Power; The Art of Sailing

Looking at the canvas, I saw it……I had always wondered what was the point of modern art until a particular abstract piece was put in front of me. Usually, I would only see lines and shapes jumbled together, but this time was different. The colours spoke to me. The contrast of the red and purple drizzled across the page to form a picture. I saw it, my own interpretation, but I saw the power it held.

I felt this rush overcome my body, slowly, yet powerful enough to change my appreciation and view of that piece. It was only after it was explained that I understood the different possibilities that the painting could be.

The admiration and feelings we gain from art are not always shown at first; it can be appreciated over time, paralyzing you bit by bit as you grasp the emotions passing through you.

Have you ever had the experience of seeing something so beautiful that you had to stare for long to fully appreciate the allure? That is art; in whichever form you choose.

After years of struggle, at that moment I realised that art is many things. Art can be in canvas form, photography, sculpture, tapestry, print, design or even glassware – the opportunities are limitless.

From cave paintings to the Mona Lisa, the piece doesn’t have to make sense to you, all that matters is what it means to you. To this day I may not remember the piece of art I saw, nor the artist, but what I do remember is how I felt and how I still feel about art today.

Art has an inviolable power to persist, making up our surroundings and influencing our lives. From galleries to the street, art is shown in its many disparate forms and in many spaces. We have often enjoyed the interaction with art on a city break or weekend escapes or even travel to holiday locations just to view specific creativity. Now the art can come to you through your travel choice rather than the destination.

From the contrast of contemporary British art with historic works to antiques, Saga Cruises now exhibits an art gallery onboard the Spirit of Discovery ship. The pieces are made by UK artists and range from handmade ceramics to embroidery installations to palette knife paintings.

Some of the artists on board include Peter Layton, Helen Amy Murray, Evelyn Binns, Evan David Eason, and Corrine Natel.

Ewan David Eason

Peter Layton, a self-taught glassblower who encapsulates his love of ceramics and puts it into his work. From multi-coloured see-through designs to extreme shapes, he continues to discover new approaches to his one of a kind designs while also sharing his knowledge about glass to those attending his workshops in his London studio.

Sculpturer Helen Amy Murray is known for the beauty and uniqueness of each piece. Each work of art is hand-sculpted and is different in texture, colour, depth, and light. Her work was previously only shared with leading architects, art consultants, and private collectors but can now be viewed to those travelling the ship.

Evelyn Binns, the award-winning botanical artist who uses watercolours to manifest her love of plants. She has painted hundreds of different species of plant, flower, herb, fruit, vegetable, and even fungi.

Corinne Natel

Drawing inspiration from man-made patterns in maps, Ewan David Eason, creates abstract images from his sole reality. He uses metals and complementary colours to create great reliefs that illustrate his unique version of the earth or certain countries.

Corinne Natel, a contemporary artist that works with a variety of colours in her mixed media abstract paintings. Her ingenuity comes from what she sees around her including landscapes, cities, nature, space, fashion, and travel.

These are only a fraction of the artists that will display their art on Saga Cruises.

Along with the vast array of pieces presented in the gallery, each deck and floor portrays a different kind of atmosphere via the art shown and is tied into the interior design.

The ship accommodates oil abstract landscapes and seascapes in the main restaurant. UK city prints on aluminium with punctilious details that are unveiled as the backdrop to the bar. There are even pieces of art made of shells presented in the spa.

Instead of having to explore each part of the world to see art, Saga Cruises gives you the luxury of seeing beautiful pieces in a place you would never expect, a cruise ship.

With destinations like Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic, Mediterranean, Southampton, the Canaries, and even New York, Saga the specific ship, Spirit of Discovery is the first-ever bespoke-built ship that caters to art lovers. On Saga, you receive a full cruise package that includes amenities like home pick up service, free wifi, and free drinks on board. On specific sailings, you will also be soothed to the sound of music by live performances by Jools Holland.

Taking the thinking further, for a fully engaged emotive experience the ship offers workshops where you will be able to delve into the history of art while also being able to create your very own masterpieces.

You know the saying, “when something seems too good to be true, it usually is…”, in this case, it is too good and it is true! Saga gives you an impassioned moment of being completely consumed and taken back by the art around you all while enjoying your cruise.