'Night Captain'
2007
30 in. x 40 in.
Oil on canvas

In life, as in motorcycle riding, and especially if we are lucky, there will be a person who gets us through a tough situation. Riding a motorcycle under any circumstance is an adventure with a risk, but there are times when things can get even more intense--rain, snow, bad roads, and even getting lost--and that is when a 'night captain' comes to the rescue. The night captain may not be the designated leader, or the oldest hand, but is the person that finds a way to pull us from the edge.

After I completed this work, my wife asked if I had noticed a resemblance in any of the figures. I had not, nor did I plan to capture a specific person in the painting. The painting was intended to merely capture a sensation. As I forced myself to reexamine each individual more closely I noticed the face and features of an old and dear friend who has passed away. He was the first of us to ride, repair and rebuild a motorcycle. He taught some of us how to ride and some of us how to ride better. And he was most certainly the kind of guy who would do whatever it took to get the group through. He was the Night Captain.

I didn't plan it this way, but fate took a hand--and a paintbrush--so this painting is dedicated to my old friend, the 'Fat Man.' Remember your personal night captains, ride safe and be there when your friends need you.

Wesley R. Baker

Gallery