Rob's Blog

Tag: swamp

My projects in progress: Manatee! – February 4th, 2018

by on Feb.04, 2018, under Cartooning

This is just another drawing of the set of illustrations that will be part of a booklette at our annual Florida Springs Festival, March 3rd and 4th, at Silver Springs State Park. One page of the booklette will be just for me to create a personalized drawing per your request. The booklettes will be free for you and yours!

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I’m drawing doggie dinner! – July 9th, 2017

by on Jul.09, 2017, under Illusration

I hope you all enjoyed your dinner! Spot sure did!

I’ve been drawing more puppies, trees and a bone!

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On the road in Kissimmee! – May 11th, 2017

by on May.11, 2017, under Books, Florida History!

Powerful day Thursday as I visited Kissimmee, Florida, and did some exploring I haven’t done in years. Started off meeting with my old friend, Shawn Anderson, visiting from Minnesota, in Historic Downtown Kissimmee. On my way there from Lakeland I got a call from another old friend, Jeremy Buchanon who happened to be now working for Osceola County in Kissimmee! So Jeremy joined us.

I wandered and explored Makinson Hardware that opened in 1884 and still going strong.

Then on to the old Osceola County courthouse. Leslie, of the guardian ad litem program partly housed in the building, was very kind to give me a tour through this fascinating building. There are more photos of the courthouse over at my Swampy’s Florida page.

After leaving Kissimmee, i did some poking around for books, that I usually like to do on my birthday. I found some wonder books! And quite a few for friends!

On the way home I pit stopped at The Donut King and nabbed the monster sized apple fritter for my drive Friday into Tampa and 3 more days on the road! More to come! 😀

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Me #Cartoon ing a yellow-bellied slider! – April 29th, 2016

by on Apr.29, 2016, under Cartooning

Today been working on a new character for the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute. Bouncing back and forth we got the yellow-bellied slider just where we want him! Now to create the book that he’s in!
2016-0429-SpringsInstituteTurtle
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Book: ‘Flintlock: Kill or Die’ by William W. Johnstone – April 29th, 2016

by on Apr.29, 2016, under Books

Kill or Die (Flintlock, #3)Kill or Die by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Number 3 in the series of ‘Flintlock’ and either the writer changed or somebody got in a big hurry to hit a deadline. One things for sure – The writer does not know swamps!

The over all story is good, but far simpler in telling than the previous two. Not helping is my reading great authors since reading the two. Folks like Walter Lippmann, Mark Greaney and John D. MacDonald.

I am so glad I read John D.’s ‘Condominium’ before reading this book. Odds of someone doing that is extremely low. The odd thing is that ‘Kill or Die’ is basically ‘Condominium’. Just that all of the characters have guns. There is the community living in the swamp, a ruthless developer out to wipe out the cypress swamp and the oncoming hurricane. The story was eerily similar.

The writing of the cypress swamp really bugged me. Obviously the writer has never stepped foot in one. I don’t know much about west of the Mississippi and all of the rocks and dirt in the west. Not my thing. But, here in Florida, I know swamps and like them a lot.

It’s supposedly late Summer in a Southern swamp. All of the characters acted comfortable. Even the most die hard Southerner sweats like crazy in late August. But most especially someone like Flintlock, used to the dry western air, would be having a hell of a time adjusting to the thick humidity.

Also, where are the bugs??? Now, most healthy swamps actually have few bugs. But this is described as home to many people. Thus, the swamp should be filled with all kinds of bugs. Few appear throughout the swamp scenes.

The BIGGEST omission, and a huge strike in my book, are the cypress knees. No one is just going to go trotting out into a swamp they don’t know and not, either, navigate around the knees or trip over them. NOT ONCE are knees mentioned. That’s impossible, for a cypress can not survive without the attached knees jutting out for air.

This is the least clever of the three Flintlocks. Rather a standard story with some excellent enhancing elements like the balloon, the odd mid-eastern valet and the description of Evangeline. The odd mysticism continues in this book, but not with the magical flair of the first two. The characters are very well done and typical of a Johnstone Clan book. The settings are lacking this time around, especially with the noted above. The ending appears to be multiple chapters tacked on, I guess, to increase page count. This is the shortest of the Flintlock series by 100 pages.

Proof to me that this is surely a different writer is that Flintlock is not described as in the other two books. The tattoo is only described on his neck and not running from the side of his face to his chest. Also, Flintlock is not described by his shorter stature or mustache. Also, O’Hara’s character has greatly altered to being more of a side kick than the drifter described in the first two.

This third book continues the trend of having a horrible cover. Still not Flintlock on the cover. Also, the background in know way looks like a Louisiana swamp.

Can’t believe I’ve caught up with a Johnstone Clan title! First series I’ve read all that are available.

Bottom l;ine: i recommend this book. 6 out of ten points.

View all my reviews

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Live at Torreya State Park along the trail during the War Between the States! – April 13th, 2016

by on Apr.11, 2016, under Florida History!, Florida Outdoors!

From Chattahoochee, I quickly made my way to Torreya State Park, near Bristol, to get travel and hiking information and to add a second live video using the new Facebook option. Here, I take the north trail from the Gregory House where the six cannon encampment had been for the confederacy during the Civil War.

You can plan a trip to Torreya State Park here: https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Torreya

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My newest #Florida painting – ‘Playing along the Oklawaha at Fort McCoy’ – April 1st, 2016

by on Apr.01, 2016, under Florida Outdoors!, Illusration

2016-0401-OklawahaSaupp

Here’s my newest painting. The setting is the Oklawaha River from a photograph I took.
Eventually to be available as a print.
 
Here’s where some prints are available to purchase now:
http://store.theknowledgeexchange.com/collections/swampys-prints

http://store.theknowledgeexchange.com/collections/swampys-prints

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Hiking Circle B Bar in Lakeland – March 27th, 2016

by on Mar.27, 2016, under Florida Outdoors!

Did some hiking earlier in Circle B Bar Reserve. Much more now and to come over at Swampy’s Florida.

2016-0327-CircleBBar-Lakeland-04

2016-0327-CircleBBar-Lakeland-02

2016-0327-CircleBBar-Lakeland-012016-0327-CircleBBar-Lakeland-03

Many thanks to my pals of many years, Russell and Alice Sue Noell for their hospitality this weekend. Great vittles and socializing! Another dear pal, Debbie Schafer, called while I was there exclaiming, “You’re socializing!!??!” It is an unusual occurrence.

Right now dashing off some artwork before I get home!

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#DailyInks #24 – Inking ‘Welcoming Friends’!

by on Nov.25, 2015, under Illusration

DailyInks-BunnyWelcome-WatercolorPrep

All inked and ready for watercolor!

This newest painting is set in an exclusive area of Brevard County in Florida. Thanks to, my friends, the Cronkhite family I was able to take photos in the area. I used those to construct this illustration. More to come!

The finished painting can be seen during the 4th Anniversary open house at The Knowledge Exchange December 4th in Palm Bay, Florida.

 

 

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#DailyInks #9 – Now a Week Ahead!

by on Nov.10, 2015, under Cartooning

2015-1109-DAilyInks

Have a bunch of work to do this week and spent a couple hours to pencil and ink more than a weeks worth of Swampy’s Florida cartoons this evening to get those out of the way.
 
To speed things up, I try to make the art smaller, by drawing two to a page.
Inking done with Prismacolor brush, PITT soft brush and a medium Pitt pen.
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