LAKE LIFE

Lake Life
27″w x 13″ h

“Lake Life” – This is half of a vintage piece of galvanized metal that was found on a former dairy farm in Tolleson, AZ. I love the patina that is found on these artifacts of the past that have weathered and aged throughout their life. I add my wildlife acrylic painting on these relics to enjoy now in current day. Each piece is protected with high quality UV and water protected acrylic varnish.

The loon possesses a beautiful yet eerie sound. Another possible derivation is from the Norwegian word lom for these birds, which comes from Old Norse lómr, possibly cognate with English “lament”, referring to the characteristic plaintive sound of the loon.

The size of a large duck or small goose, they are excellent swimmers, using their feet to propel themselves above and under water. However, since their feet are located far back on the body, loons have difficulty walking on land. Thus, loons avoid coming to land, except when nesting or severely injured. The North American name “loon” likely comes from either the Old English word lumme, meaning lummox or awkward person, or the Scandinavian word lum meaning lame or clumsy. Either way, the name refers to the loon’s poor ability to walk on land.

Loons fly strongly, though they have high wing loading (mass to wing area ratio), which complicates takeoff. Indeed, most species must run upwind across the water’s surface with wings flapping to generate sufficient lift to take flight. Once airborne, loons are capable of long flights during migration. Loons can live as long as 30 years and can hold their breath for as long as 90 seconds while underwater.