Learning to Paddle

I must tell you about teaching my daughter how to paddle. To get her to go, I told her that we will do "Paddle Yoga" and all the millennials are doing it. 

It's obvious that on the list of things to learn, paddling is pretty much at the bottom. Let's face it, paddling is not an essential task to learn for life. Today, most millennials would rather be indoors in front of a computer screen, rather than on the water with a paddle. 

In the old days, you grew up paddling if you lived near the water. Do you remember learning to paddle? I don't, but I do remember when I was a child being in the boat while my dad paddled. I don't think that there was a very moment that I learned to paddle, I think that by watching, I just knew and started paddling. However, lets face it, paddling is not rocket science. It's kind of like a puppy that has never been in water, but when placed over water the puppy instinctively starts to "dog paddle". 

 Our paddling adventure began on Old Hickory Lake. Sarah has been boating many times before, but never has she paddled a boat by herself. With very little direction, as you can see from the photo she took off like a rocket. The only problem, if you look closely you will see it, she has the paddle backwards.

Now it's time for "KAYAK FOOTBALL" Check this out! The fastest way to learn to paddle is playing Kayak Football. Yes, the object is to.....No, I can't keep this fake game up, I'm kidding, there is no such thing as Kayak Football. This football just floated up from somewhere and I thought that it would make a great photo and nice fake story. It's amazing what you see on the water.

Anyway, it looks like Sarah has the hang of padding in smooth water. In the future I will take her to a river for a little more excitement, paddle in some water rapids.  

Going, Going, Gone!

Check-up my vintage style Lake, River and Bay Maps.  We have many popular lake maps such as the Lake Winnipesaukee map, Great Sacandaga Lake map, Lewis Smith Lake map, Pickwick Lake map, Greer's Ferry Lake map, Lake Sidney Lanier map, Lake Sinclair map, Table Rock Lake map, and Lake Wallenpaupack map. These vintage style lake maps are great for the lake house. Also, we paint custom maps and have personalized Lake maps for that special someone. Go to www.Leolakes.com to see if we have your map.

Lake Superhero?

I think that I have seen this superhero at the lake. Have you? Anyway, I just can't stop with the bobber humor!  

Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My vintage style lake maps make a great gift for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

Just remember: "Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream".

Lunch near the waters edge?

It's a nice day to have lunch near the waters edge. This water snake was munching on a 2-3 pound bass on the Elk River. I believe the snake is a northern water snake, non-venous. I've seen them many times. Most folks mistakenly identify them as a copperhead. 

When I was a child, my father and I would float down the Duck River fishing from a flat bottom aluminum boat that he purchased from Sears department store. As we floated along, he would keep his eye open for a water snake coiled around a low hanging branch above the waters edge. If he spotted one, he would slowly paddle over without me knowing what was about to happen. When we were near, he would carefully raise his paddle and tap the branch. I was always oblivious to what was about to happen, until the snake came crashing down near were I was sitting, in a huge splash. It would scare the crap out of me, but my dad would laugh and laugh and laugh!

This is one of those treasured memories of the beloved river that I grew up on. I decided to paint a map of this river in a vintage style and it turned out so well, I ended up creating Leo Lake Treasured Maps. Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com, no snakes allowed.  Folks are discovering that my vintage style maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

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.

Big Vintage Style Lake Maps

Add beauty to your lake house! A nice big map of the lake that you live on. Have a large wall, hang a large map! 

Anyway, check-out my vintage style lake maps, makes a great gift. Click here, Leolakes.com to see if we have your map. We have many popular lake maps such as the Lake Winnipesaukee, Great Sacandaga Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Pickwick Lake, Greer's Ferry Lake, Lake Sidney Lanier, Lake Sinclair, Table Rock Lake, and Lake Wallenpaupack for the lake house.  Also, we paint custom maps and have personalized maps for that special someone. 

