A Special Lake

A monster lives here, Santa travels over during Christmas, a meteorite created a huge bay in this lake, what lake is this? Reindeer Lake!

I've been working on a custom map of Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan Canada for Arctic Lodges. Before I paint a lake map, I do a little research to become familiar with the area. 

Boy, did I find some interesting stuff about this area. I found this to be a really cool and captivating place. First off, Arctic Lodge has been around for a long time, in fact since 1950. It has some of the top fishing in Canada and has first class accommodations. 

Reindeer Lake is located in the northeast of Saskatchewan and is a big lake, 140 miles long and 37 miles wide. The lake has over 5,000 islands of all sizes to explore. Amazingly, in Deep Bay Crater where a meteorite hit 140 million years ago, the water depth is 720 feet deep. Oh yeah, local legend has it that a monster lives in the bay and pulls animals through the ice during winter. No ice fishing for me! 

Did you know that NORAD use to track Santa's trip across North America and Reindeer Lake was a featured location on Christmas Night as Santa flew over.

What makes Arctic Lodge and Reindeer Lake so special? There are so many reasons, trophy sized fish, natural beauty, great accommodations, remote location, deep bay crater, monster legend and so much more. Learn more information here arcticlodges.com.  

Hey, my maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house owner. 

Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Lake Humor

Here's my cartoon that is making bait fun again just like when you were a little kid and peeped into your first tackle box". Well, I think that it's funny!

Paddle over to my website, LEOLAKES.com I do custom and personalizes lake, river and bay maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lakes waters, which make the maps even more interesting. I 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. Makes great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house owner. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

A lake with a fascinating feature!

I've been painting a lake with a most fascinating feature. A meteor crashed into the earth 100 million year ago and created this huge bay. Wow, the bay measures 8 miles in diameter and 720 feet deep. You can see it from the section of map below. When I finish the map, I will post more neat stuff about this lake.

Oh yeah, check-out my vintage style maps. These maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website, LEOLAKES.com that can be purchased from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hid things in the lakes waters, which make the maps even more interesting. I 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. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click 
Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Fascinating photos of Center Hill Lake

I just completed this 43" x 86" canvas wrapped map of Center Hill Lake. This Tennessee lake is a beautiful clear water lake nestled in the hills of Middle Tennessee. I love to take photos of my large maps because I can get down on the map and create some fascinating photos. I took a few photos of the map to give the impression that you are actually flying over. I think they are kind of neat and unique photos. 

These maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website, LEOLAKES.com that can be purchased from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hid things in the lakes waters, which make the maps even more interesting. I 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. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click 
Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Lake Humor

My cartoons are trying to make bait fun, again. It's kind of like when you were five years old and you peeped into your dad's tackle box, sort of! Anyway, maybe you will understand when you see these cartoons or not! Enjoy!!!

Also, paddle on over to my website to see some great maps of your favorite fishing spots...LeoLakes.com. Makes Great Christmas Gifts!

Remember:  Bait can be fun! 

I found Santa's House, sort of!

I found Santa's House, sort of. It's on Reindeer Lake! Okay, this is a little humor, but here's the story. I've been painting a new Christmas Ad for my website LeoLakes.com to use during the holiday season. The idea is based on Santa having a lake house. Obviously, Santa stays at his lake house for relaxation during his off times and does a little fishing, skiing, sailing, and boating, which fits right in with my vintage style lake maps. 

To add a little more creativity to the idea, I named a few of the surroundings on the map. Of course, it's in the vintage style, such as my maps, and a feeling of the 1930s cola ads. Let me know what you think!

Oh yeah, check-out my vintage style maps for the lake house. They make the best gift for the lake lover, lake house owner, or fisherman. If you have a special Lake, River or Bay, then paddle over to my website at LeoLakes.com. 

Remember: " Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, if not, then at least put on the wall." 

Frame your Favorite, Lake, River, or Bay, LeoLakes.com. 

Lake House Cartoons

I've just completed fourteen new cartoons. It's kind of funny, but from this time of year until after Christmas, I am at my most creative. It all goes back to the sixth grade in Mrs Smith's room. You see, Mrs Smith noticed that I was creative and artistic, but not an English/Grammar master (due to a dose of dyslectic). Anyway, I ended up doing all kinds of holiday art, from Halloween, Thanksgivings, Christmas, to New Years. So, when this time of year comes around, my creative juices start to flow like sap from a tree. Thank You Mrs Smith! You will start seeing the sap (creative juices) all over this blog in the coming weeks. Remember: Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream! Check out my website if you need a really great gift for the lake lover!

Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

A few weeks ago, I went kayak fishing on Marrowbone Lake near Nashville, with my fishing buddy Buttermilk. Marrowbone Lake isn't a large lake at only 60 acres, but it is a beautiful lake. The lake is nestled in the hills of Tennessee with a few small coves and an abundance of hardwood trees framing the shore line. Autumn is a spectacle time for viewing fall foliage on this lake. If you were to fly over the lake, its shape would appear to be a gecko with head, legs and tail.    

Our goal was to catch bass, but this lake is not known for an abundance of bass. The lake is better known for catfish and carp, big carp, in fact it holds a state record for a certain species of carp. 

Here I am loaded in the kayak and taking a break. We had already fished about two hours and not one bite. The bass fishing proved too difficult.

When fishing is slow, I start taking wildlife photos. . This great blue heron flew   over and I scrambled to get my camera. It turned out a little blurry, but I captured the moment. 

Here's Buttermilk deciding what to do after figuring out that the bass were not biting.

We both decide that catching fish is more fun than not, so we changed bait to catch small bream. Unfortunately, after catching a few of these I lose interest and get bored. However, it's always better to be on a big stream, than in front of a big screen!

Later that day, I have the kayak pointed toward the dock. 

Check-out my vintage style lake, river and bay maps they will look great hanging in your home and makes a great gift. Paddle over to my website, LeoMaps.com