I was on a yacht, somewhere in the North Atlantic, headed towards Barbados when I started writing this post. I had been invited by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to board Evrima, their first yacht, to be an Artist in Residence during her inaugural crossing from Lisbon to Barbados, with stops in Madeira and Tenerife.
Life onboard the vessel was very luxurious, to say the least. Living in a Terrace Suite aboard a luxury yacht, being waited on hand and foot, certainly has its perks: a private balcony, round-the-clock room service, turndown service (they'd leave us little goodies to snack on), and so much more. We dined in four different restaurants, each with its own special flair, and host of talented chefs and other staff. There's a fifth restaurant onboard, S.E.A., with a Michelin starred chef, but at $285 per person, we didn't get to it, but we certainly did not suffer.
Then, of course, there were the views: open stretches of indigo blue ocean that literally went on for days. There was nothing around us but the deep blue sea and the roar of the surf. As the journey progressed and we neared land, we were greeted by curious gulls and bright white cranes, and the occasional pool of curly, golden-coloured sargassum floated on the water's surface.
The view inspired much of the artwork that was created in my workshop sessions. I lead a total of 7 workshops: a tote bag painting workshop, two half-day Expressions in Paint, two half-day Gardens at Sea (floral) painting, and a half-day collage workshop. On the second to last day, I also lead a well-attended workshop for the amazing staff aboard Evrima... to celebrate the people who helped to make the trip so special for us!
I met and spent time with interesting people. We made art together. We exchanged ideas, and we laughed together. The experience was delightful and I disembarked knowing that I would remain in touch with a few special people who I was lucky enough to meet.
It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and it was an honour and a privilege to be included on this journey. I look forward to doing it again!
Photo (above): the employees of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection were amazing to work with, and I was pleased to lead a painting workshop with them. The mood was ebullient as students painted their hearts out to music.
Photo (above): Evrima, docked in Tenerife.
