In the last two issues I have been telling you the amazing story of what happened when one of the leading art collectors in the world, Mera Rubell, made a sudden visit to my studio. When we last left the story, she was about to arrive to my studio,

And so, on a Sunday in December my doorbell rang and I went to open the door; Mera’s Rubell’s “36 studios in 36 hours” posse was at my door-step, the 36th studio of the grueling tour.

She was here at last. All through the last couple of days my email inbox had been buzzing with artists reporting what was happening during their studio visit. “I think I’m in! said one email, “But even if I’m not, I’m feeling pretty good about my artwork!” it finished.

“Mera Rubell..a total life force!!!! My studio still vibrating with her energy, dialogue, quick take on everything…..her bowler hat — ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ bowler hat. I haven’t felt such positive power in DC for so many years!!!!” shouted out another email from a very talented DC area artist.

And now she was in my house. They all started to look over the artwork on the walls of my house and my wife offered fresh coffee, which was accepted by the tired, bleary-eyed group. Anderson, my newborn son, of course, was a big hit with everyone. Someone poked him on the side and he let out a big grin. “Everyone in the Campello household is working this visit except me,” I thought to myself.

“So, who’s the artist in this house,” asked Ms. Rubell, looking at me and my wife.

“I am,” I responded. Before I knew it, we were looking at the only piece of my artwork that hangs in my house: the 1981 collage of Frida Kahlo that I did while a student at the University of Washington. I almost panicked when I realized that we were discussing a 28-year-old piece of art done as a class assignment under Jacob Lawrence.

“Maybe we should get down to the studio and see the work that I have for you,” I said.

We went down to the basement and Ms. Rubell looked to a wall full of certificates, photos and framed paperwork.

“Who’s got all these degrees?” she asked, a little amazed. I laughed and explained that I was a former Naval officer and all that stuff is what we call in the Navy the “I love me wall.”

There, framed for all to see was my entire Naval career: ships, submarines, medals, certificates, photographs, Arctic Circle papers, Equator crossing certificates, Suez Canal certificates, etc.

She looked with interest at a photo of a massive Soviet Typhoon submarine, which I had taken from a British helicopter that I’d been riding at the time somewhere over the Kola Gulf. I identified the huge sub to her. “I was born in Russia,” she stated. None of us knew that. I told her that Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the US Nuclear Navy had also been born in Russia.

She thanked me for my service, told everyone that she had her Naturalized US citizen certificate framed and on her wall, and then we all entered the well-lit mess that I call my studio.

“Show me what you got,” she said, settling down on a stool.

And so I was in the position where I suspect every artist on this planet would love to be: Ubercollector Mera Rubell and a small entourage were in my studio, waiting for me to show them my artwork.

But I am of Cuban ancestry, so rather than showing work right away, I started talking about it, and before I actually started to talk about the artwork, I talked about what led to the artwork itself.

I told them that when I found out on Thursday that I had been selected to be visited by Rubell, I was ecstatic and glowing with anticipation.

And then I told them that I had immediately realized that I had no current work to show them, because all of my work is in storage in Miami waiting to be shown at the Miami International Art Fair.

“You have nothing to show us?” Someone asked.

“Yes, I do.” I answered. “Because what I decided to do when I realized that I had no work to show you, was to create as many drawings as I could between then and now. And so between Friday at 3:30 AM and this morning at 9:00 AM I created everything that you will see today.”

Rubell looked a little amazed. “You mean that you did all the work in the last 36 hours?” She asked. I said yes.

“You see,” she turned to the entourage, suddenly filled with vigor and energy, “this is the first artist who crated new artwork just for the visit!”

“Ahhh…” I stammered a little embarrassed. “I had to! I had nothing to show you.”

“What have you got to show me?” She said, the studio suddenly bristling with her energy. “This is a dynamo in human form,” I thought to myself.

Next: The last installment in this series or what happened when she reviewed my work.

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