Art Fair Preparation: Designing an 8-Meter Booth without stress

The biggest hurdle was designing an 8-meter, U-shaped stand. Filling three massive walls while maintaining a minimalist aesthetic is a puzzle.

Instead of relying on previous oil paintings, I created a brand-new collection specifically for this art event and picked my best previous pieces that matched the theme. I aimed to explore the interplay of light and food, crafting a narrative where the stand itself became a vibrant storybook.

I decided to decorate the space to resemble a food cart, bridging my two worlds: bringing the food market (my muse) directly into the professional art market.

In my previous work, I’ve often limited my subjects to avoid overwhelming a space. However, for JustMAD, I embraced the food and art theme to create an immersive experience that challenged traditional boundaries. I exploited the concept, creating dozens of paintings featuring shiny gummies, fruits, and my signature fried eggs in various sizes.

Exhibiting at an art fair is like presenting a physical sample of my digital world, so organization is key. This is a workflow I often share in my artist workshop sessions:

The Buffer Rule: 

If I need 30 paintings to fill an art fair booth, I put 45 on my calendar. This way, if I run out of time, I can drop 15 pieces and still have a complete, professional stand without a last-minute panic. If you set your goal at the minimum and you miss by only 1 paint, then you’ll have to redistribute EVERYTHING to cover the space of that missing painting.

Visualization: 

I map out the art fair booth design digitally, placing frames at their exact sizes into neutral squares to see how they’ll occupy the physical space. Seeing those empty spaces fill with color provides a massive boost in motivation as the deadline approaches.

When prepping for a large art exhibition, you have to work like a machine. I worked in batches of 15 using two main strategies:

This adaptability means I can work around drying frames or limited space, quickly finishing the drawing phase for an entire batch. By the time I’m done, I have a "bucket" of panels with the base and drawing already completed. This optimization allows me to stay on schedule and bypass the tedious prep work, so I can dive straight into the part I truly enjoy: the actual painting.

Learn more about how digital tools can help you be a better traditional painter HERE.

Since I paint with oils, they require some time to dry before final varnish. During this time I prep all the stand decorations and final details.

For JustMAD, the egg wall presented a challenge. I could commission to have the middle wall painted the painters wouldn't do the egg shape and I could't intervene with extra paint during the hanging day. That's where the vinyl wallpaper came handy.

I ordered some wallpaper and cut them into the size and shape, so the hanging day it was fast and clean. This was an advantage, because the gallery was doubting a bit about my not-super-normal stand curation. However, the wallpaper was removable and so was the cardboard, so the risk was minimal.

The organization trusted my instincts and when I set up the whole stand everyone agreed: it was charismatic but professional, and of course, I couldn't be happier.

Seeing the pink food cart come to life in Palacio Neptuno was surreal. The Egg Wall, a section dedicated to fried eggs, became a major focal point for visitors, a recurring theme in my work.

For me, the true essence of any art fair transcends mere sales; it lies in the connections forged with fellow art enthusiasts. Hearing someone say, "Your stand is well curated," made months of prep worth it. 

Sales are just one measure of success; the real win is physical exposure. You connect with collectors, press, and fellow artists in a way social media can't replicate.

While 'exposure' is frequently touted by brands as a currency for free labor on social media, the tangible exposure at an art fair offers amazing opportunities for genuine professional growth. 

In a neutral environment, surrounded by dozens of artists with different styles, your work has to stand out on its own merit. It’s not just about collectors; it’s about being seen by the press, media, galleries, and agents. Meeting people who deeply admire your work and want to showcase it is a level of professional growth you can't get from a screen.

The stand stood out with its colorful paintings and unique concept, opening a massive new door for me.

We had already made some sales and were feeling happy with the outcome. But in the final minutes of Sunday, right as we were about to pack up, and thanks to the incredible fair staff supporting me, we closed one final, major sale. We celebrated hard! We took it as a definitive sign to keep the momentum going.

That "last-minute" energy resulted in an unplanned invitation to assist at the next fair hosted by the same organization: Summa Mallorca!

This is exactly why you participate in these art events. You truly never know what is coming next.

JustMAD is the most important art fair I’ve been part of in Spain, but I wouldn’t have been there at all without a connection I made three years ago. A gallerist approached me at a much smaller event back then because she loved my work. That single interaction three years ago is what paid off today.

If you want to purchase any of the paintings that I brought to JustMAD (and survived!) you can contact Skiascope.

Now, I’m wrapping up one incredible fair and heading to Mallorca in just a few days! I can’t wait to see what doors open next! 💪