How Does Your Garden Grow?

Decorating the great outdoors can be fun and easy? Here are two more additions to my RiverRock collection that will awaken any area of your garden.

Garden art like all art is often in the eye of the beholder. A little imagination and a purchase from my collection can surely improve your surroundings with color and bring a smile to your face.

Perhaps, up until this point you have focused mainly on the interior of your home with art decorations. Maybe you haven’t considered garden art, however, think about it. Why do you plant flowers? I believe you plant to bring beauty to your surroundings and color into your life. There is a part of you that enjoys beauty, creativity, and the fulfillment of creating something of your very own.

Well, that’s how I feel when I create the RiverRock Critters. I paint because I truly enjoy it and know that someone somewhere feels the same as I do. Every piece I paint is made especially for someone looking for the artistic presence in their garden or home.

SPRINGTIME

Its spring time so let’s start planning where some of these lovely critters can grace your garden and add color and vibrancy. There are many ways to display your critters. The main thing is to have fun with them and create a story book land of birds, squirrels, lizards, turtles, or whatever suits you’re fancy.


Life can be very stressful, and most of us need a way to relax. The problem is we don’t really get the chance. It seems to be a forgotten art! Ironically many people feel guilty if they take time out to relax and unwind from life’s daily stresses.

In the springtime when the sun is warm, and sky is clear blue, the garden becomes a haven, and it can be your oasis. Escape, to experience a most relaxing past time. Sink in your hammock close your eyes and enjoy what you have created with your hard work and planning.

YOU’RE GARDEN

Your garden will contain both natural and man-made decorative materials. It should be decorated to bring you closer to nature and make you know more about ecology in a practical way. Gardening brings relaxation to mind. It is an art and with art pieces surrounding you it helps gather knowledge from various sources to attain mastery in this field. It also makes your family members and children enjoy their leisure time joyfully in your artfully presented backyard.

So in creating a rock garden of critters, we must aim to secure carefully a selection and grouping, an impression of boldness in the color masses. Nothing is more satisfactory when contemplating any form of garden art, than the feeling that the designer has from the beginning worked with the idea of achieving some definite purpose.

Pauline Libutti , Artist & Writer
http://www.riverrockcritters.com/

Out Door Rock Art -Step It Up A Notch

The mild winter of Southern Arizona entices part-year residents and “locals” alike to the outdoors where they revel in sunny cool days and ideal conditions for patio living. Yet the landscapes they go out to enjoy might be no more interesting than those left behind under a carpet of snow

However, there is no need to suffer a dull and boring winter landscape. With careful planning, art decoration and plant selection, you can create attractive combinations that glow in the lovely rich light of the cool season.

Since I’m from Southern California I was always surrounded by green trees, beautiful flowers and lush lawns. Now that I have moved to Arizona I decided to give my yard a boost with colorful yard paintings and RiverRock Critters that just seem to make it come alive. The homes out here are mainly landscaped in rock with underground water lines. Since I was surrounded by a large amount of rock I came to ponder why not paint them. Giving Mother Nature a boost I have since transformed the ordinary into something special and memorable. I planted some fruit trees and the plants I chose to place in my yard are starting to bud and paint a picture of desert colors.

These our some art pieces to enhance my yard and give me the look and feel of the animals we share this earth with.

Since my yard is quite big there is plenty of room for lizards, turtles, rabbits, deer, raccoons, birds, and the list goes on. I enjoy painting so this project will be a gift of love to my surroundings and Mother Earth who so graciously gave me the canvas to work on.

There is nothing like creating your own haven with the things you love. A retreat, a quiet place to enjoy the wonders of nature and be thankful we are lucky enough to create our surroundings in any art form we choose. Tranquil, peaceful, a place to rest, a "Place You Can Call Your Own".



Pauline Libutti , Artist & Writer
http://www.riverrockcritters.com/

Innocence-3 D Fawn Wall Art

This lovely 3 D wall art reflects the innocence of a fawn in the woods, surrounded by flowers and greenery. He hides to protect himself while still close to his mother.

This art measures 8 ½ x 11 ½ and weighs approximately 16.2 ounces. You will note in the bottom left hand corner and top right corner there are butterflies painted on river rock. The combination of wood and rock in this picture adorns the deer giving it a realistic background with a 3 dimensional experience.

In painting these 3 dimensional art pieces I want the picture to jump out at you as if you were really there enjoying the beauty and surroundings of this little critter. The aroma of the flowers, and the soft flutter of the butterflies encircling the magic of the forest and the true beauty of nature.

