Teenage Celebrity On Captiva Island

Every year until I was 18 years old, I went with my family To Cape Coral Florida to visit my mother’s parents. Around the age of 10 our visit would include couple of day at a resort on Duck Key.
Then couple of years later our grandparent stared taking us to a restaurant called Chadwick which was located on Captiva Island. My grandfather would transport us there by his 23 Ft BayLiner , Cabin Cruiser motor boat.
A couple of year later my Grandfather Bought into a time share of condos on Captiva Island.
Now Captiva Island is a small Island, that was exclusive to time share vacationers, and rich and famous people who live on their privet compounds, or they docked and stay on their yacht at the marina.
So the second time we vacation at the island, I brought my art portfolio, and illustration paper and some ink pens. While the rest of the family was taking in the pool or beach, I was working the marina doing commissioned portraits of boat for yacht owners.
The following year I bought my water coloring gear with me to the island, and did the commission portrait and I some portrait of Pelicans to sell to the gift shop.
It would take one day for me to land a commission, do the illustration, and collect my money by supper time.
I was treated like a celebrity, I would catch the tram car right In front of my Villa, and it would drop me off at the marina, everyone on the tramp car and at the marina knew me as the artist.
One couple who I was doing a portrait for, owned an aviation parts manufacturing company. The husband was a world war two German fighter plane piolet. The wife made me lunch and brought it out to me on the dock while I was working. They later inviter me o their yacht for dinner.
I was commission by many celebrities to do portraits of their Yachts, here are a few name: Steve Allen (comedian and first late night talk show host), Henny Youngman (musician comedian), Archie Campbell (the barber from the Hee Haw comedy show) and The Captain of the Yacht that belong to the President of NBC.
The most memorable meeting was with Steve Allen. I was with my family, we were on our way to a restaurants for supper that was locater along the Maria, and we happened to be walking past Steve Allen’s Yacht. He and his wife were stand on the deck of the sailing yacht when he call out to me. He had seen me around the marina, working on my art commissions. He told me that he would like to be my next customer. He ask me if knew who he was? I had to confess I did not, but of course my parent knew who he was. He told my parent that He thought I was a extremely gifted artist.
So when our vacation was over and my parent we broke, my day would bum some money from me.
The ironic thing about this time in my life was .here I am making money off my art skill but In high school vocational school, I was in the commercial art program, which I passed only with the grade” C -“.
My time at Captiva was such a great experience for a teen age artist.
Written By Stephen J. Vattimo
Dec 13, 2016