Franklin Markram
Art Director on Arcadia
Art Director on Arcadia
Good Day Everyone,
Hope this finds you fit and well. Another beautiful sea day here on board ARCADIA in Southern Australia. Between getting on with my work including an inspection of the Deck 3 Galley and 30 minutes on the clock - we are now 11 hours ahead of the UK - I made time to visit The Palladium Theatre to listen to Esther Ranzson at 1100 hours and then again at 1400 hours for the final of 'Choirs at Sea' under the direction of Gary Glading our Cruise Director. Then at 1600 hours we had a full kitchen set up on stage for our Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes - the entertainment never stops on Arcadia!!
As you know we revamped our Art Gallery on Deck 3 in our December Refit.
Here is Franklin's story.
Franklin joined the Arcadia at Singapore. He has travelled from South-Africa where he lives and was brought up on a Safari Ranch. He has been with the fleet for the past 5 years, working on Princess Cruises, Cunard, P&O Australia and P&O Cruises. He has worked on 18 ships during his time as Art Director. As the Art Director, he is responsible for the art gallery on board and regularly conducts art auctions. The auctions are always a popular event where the champagne corks are popping and the bids are cast for the beautiful works of art on display on the easels. Pieces are then shipped and delivered to the address given by the buyer and arrives a while later at their doorstep. What a beautiful memory of your cruise holiday!
“We have one of the world’s largest art collections and have art galleries only on board ships. We have many art collectors coming on board to buy our works created by world-renowned artists at very competitive prices. It is always a thrill to present a work of Picasso, Rembrandt or even the ultra-rare Chagall…” says Franklin.
Franklin lived in Germany, Cologne where he travelled to the major European cities and found himself on the catwalks of fashion exhibitions of Paris and Milan. He then moved to Los Angeles and started his work as a Director for a gallery group in Hollywood, CA. He continued his work as a model and dipped his hand in some acting too! You might catch a glimpse of him in a few sitcoms he had a minor role in and several fashion campaigns from New York to Tokyo!
Back in South-Africa, his home base, he nurtures his love for horses and has a rehabilitation centre for retired race horses. “I love my horses and dislike being away from them for extended periods of time. I have a very good managerial team taking care of them when I am away. The animals don’t like it when I leave and even ignore me when I return home, but they understand that I love them and I love travelling and working on ships. I get to see far-off places and meet wonderful people during my travels. I have two careers that I love and appreciate being able to maintain”.
Thank you Franklin appearing on my blog!
This is one of the joys of a career at sea in that I can have two lives - one on board and another at home - both are good and when I am here is 110 percent on and when I am home is is 110 off!
Horses for courses as they say! Pardon the pun.
Have a great day, Anthony Fisk tells me I spoke to 3.7 million people on Radio yesterday - I have never been one to be lost for words.....................
Melbourne tomorrow.
Best wishes
James.
'You can't do better than your best'
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7 comments:
Oooh I like the sound of Franklin. Anyone who loves horses is a winner in my book. How nice to be able to combine a career with a real interest.
I seem to recall that some passengers can get carried away in the heat of the moment with their expensive purchase, only to change their mind once they get home! What an ace job that would be though eh? Travelling the world selling beautiful art.
Personally I find the idea of buying art on a cruise very bizarre - but I know lots of cruisers who love doing it.
Thanks for bringing us information on yet another aspect of P&O Cruises James.
Andrew & Tony
Ex J816
I'm joining Arcadia at Singapore and look forward very much to "Art at Sea". Not sure whetgher I can ask questions in "comments" but being a watercolourist myself, is it possible to purchase watercolour paper on board to save me weighting my luggage down on the flight? I will bring my own paints! If this is the wrong place for queries, perhaps someone can steer me in the right direction?
Brenda Fradd
Fraddy, We'll have paper on board for the art classes organised by our own art teacher, but we do not sell paper in the shops on board. If you are joining the ship in Singapore, I would advise that you buy some in an art supplies shop there, otherwise, you could bring it with you.
Thanks so much James,very helpful. I didn't realise there would be art classes on board - this cruise is going to be an amazing experience! The last cruises I went on were on the eductional ships, the Dunera and Devonia, British India line back in nineteen hundred and frozen to death (BI was taken over since by P&O). I was a member of the BI youngsters, we had the run of the ships, no teachers in charge, just very relaxed members of staff! Excellent stuff.
I read in one of your blogs that there have been "star" talks on board the Arcadia. Is there a chance we shall see the Southern Cross from Singapore?
Brenda Fradd
Hello Brenda, The Southern Cross will be low on the horizon however still fully visible on a clear night between Phu My on the 17th of March and Cochin on the 26th of March. It will be at its highest altitude in our night sky as we pass Singapore. We will be carrying out star talks roughly once every two weeks depending on weather. Provided the sky is clear we will carry out a star talk on the night before Singapore (20th March.
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