Moby Dick

My version of Moby Dick

I love to paint whales.  Moby Dick is no exception.  Because I am in love with Nantucket (and because people LOVE the whole Moby Dick story line), I find myself frequently painting whaling scenes that contain WHITE whales.  

I learned early on that nobody likes to see a dead whale, so in my make-believe painting, the whale always wins.  Don't get me wrong, I've painted them the other way, too, because it's historically accurate to do so, but I get objections. 

"Oh, this is so violent!"  "Oh my, why would you kill a whale?" 

 But the whale didn't always win.  Whaling was a tough career, and not for the faint hearted.  Frequently, the little boats, containing the seamen, would get violently hit by the whale or drug out to sea by their harpoon line that was connected to a very angry large fish.    

Because the pay was decent,  it attracted  the educated and talented alike.  We have some beautifully illustrated whaling journals indicating that it also attracted people from the arts, as well.  These little treasures are a valuable part of our history and can be seen at many whaling museums.  

This particular piece is for sale at my gallery that I exhibit thru on Nantucket.  Some day very soon, I am going to write a detailed little paragraph with information about Nantucket Country. She has antiques and quilts and little hard-to-find accessories and one-of-a-kind nautical pieces.  Her walls are covered with my prints, and the back of the store has a very large wall that is filled with original artwork.  If you ever get to Nantucket, it's well worth a stop.  

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