Vintage Style Lake Maps

Here's a beautiful vintage style lake map that I painted of Lake Seminole in Georgia. The map turned out very nice with the golden color. I try to make the maps as much "a piece of art" as they are a map. In fact, my large maps (16x32 and over) are numbered and come with a Certificate of Authenticity, which also includes a letter that details some other neat things about the map, such as the tiny hidden mermaid. Interestingly, I have sold over one thousand maps ranging in size from 10in x 20in  to 4ft x 8ft. Believe it or not, I have kept the purchase information (Who, When, Map, etc..) for all those purchases. So, if my maps ever become a must have item and end up on the "Antique Road Show", I will have the maps parent so to speak. If this dream does come true, I'm sure I won't be around.  

Anyway, I do have one wish and I think that it will come true some day, and that is, to stubble upon one of my maps hanging in a restaurant, business or home. 
I call my maps treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. These decor 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 vintage style maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com. 
 

"Life is short, reduce screen time and increase stream time, get on a big stream."

Looking back

I went back to see when I started blogging. It's amazing that my first blog entry was January 7th, 2008, over eight years ago. The subject was about starting a website where folks could purchase my paintings online. The site started out being dedicated to my waterfowl painting. My lake maps were not even conceived, however 5-6 years ago I started painting lake, river and bay maps. It is interesting how things change over time and how flexible one needs to be to discover new success.

First Blog Entry: January 7th,2008
Finally, I have almost completed my web site. I have a few more items to add. The site was not as difficult to build as I thought, however I have had no experience with web building. I did 100% of the work. After about 1 week of playing around with the web program, "Expressions Web", I had the site up and running. Painting has been very limited due to the time spent on the web site. I have other paintings that I have completed and will add to the site. Currently, I am working on a Great Blue Heron fishing in a lake with cattails. The painting is almost 90% finished. Well, got to run. http://www.oldfieldstudio.com/

Check-out my maps at www.Leolakes.com. We have many popular lake maps such as the Lake Winnipesaukee, Great Sacandaga Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Pickwick Lake, Greer's Ferry Lake, Lake Sidney Lanier, Lake Sinclair, Table Rock Lake, and Lake Wallenpaupack. Also, we paint custom maps and have personalized maps for that special someone. 

Crackling Fire on a Boat!

For a lake lover, the glow of a boat cabin on a spring night is the same as a crackling fire in a log cabin on a cold winter night! Holy Moly is that deep. Well maybe, but you have to admit that the glow of light from any cabin does give you a warm feeling.....read on!     

If you look closely, you may find the objective of this photo. One of my customers send me this photo and it is to show a clever way to display a lake map on a boat. The photo is actually showing a LeoLakes Maps on the table in the boat galley. What a great place to display a map of the lake that you cruise. As you know, boats have a minimal amount of space to display wall maps, but the table top is ideal. 

The map has been epoxied to the table with other interesting items such as, a compass, calipers, coin and small anchor.  I think it is adds a personal touch and conversational piece to the cabin. 

You know, the map is like adding a crackling fire to the boat cabin. How's that? Because everyone will sit around and gaze into the map as if it were a fire, sort of. Anyway, beautiful work Brendan and thanks for the photos.

Hey, if you want to add a fireplace to your boat. Check-out my vintage style lake maps. They make a great gift. Click here, Leolakes.com to see if we have your map. We have many popular lake maps such as the Lake Winnipesaukee, Great Sacandaga Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Pickwick Lake, Greer's Ferry Lake, Lake Sidney Lanier, Lake Sinclair, Table Rock Lake, and Lake Wallenpaupack. Also, we paint custom maps and have personalized maps for that special someone. 

Can you see the dragon?

Can you see the dragon? I can! I did this custom map of Lake Nacimiento, also referred to as the dragon lake. It's located in California near Paso Robies. Interestingly, Nacimiento means "beginning or source" in Spanish, which makes sense.  

I painted this map for a very nice lady who has a cabin on the lake and plans on hanging the map over the fireplace. I received an email from her after the map was delivered and here is what she said. 

"Hi Larry,

We got the map and it is absolutely stunning. I can't wait to hang it over the fireplace!

Thanks again, we are so pleased. It's truly a work of art."

I think that's enough said, check- out my maps...