Leveeland Creations is the home to home-made, hand-painted naive folk art by Lance "Varg" Vargas. Here you purchase his available art, leave him a message or just look around at his growing portfolio of art.

The art is mostly created using found wood and objects around New Orleans, Louisiana. Plywood, picture frames, machine parts and other salvaged items make up much of it. The wood comes from gutted houses around New Orleans and from the great work of The Green Project and Habitat Restore.

Inspiration comes from old ballads, trickster tales, area colloquialisms, "neo voodoo," flora and fauna, languages, figures and spirits. Some are just there to make a short, simple statement about what's important in life. Some are more diffuse and abstract in meaning. A certain phrase, a local character, a strange tale, a fleeting thought these are the subjects of his art.

Varg began creating art from salvaged wood shortly after Carnival 2007 and refinishing his hardwood floors in 2006. His admiration of how heart pine wood reacts to sanding, staining and finishing prompted his first few pieces and matured into his current work.

Varg can probably custom-make any piece you need. Including address numbers, which can be designed with the color scheme of your house if the paint is supplied.

“I have made a rule for myself that I will use restored and salvaged material in every piece I do” he said. “As a result of the flood, there is a ton of great wood with a lot of stories to tell sitting on the side of the road throughout New Orleans. I’m just trying to grab as much of it as I can and turn it into something somewhat cool and get a little more life out of it. There is a lot to be said for paint on wood. It looks down-homey and authentic, a little bit advertising, a little bit inspiration, a little bit art. I try and give it all a little something extra, some flavor,” he said

Varg Vargas is also a New Orleans blogger at www.thechicory.com.