Monday, May 8, 2017

'From Hell's Heart I Stab at Thee...' 19th Century Whaleboat


Not much going on around here these days. Too busy outdoors enjoying the spring weather. Nonetheless, I did join the Lead Painters' League again this year to be aggravated, er, humiliated, um, inspired into getting a few projects done.

For last week's 'Ship's Crew' theme I finished off this whaleboat vignette that I've had sitting in the wings for years.


This is a Eureka Miniatures set, and a lovely little kit it is too. It took a bit of google-foo to figure out the assembly of the boat, but that was no real bother. 

The other bonus was that it 'forced' me to revisit John Huston's Moby Dick (1956). Now, don't get me wrong, the more recent remakes, with Jack Aranson, Patrick Stewart and William Hurt are all fine and good, but I tell you, Gregory Peck's performance remains the reference standard in my heart. 



I fondly remember seeing it as a wee boy at my grandparents farm. I was so captivated with the film that my grandma made me a little harpoon (from a broomstick, with a few feet of baler twine as line) and my grandpa piled some white gravel with a tractor to serve as the leviathan's hump. I spent many happy hours that summer hunting The Great White Whale under the prairie sun.

'...For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee...' 

Epic stuff.

Next up: More Landsknechts!

For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/hermanmelv390294.htm
For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/hermanmelv390294.html