I hope I have captured his delicate innocence for you. Please enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed painting it. Below is a little information regarding deer fawns and their personalities.

Fawn-Deer

Fawns are young deer with spots that will eventually be replaced by a warm grey winter coat. They can walk within a very short time of their birth. The mother leaves the fawn in a safe place usually within hearing distance not necessarily sight distance.

The Fawn Deer is a keen observer, can see well in low lighting and its sensitive hearing allows it to perceive a twig snap in the distance.

They are graceful, majestic and gentle in nature which truly reflects their innocence.

A Deer totem teaches us to maintain our innocence and gentleness so we can share our openheartedness with others.

I thought I would share this quote with you.

Drawing is the art of being able to leave an accurate record
Of the experience of what one isn’t, of what one doesn’t know.
A great drawer is either confirming beautifully what is
Commonplace or probing authoritatively the unknown.

Brett Whiteley

3D Fawn Wall Art
Size: 8 1/2 x 11 1/2
The item sells for $45.00

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock

3 D Indian Maiden & Wolves Wall Art

This Indian Maiden with wolves is another Wall Art creation of the RiverRock Critters.

It is in a rustic frame that measures 10 x 8, the rock wolf weighs 1 lb. 7 ozs., and is beautifully accented with the background painting. This item is given a 3D effect because of the one wolf being painted on river rock and attached to the background.

I truly enjoy incorporating natural wood with rock and painting a background that compliments the rock. It seems to give it a life of its own.

I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed painting it and creating a Native American theme.


Wild Woman

Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. Her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species. Though the gifts of the wildish nature come to us at birth, society's attempt to "civilize" us into rigid roles has plundered this treasure, and muffled the deep, life-giving messages of our own souls. Without Wild Woman, we become over-domesticated, fearful, uncreative, trapped."

Psychic Energy

This Friendly Wolf energy comes from the psychic. It is the psychic part of the Woman that knows how to shift her love, her intention, and her nurturing abilities into the form of the Wolf. Thus she comes to the village, in the form of the She Wolf or Wild Woman, to protect the children and the old ones in need.

The wolf was respected for its hunting skills, endurance, and stoicism. A wolf's devotion to family and pack, providing food for all, paralleled that of the Native American to the tribe.

Maiden and Wolf

Off into the woods they run...him now on all fours

Can she never ask the Great Spirit for her brave again

The wolves have made her journey so rich and memorable

They have a bond so strong it can never be broken

They have journeyed many mountains side by side

Many tales have been told... Will there be any more to tell

3D Indian Maiden & Wolves Wall Art
Size: 10 x 8
The item sells for $50.00

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock

River Rock Critters - Pet Rock

Pet Rocks

Children love to create rock critters. As a school outing or a home project this will surely delight them. Have them collect some rocks of different shapes and sizes. After you have a rock that a teacher or parent feels suitable for painting, the project is ready to begin.

Their finished piece can be used as a shelf decoration, or make a large one that can be used on Mom's desk as a paperweight. While the average ladybug is red, let them use their imagination using several vibrant colors. Their project will turn out to be their own unique design and color scheme.


Supplies:

• Smooth, round or oval rocks, washed and dried
• Acrylic craft paint in colors of their choice
• Black acrylic craft paint
• Acrylic matte sealer spray

How to Paint Lady Bug:

1. Completely wash and dry all rocks
2. Paint rocks in desired colors, and allow to dry
3. Apply second and third coats if needed.
4. There is no pattern needed, simply paint about ¼ inch of the rock any color they choose in the "front" area of rock
5. Use a thinner brush to draw a straight line down the center of the rock, starting at the center of the base of the “head”.
6. Dip the end of a large paint brush, or the eraser end of a pencil, in black (or any color they choose) into the craft paint. Dot on the spots, reloading with paint after every dot.
7. Once the paint is dry, spray the rock(s) with acrylic sealer spray.
   Allow sealer to dry completely.
   

Important Tips:

Paint a lady bug, bee, or anything on a rock that symbolizes a critter of your own. Decorate with dots for an antenna, a straight line or a fun swirl of color. Glue Google eyes on it or paint your own. See your critter come alive with your very own artistic ability. Apply fun stickers on it or swirl colors of paint. Let your imagination run wild and you will see a pretty unique art piece that will treasured for a lifetime.

Pauline Libutti , Artist & Writer
http://www.RiverRockCritters.com/

Petroglyph Rock Art Symbols

Symbols for Communication
Petroglyphs are images incised in rock, usually by prehistoric, especially Neolithic, peoples. They were an important form of pre-writing symbols, used in communication from approximately 10,000 B.C.E. to modern times, depending on culture and location.

