Queequeg

This is a painting of Queequeg of the ship Pequod.

He is a character in Herman Melville's, "Moby Dick" who has always intrigued me with his tattoos, his skill and knowledge, his courage in the unbelievably difficult life that he chose, or that had chosen him.

In my story, Queequeg has a red X for missing his love, and a blue X for missing his home.

His eyes are gazing towards the sea, but his self-inked tattoos clearly state his connection to what he longs for, his Home, where his feet are on solid earth and his heart beats steady.

This painting says, "No matter how far you journey, always remain rooted to your home, to your own true self".

It's made with raw pigments, tubed paint and leather paint on gessoed canvas. The edges are irregular, as I painted it.

This piece will look different every time you see it, as the translucence of the paint reveals the texture and images that are painted underneath.