It was 1998 and I had a lot of vacation time coming, so I decided to take a cruise to Alaska. I enjoy photography, particularly nature photography, so I thought Alaska would be a true paradise. Was it ever! I took a helicopter tour of a glacier, a river raft tour of a game preserve, and a steam excursion into the mountains. It was breathtaking!
The ship itself, the Rhapsody of the Seas on the Royal Caribbean line, was pure luxury. Shopping, casinos, live stage shows, excellent cuisine and wonderful service. But the stage shows were at night, shopping was expensive, and I'm not much of a gambler (although I won $65 at blackjack...once). So while we were at sea I was restless.
Then one day, they announced an art auction.
"Art auction?" I thought, "on a ship? It must be for rich people." But having nothing better to do, I decided to check out the displays. What I saw wowed me.
Beautiful works by modern artists I'd never heard of, but who are known to me now. Artists like Schluss, Miro, Krasnayensky, Fanch, dozens more. I walked through the shipboard gallery, admiring the beautiful lines and colors, but feeling as if it were all just a bit over my head.
Then I saw the animation collection.
Finally, something I recognized and understood. When I saw the familar characters I grew up watching on TV and in the movies, hand painted or hand drawn, images that were actually used in the making of those cartoons, or at least, new renditions by the original cartoon artists, it was like I was being beckoned by an unknown but unmistakable power. Something was telling me that this was a golden opportunity, a chance to own something truly unique but within my own comprehension, a part of my own cultural history. I had to have at least one of those pieces.
The auction actually lasted for three days, and I attended every one of them. I came away with three sericels, one Quick Draw McGraw, autographed, the Bambi you see here, and the Flintstones astride their pet, Dino.
The auction house, incidentally, was Park West Gallery. The auction itself was part of their Park West at Sea program. They apparently hold auctions on other cruise lines as wel, so if you're planning a cruise any time soon, be sure to scope them out. I'm glad I did.
How did you discover animation art?
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