We spent our anniversary weekend in Orlando, attending a painting class that Megan taught and, afterward, a charity for cystic fibrosis to which she’d been invited. The charity was held on the shores of Lake Eola, outside World of Beer, which occupies one of the prime spots on the lake.
She was asked to set up her easel and paints outside and work on a painting that was related to Orlando, which would later be auctioned for the charity. She chose to paint the lake with one of the trademark swans as the central figure. These swans live on the lake, are cared for and fed by the city, and are an endless source of fascination for residents and tourists alike.
In the evenings, the swans are seen settling in under the trees around the lake or taking a last minute swim before the sun sets. There are white and black swans and their cute offspring. Several months back, some of the baby swans were stolen, presumably for the black market, and were never found.
She had started the painting at home and finished it over several hours as Rob and I hung out with her. She painted it from a photograph on her phone. I was fascinated by how she could create anything in a crowd like his. People came up and watched her paint, commenting on the colors and the image. Several members of the press videotaped and photographed her. Megan, a double Virgo perfectionist, kept refining the painting, adding details.
The irony, perhaps something of a trickster synchro, is this particular image has something of a history. Several years ago, Megan was walking her dog, Nika, on a leash, outside the apartment building where she lived. Nika saw a squirrel and tore away from her, into the road, and was struck by a car. Nika was flipped into the air and slammed into the road. When Megan reached her, she thought Nika was dead. She scooped her up and sped to the vet’s office. The upshot was countless tests, a $1,200 vet bill, bruises, but no serious injuries.
While she was at the vet’s, the driver of the car, a young man, rushed into her apartment building and announced that a dog had hit his car and he wanted the owner’s name. He filed a police report and because Nika was technically leashed but running free, he sued Megan for damages to his car. He took her to court and the mediators deemed that Megan owed him $1,200, that she could repay at $100 a month.
Go figure, right? HE hit the dog, then takes her to court. Judge Judy heard about the case and invited them both on her show – all expenses paid to LA, and regardless of her final judgment, the show would pay the driver what he was owed. The driver refused to accept the invitation, probably because he knew he would look like the jerk he is. So, for eight months, Megan paid him his hundred bucks. Then, in the eighth month, he contacted her.
“You’re an artist, right? How about if you paint me something and we’ll call it even.”
This was the painting she did for him. The first time around, the swan painting goes to this jerk. The second time around, it goes to a charity auction for cystic fibrosis. From bad to beautiful.
Before the end of the charity, the organizer told Megan that they wanted to hold off on the auction until a charity event t in December, at the Ritz Carlton golf tournament. He felt the painting would go for much more than the $100 price Megan had placed on it. Rob and I agree and I think this beautiful swan would, too.
























