Sargasso Sea

acrylic paint, leather, cotton, gold leaf and silk strands on Arches paper.

The Sargasso Sea is an elongated region in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, remarkable for the thick masses of seaweed of the genus Sargassum which floats upon its surface. Sailors of ancient times feared their ships becoming entangled in the seaweed, and anyone who has taken so much as a canoe through weeds and lilies can tell you that it does indeed hamper the progress of one's vessel.

Wise navigators would do well to steer clear of such entanglements, naturally enough. The Sargasso Sea is also colloquially known as the "graveyard of ships", as there have been many mysterious disappearances in the region. (However, the seaweed does offer a safe haven for loggerhead turtles and other forms of sea life.)

This painting was done between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm today. Tomorrow I cannot work on my one day paintings, as I am beginning a new project of four paintings in collaboration with a woman of my acquaintance. More on that later.