  $840.  Hope that doesn't mean Angie and Josh's is loosing value.

 Angie and Josh's very large Jimmy Lee Sudduth Gator painting.

 Cake Walk Kids is from the 1890's-1920's by an Anonymous artist.  It's possibly a carnival or sideshow banner of paint on canvas.  Estimated $1000-$2000 and went for $720.

 These are Religious Environment Cross and Diamond Wooden Panels also created by Anonymous.  I really liked them.  Thought they would make a cool headboard.  They were estimated to go for $300-$600, but only drew $90.  Maybe if we had been there when they went up for bid we might of gotten them?!  With it being a 2 day, all day auction, we were only there part of the first day (and the preview night before).

 An idea of how the items were displayed.  Remember---many of these pieces went for well over $1000 and they were just sitting around or hung on peg boards.

 The sign for the items on the counter in the above picture.  They're a group of Old Industrial Hat Molds from the early mid 20th century.  The group of 20 had an estimated value of $1000-$2000 and went for $1680.

 There have been pictures in this style at each of the Slotin auctions we've been to.  I assume they're all from Carol Salas.  This one was actually painted this year.  It's her largest work to date.  Estimated value of $1000-$3000 and went for $1200.  I really like this style.   They remind me of the Hawaiian paintings Rosalie Prussing does.

 Angie and Josh also have a cut out like one of these Army guys.  They are paint on old metal, this one actually on an old recruitment sign and the artist is R. A. Miller.  This one is titled, "Army.  Be All You Can Be." .  They have a modest value of $400-$600.  This one went for $480.

 It's rather rare to see more realistic paintings at these Folk Art Auctions, but I believe this is a Florida Highwayman's painting.  The Florida Highwaymen are a group of 26 African American landscape artists in Florida. Self-taught, they created a body of work of over 200,000 paintings^. Mostly from the Fort Pierce area, they painted landscapes and made a living selling them door-to-door to businesses and individuals throughout Florida from the mid-1950s through the 1980s. They also peddled their work from the trunks of their cars along the eastern coastal roads.  I really like a lot of their works.  This one was done by Willie Daniels and is 21"x25" with an estimated value of $300-$500.  It went for $720.

 These looked like some sort of old metal etchings, but I can't seem to find how much they sold for.  Maybe they didn't sell?

 There were also several framed pieces of currency from the South.  I have been collecting old currency and foreign coins every since I was a child---but mostly from asking cashiers if they had old coins when I was a child or I got some from an old buddy who use to sale currency.  I have a few really old coins, but nothing like these State bills.  I certainly wouldn't mind having them.  This collection of South Carolina Currency from the 1860's was estimated to go for $200-$400 and went for $90. 

 I also recognize this guy's unique style---Benny Carter.  I like how he paints on the frames, too.  This piece is titled, "New York Harbor" and is estimated to be worth $800-$1200.  It was another bargain for $90.

 This was another unique media---matchsticks and epoxy backed to board and was made by Ferald Hawkes.  It's titled, "Roots".  Estimated value is $1000-$2000 and went for $2040.

We got a kick out of this applique fabric and mixed media picture with artist decorated frame---reminded us of Angie and Josh's dog, Molly----"Rug Burn", by Chris Roberts Antieau.  Estimated value of $500-$800.  Went for  $720.

 The beginning of the auction always has a bunch of these jugs.  This is a newer one---from 2006.  No one seems to know for sure why they were originally made.  Speculation is for taking water out to the fields with them, or religious reasons, or maybe because they just like them!  Apparently a lot of people like them since they go for anywhere from a $100 - thousands.  This one by Terry King, "Double-Face Screaming Politician Jug" (appropriate for this day and age!) went for $330. 

 These showed a sense of humor---a Snail on Potato for $180 (estimated value $500-$800).  I'd say someone got a bargain---but did they really?!
The other one was a little more clever---Frog Taco.  Estimated value of $800-$1200 and went for $2160!
Both were made by David James Gilhooly.

 This is the room set up the night before.  Certainly not Sotherby's, but there are no  $400,000,000 Leonardo Da Vinci paintings here, either!

 More like a warehouse---selling $1,700,000 worth of Folk Art this weekend!  As our son in law says, it's like going to the biggest Folk Art museum anywhere.  In fact, a bunch of the merchandise was from a recently closed Folk Art museum.

 Furniture usually doesn't do too well at these auctions, but this one must have been special.  It was made by Thomas Day in North Carolina in the 1850's.  It's believed he only made 4 secretaries with mirrors, Mahogany veneer, poplar and pine as secondary woods.  In excellent condition for it's age.  It's estimated value was $8000-$12000 and actually sold for $52,800!!!  Just sitting out in the middle of where everyone was walking by and standing around.  Wonder what the buyer is going to do with it?  I did think it was really pretty.  Would have been afraid to stand anywhere near it if I knew it was worth that much!  There were several of his pieces in this auction.  He was definitely a great cabinetmaker.

 I actually liked this style, too---animals within and animal.  The artist, Maija Peeples, did a few different similar paintings.  This one, Opaki Owls, was valued at $600-$900 and went for $480.

 One of the tables loaded with thousands of dollars worth of art.   Angie and Josh specifically went back on Sunday to try and get a Patriotic Gourd.  They were valued at $100-$300 a piece and went for $180, $270, and $300.  Angie and Josh did not win the bid. 

 The Carnival Milk bottle knock downs were valued at $200-$300 and went for $120.
The 10 Double -Sided Knock Down Dolls were valued at $1000-$2000 and went for $1200!  I've probably thrown away some old toys that resembled them!

 I don't think Angie and Josh planned on bidding on this Patriotic War Embroidery.  But it was valued at $1000-$2000 and it was going for a steal, so they bid up to $360 and got it.  Angie later did some research on them---I can't seem to find much about them other then they're Japanese---but if I remember correctly, she said they were some kind of souvenirs for some military personnel.  Appropriate purchase for today---Veteran's Day.

 When this one sold for $54,000 I knew I had to go get a picture of it!  What makes it worth $54,000????  It is house paint on found roofing tin painted by Sam Doyle.  There were a lot of Sam Doyle artwork in this auction.  Sam Doyle (1906-1985) was an African-American self-taught artist from Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. In his colorful paintings on sheet metal and wood, Doyle recorded the history and people of St. Helena's Gullah community. He is considered an Outsider artist.  Wonder if he made anything off his art and what he would think of it going for what it's does now??

 The first day of the auction.  We were there for 2 or 3 hours.  Long enough to have a great free catered Jim N Nick's lunch and a couple drinks.   Although the place is pretty full, there were also lots of online and phone bidders, too.  I also know a lot of the people here came from far away.  It's nice that we live in Buford and can be here in less then 20 minutes.   Around dinner time they bring in lots and lots of Mellow Mushroom pizza, but we were gone by then this time.  Sunday they also brought in Chipotle.   Free food and entertainment (as long as you don't win any bids).  We did try to bid on a couple items, but were too cheap to go over $100.

 These were a couple other small paintings that I was amazed at what they drew.  They were by Clementine Hunter from the 1970's and 80's.  The one with the house, "Saturday Night Honky Tonk" was estimated for $1000-$2000 and went for $2880.
The smaller slower one, "Small Zinnias in May", was estimated for $500-$800 and went for $2160!

This was just a very small sampling of what was here.  As far as I know, everything sold.  I think this Slotin Auction drew more money then it ever had before, about $1,700,000.  The prices I quoted were including the 20% buyers' fee (25% for online winners), and taxes.   It was another fun and entertaining auction!  Now to start doing some art myself!