Winter is traditionally a special time of year for Oak Harbor artist Tony Turpin, but this is one he doesn’t particularly relish.

Facing the first holiday season in a half century without his wife Elizabeth, who passed away in October, Turpin has decided to get away from Oak Harbor for a month and concentrate on his art in the South Pacific.

He has accepted an artist-in-residence assignment aboard a luxury cruise ship, where he’ll teach classes and lecture while also taking some time to reflect.

“This comes along at an opportune time,” Turpin said. “I didn’t want to be around for the holidays in an empty house.”

Turpin, whose paintings have been showcased on Whidbey Island since the mid 1960s, will be aboard the plush Oceania Line MV Marina cruise liner. He departs Valparaiso, Chile, next week and will spend Christmas and New Year’s in the French Polynesian islands.

“It’s not bad work if you can get it,” he said.

The trip is paid and features an artist’s loft in an upper level of the ship.

“It’s really a nice appointed space,” he said.

Turpin has traveled extensively in his life and did an artist-in-residence cruise two years ago in Europe, but those travels were with his wife.

Her death came after a long bout with cancer and just shy of a major milestone in their lives.

The Turpins were married Jan. 21, 1965, in the home of a judge in Coupeville on a rainy night, then sped off to Vancouver, B.C., and the Sylvia Hotel for a brief honeymoon because he had to report back to duty at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

“I have the hotel receipt for the room that night,” Turpin said. “We were planning to go back for our 50th.

“Almost made it.”

Turpin, 76, said he credits so much to his wife in the support and encouragement of his passion for art. He said he will need to focus more on sales with his drawings and paintings, which are currently on display at the Museo Gallery in Langley.

To view Turpin’s art online, go to www.turpinart.com