By the lake...

I took a break from the business of drawing pretty pictures yesterday to go with Heather's family to Lake Jocassee. This is the same lake that inspired "The One That Got Away" mermaid drawing... so we kept our eyes peeled for mermaids, but they are very good at staying hidden.

We went with Heather's brothers, Colin & Zeb, Colin's wife Stephanie, their baby Abby, and Heather's father, Tom. The girls had a blast swimming and playing on the sandy beach... and since it was a Wednesday afternoon, we had the whole place to ourselves. Neither Heather or I had been swimming in a long time and we had so much fun, splashing and playing and floating way out into the lake while the uncles watched the girls.

The water was perfect, not too hot or too chilly, and very clear. By the time we left, it was past dinner time, so there was a bit of a rush to get home, eat, help with homework and get the girls to bed on time, but it was well worth it for such a great afternoon.

Heather & I at Lake Jocassee

"The One That Got Away" Fantasy Mermaid

This original mermaid art drawing was inspired by a trip to Lake Jocassee, SC with family. Lake Jocassee was once a town, flooded in 1973 by the state of South Carolina to create a hydroelectric dam. Divers have found a hotel, as well as a graveyard, below the water's surface. It doesn't take much to imagine that mermaids might also lay beneath the still surface of this beautiful lake.

"The One That Got Away" features a young boy who has fallen asleep while fishing in his rowboat, far out on the lake. A little mermaid, curiosity getting the best of her, ventures closer to get a better look at the boy. She takes a moment to free the wiggling worm from his hook and feeds it to her companion fish.

This mermaid has long strawberry red hair and glistening copper scales, which contrast beautifully with the deep blue and turquoise of the clear lake water. In the depths of the lake, you can just see an old car which must have been left behind when the town was evacuated so long ago.

*** Limited Edition Prints are available of this artwork! ***