Red-Eared Sliders
Morning on the Pond
Sun warmed shells and watchful eyes
Burned into a monumental live-edge cross-section of sinker cypress, this impressive piece measures over 5 feet long and reaches 18 inches at its widest point in the center. It captures the familiar sight of red-eared slider turtles basking on a log in the morning sun before slipping back into the water at the slightest disturbance. The turtles are rendered with precise pyrography and colored using the studio’s signature combination of inks, watercolors, and specialty pencils. The natural cypress base, complete with wormholes and live edge, adds authentic texture and presence to the scene, making the work feel like a genuine fragment of the Louisiana bayou brought indoors.
The inspiration came from years of watching these turtles on the artist’s own pond — their cautious grace, the way they eagerly drop back into the water when they sense danger, and the peaceful rhythm of their daily ritual. Creating this large-scale piece took several weeks of focused studio time, with every scale, shell pattern, and reflection carefully burned and layered to honor the quiet beauty of these creatures and their habitat.
Materials: Large sinker cypress cross-section with live edge and natural wormholes, pyrography, layered inks, watercolors, and specialty colored pencils.
Dimensions: Over 5 feet long × 18 inches at widest point.
Price: $2,850.
Serious inquiries welcome. Message for additional information or to discuss commissioning a similar large-scale piece.
Location: Louisiana, USA
Available
Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography on live-edge sinker cypress by Art Illusions by Young from Folsom, Louisiana. Three red-eared slider turtles bask on a fallen log above a reflective water edge, surrounded by blooming blue irises and a wooded bayou backdrop. Burned with precision pyrography and colored with layered inks, watercolors, and specialty pencils on a monumental sinker cypress cross-section over 5 feet long.
Close-up view of the Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography by Art Illusions by Young. The turtles’ intricate shell patterns, heads, and limbs are rendered with exceptional realism on the live-edge sinker cypress. The natural wormholes and grain of the ancient wood add authentic texture to this peaceful Louisiana bayou scene.
Full view of the Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography artwork by Art Illusions by Young. The large live-edge sinker cypress slab captures turtles basking on a log before slipping into the water at the slightest disturbance. Created using layered pyrography and pigments on wood measuring over 5 feet long.
Intimate close-up of two red-eared slider turtles in the pyrography artwork by Art Illusions by Young. Precise burn work and layered coloring with inks, watercolors, and specialty pencils bring out every scale and shell detail against the rich sinker cypress base, evoking the quiet rhythm of life on the artist’s pond.
Dramatic view of the Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography on live-edge sinker cypress by Art Illusions by Young. Three turtles bask peacefully on the log surrounded by blue irises under a moody purple sky, showcasing the studio’s masterful combination of pyrography and pigment work on this monumental 5+ foot piece.
Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography displayed indoors by Art Illusions by Young. The large live-edge sinker cypress piece hangs above a console table with dried floral arrangements and a warm lamp, bringing the serene Louisiana bayou scene into a living space and highlighting its impressive scale and natural presence.
Detail view of the unpainted Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography by Art Illusions by Young. The turtles and surrounding wetland elements are burned directly into the raw sinker cypress with live edge and wormholes visible, demonstrating the raw texture and artistic precision before final color work.
Mark Thomas Young of Art Illusions by Young proudly holding a 1st place certificate for the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition for his completed Red-Eared Slider Turtles pyrography. The monumental live-edge sinker cypress artwork, over 5 feet long and 18 inches at its widest point, showcases the turtles basking on a log in their natural habitat, created through weeks of focused studio work with pyrography and layered pigments.