Sunday, January 27, 2013

Nice artwork Johnny! Looks like little Johnny just invented designer waders. Hmm... little Johnny's artwork is all over his dad's fish suit, as little Johnny calls them. Is that a permanent marker in Johnny's hand. Oh no, wonder what daddy's reaction will be? I hope you liked my cartoon!

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream! www.LeoLakes.com

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Red shouldered hawk!


Yesterday there was a huge disturbance in the ten acre woods. Lots of rustling, scurrying, and barking by the neighbors, the squirrels. What was causing all of this uproar? I'm not sure, but just before I ran into the house to get the camera, silence came over the ten acre woods. You could hear an acorn drop. Hmmm... what's going on? After retrieving my camera, I scanned the trees to see if I might see what was causing the ruckus.  
Finally, buried behind a lot of twigs and branches, I discovered a hawk. No double about it, this hawk is looking for a meal with the main course being a bushy tail. Looking through the camera it was hard to determine the hawk's species.
After transferring the photos to my laptop, I was able to identify the hawk. It was a Red Shouldered Hawk, which is common in this area.
Normally, we have an abundance of squirrels, but on occasion they all disappear, thanks to the Great Horned Owl, Red Tail Hawk and Red Shouldered Hawk.  

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Vintage Style Maps of rivers, lakes and bays.


I just completed this treasured map of Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama. It's a large 2 feet x 4 feet and printed on  canvas.  
My goal is for the map to almost glow. 


I hide things in the waters of the river, lake or bay.

On canvas prints, I come back and hand paint the waterfowl to make them pop and to appear as if they float over the map. I just noticed in this photo that if you look closely you may find something swimming in the water.

I don't hide snapping turtles, but I do hide a tiny mermaid/fish in the waters of all my lake map paintings that folks love to search for. I call my maps treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. These maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com
 
As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click above.
Remember: Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, if not, put one on the wall."