The word comes from the Greek words petros meaning "stone" and glyphein meaning "to carve" . The term 'petroglyph' should not be confused with pictograph, which is an image drawn or painted on a rock face, both of which contribute to the wider and more general category of rock art. Petroforms, or patterns and shapes made by many large rocks and boulders in rows over the ground, are also quite different.


Interpretation of Symbols on Rocks
These images probably had deep cultural and religious significance for the societies that created them. Many petroglyphs are thought to represent some kind of not-yet-fully understood symbolic or ritual language. Later glyphs from the Nordic Bronze Age in Scandinavia seem to refer to some form of territorial boundary between tribes, in addition to possible religious meanings.

Some researchers have noticed the resemblance of different styles of petroglyphs across different continents; while it is expected that all people would be inspired by their surroundings, it is harder to explain the common styles. In 1853 George Tate read a paper to the Berwick Naturalists' Club at which a Mr John Collingwood Bruce agreed that the carvings had '.. a common origin, and indicate a symbolic meaning, representing some popular thought.' In his cataloguing of Scottish rock art, Ronald Morris summarised 104 different theories on their interpretation.

Similarity of Petroglyphs
Other, more controversial, explanations are that the similarity of petroglyphs (and other atavistic or archetypal symbols) from different cultures and continents is a result of the genetically inherited structure of the human brain. Other theories suggest that petroglyphs were made by shamans in an altered state of consciousness, perhaps induced by the use of natural hallucinogens. Many of the geometric patterns (known as form constants) which recur in petroglyphs and cave paintings have been shown to be "hard-wired" into the human brain; they frequently occur in visual disturbances and hallucinations brought on by drugs, migraine and other stimuli.

Present-day links between shamanism and rock-art amongst the San people of the Kalahari desert have been studied by the Rock Art Research Institute (RARI) of the University of the Witwatersrand. Though the San people's artworks are predominantly paintings, the beliefs behind them can perhaps be used as a basis for understanding other types of rock art, including petroglyphs.

The Stone Age: Rock Painting in Caves

Cave Painting
Cave or Rock Paintings are paintings on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. The earliest known rock paintings are dated to the Upper Paleolithic, 40,000 years ago, while the earliest European cave paintings date to 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the cave paintings is not known, and may never be. The evidence suggests that they weren't merely decorations of living areas, since the caves in which they've been found don't have signs of ongoing habitation. Also, they are often in areas of caves that aren't easily accessed. Some theories hold that they may have been a way of transmitting information, while other theories ascribe them a religious or ceremonial purpose.

Rock Painting
Rock paintings were "painted" on rock and were more naturalistic depictions than petroglyphs. In Paleolithic times, the representation of humans in cave paintings was rare. Mostly, animals were painted, not only animals that were used as food but also animals that represented strength like the rhinoceros or large Felidae, as in the Chauvet Cave. Signs like dots were sometimes drawn. Rare human representations include handprints and half-human / animal figures. The Chauveyt Cave in the Ardèche Departments of France contains the most important preserved cave paintings of the Paleolithic era, painted around 31,000 BC. The Altamira cave paintings in Spain were done 14,000 to 12,000 BC and show, among others, bisons. The hall of bulls in Lascaux, Dordogne, France, is one of the best known cave paintings from about 15,000 to 10,000 BC.

If there is meaning to the paintings, it remains unknown. The caves were not in an inhabited area, so they may have been used for seasonal rituals. The animals are accompanied by signs which suggest a possible magic use. Arrow-like symbols in Lascaux are sometimes interpreted as calendar or almanac use. But the evidence remains inconclusive. The most important work of the Mesolithic era were the marching Warriors, a rock painting at Cingle de la Mola, Castellón, Spain dated to about 7,000 to 4,000 BC. The technique used was probably spitting or blowing the pigments onto the rock. The paintings are quite naturalistic, though stylized. The figures are not three-dimensional, even though they overlap.


Rituals and beliefs
Modern studies and the in-depth analysis of finds dating from the Stone Age indicate certain rituals and beliefs of the people in those prehistoric times. It is now believed that activities of the Stone Age humans went beyond the immediate requirements of procuring food, body coverings and shelters. Specific rites relating to death and burial were practiced, though certainly differing in style and execution between cultures. Other rituals included birth, puberty and marriage. Several Stone Age-dated sites in different parts of the world indicate traces of dancing, dancing in files and initiation rites..

Abridged: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia