6x24 inches
acrylic, watercolor paper, kraft paper on stained maple panel
$525

The Jobs of Yesteryear series combines history and surrealism to tell the stories of obsolete jobs. A contemporary glimpse into the past, these mixed media paintings serve as a reminder of a time and stories long forgotten.

This particular Job of Yesteryear mixed media painting features a pirate. Pirates have been stealing cargo and terrorizing seafarers since the 14th century BC, when the Sea Peoples, a group of ocean raiders, attacked the ships of the Aegean and Mediterranean civilizations. From Ancient Greece to the Vikings to old Blackbeard himself, piracy has existed for as long as the oceans have been plied for commerce. The practice has always been quite similar, with a large group of men (and on rare occasions, women) overwhelming the much smaller crews of merchant ships and plundering their goods. The main evolution over time has been the weaponry and the ships utilized by pirates, with modern sea robbers using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades aboard small motorboats to capture their loot.

The Pirate II was created with acrylic paint. The long-limbed character was cut from paper and collaged with kraft paper. The Jobs of Yesteryear are thought-provoking conversation pieces that will bring an air of history and whimsy to any room.