We are in the process of putting some of our stored and undisplayed artwork (not mine) up for bid on eBay. Many of the items are framed prints that were, we are positive, purchased at cruise auctions long before Karen and I were together. I will not name the main and practically the only cruise line auction company, but anyone who has been on a Holland America, Celebrity, or other cruise will know the “gallery” company name.

Since the mid-1980s we have been fortunate enough to have been on over 30 cruises, most of which have been as part of JazzSea.com for me to perform with Bob Schulz Frisco Jazz Band. All of them have been wonderful experiences except…

As a serious artist I always cringe and my stomach tightens up when I see and hear of people spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on “art” of often very questionable authenticity and quality at cruise auctions, from the on-board “gallery,” or, for that matter, at the big tourist area galleries found in most large cities (like those at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco). In most cases these folks are “paying for a Mercedes and getting a Volkswagen Beetle” to quote a reputable online art registry director, especially if the artwork is purchased as an “investment”.

Why not find and support a local artist whom you like? Just like produce, local is better.