Rogues

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight" inspired the title to this portrait of Black Beard begun in Charleston, SC on the 300th anniversary year of his blockading the city's harbor in 1718.

As Captain Flint from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, was both the name of his notorious pirate who died before the story took place, and, his parrot, which did appear in the book, placing both in the painting adds mystery to the title. the parrot's favorite words were, "pieces of eight", so it is fitting that a silver piece of eight be included.

These two women pirates crewed aboard the same ship. Disguised as men, they fought beside their shipmates even after their sex was revealed. Described as hellcats, both were captured. They vilified their pirate shipmates for being cowardly drunks and for not fighting off their captors. The women were tried and sentenced together, dodging their fate of hanging by pleading their pregnancies.

Most often, buccaneers left death and destruction behind them. Yet, guile and intimidation were their first choices, as these posed less personal risk. Their operational procedure was slash and grab, and the devil take the hindmost. Afterwards, they hoped rum would purify their souls.