Why I Love a Cruise Vacation...Cruising for Artists!

'Out to Sea'       4x4     oil on panel    ©Karen Margulis

I am feeling a bit better today and starting to get excited for my upcoming cruise.  I am taking my daughter on a cruise for her 21st birthday. It is my husband's busy time at work so Caitlin and I are taking advantage of the great pre-Christmas cruise deals for a girl's trip.

 Many of my artist friends don't understand my love of cruising. (This will be my 20th cruise) They don't understand why I would want to be stuck on a boat with thousands of other people for a week. I happen to see it in a different way. I think a cruise is a great opportunity for art. Let me give you some food for thought in case you are considering a cruise.

'Island View'     2.5 x 3.5  oil on canvas

• A cruise is a great value especially if you score deals like I try to get....You can't beat $459 for 7 nights all food, entertainment and beautiful islands included.  It is a great way to visit a few beautiful islands without the expense of flights and hotels. And you only unpack once!

• A couple thousand fellow passengers may sound awful but look at it this way....you have a couple thousand subjects for sketching and painting. And you get to see all shapes and sizes in their bathing suits....think of the possibilities!  The people watching/sketching is awesome. All you have to do is find a nice lounge chair and let the fun begin!

• A cruise can be very relaxing. You don't have to think about cooking or making reservations or paying tips after meals. You can eat when you want and what you want. It is nice to give up the responsibility of planning meals for a week. Oh and if you eat too much there is always the gym or walking track in the sea air.

• You can actually paint while on a cruise. If you've followed my blog I have a system for painting on deck on a lounge chair. I usually manage to paint about 70 or so 2.5 x 3.5 paintings on a week's cruise. This time I am going to try gouache (more on this later)

• Island hopping!  I never know if I want to tour an island for reference photos or just set up and paint. I suppose that is one of the drawbacks of cruising that you are only on an island for a short time. If it is a new island for me I will usually take a tour for an overview and photos. If I have been to the island I will go to a beach and paint. Such hard decisions!

• Sharing your art with others. It is interesting that when I am painting on deck I seem to get more interest from the crew than other passengers and I always enjoy sharing with them!

• If your spouse or travel mate isn't an artist, there is plenty for them to do while you pursue your art!

I'm sure I can think of more reasons why a cruise vacation is a good choice for an artist and if you have any questions at all for an experienced cruiser let me know!  Also if you need a cruise travel agent I can recommend my guy...he is the best!!