Me First, Meee First

Here’s a cute pair hand painted on a wood plaque that measure 5 x 7. This is another of the RiverRock Critters miniature series. This is $45.00 .Hope you enjoy it!

The Squirrel is the sentinel of the home. He will watch each member of the family and warn them if there is a problem within the family.

The squirrel is energetic in its work and play, and always ensures the future is well prepared for. The squirrel is a symbol of trust and is one of the few animals that will eat out of a person's hand. Learn from the squirrel to establish trust where you find it lacking.

There are over 365 species of squirrel's or squirrel like mammals through out the world. These are divided into seven families. The three most common squirrel families are the ground squirrel, the flying squirrel and the tree squirrel. The Gray squirrel is probably the most common of the tree squirrels. They inhabit most of the northern hemisphere.

Squirrels belong to the order "Rodentia", with 1650 species; it is the largest group of living mammals. It also comprises forty percent of all present day mammal species.

Squirrels are the most active in late winter, when the mating season begins. The males will chase females, as well as, chase off other suitors. This ritual of chasing occurs through the trees at top speed. While they perform some of the most breathtaking acrobatics imaginable.

Squirrels are usually born in the early spring. The average litter consists of four. This varies with climate and location. A second litter can occur in mid summer, if there is an adequate food supply.

The tree squirrel is a very special animal. It is one of very few wild animals that have adapted to humans and learned to coexist with man. It can live on both natural foods and hand outs. The squirrel is an acrobatic wonder to young and old. Its large tail makes it the most recognized mammal on Earth. It amazes us with daring high wire acts, as it races through the tree branches. Its determination to find a way to get seeds from a so called "squirrel proof" bird feeder is a delight to watch.

A baby squirrel weighs approximately one ounce at birth, and is about one inch long. They do not have hair or teeth, and are virtually blind for the first six to eight weeks.

An adult squirrel normally lives alone. But will, in severe cold, share its nest with other squirrels to conserve body heat. Once the temperature rises, the guests will be on their way.

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com

Wind Dancer

I have always admired the native american culture and arts. I wanted to capture the feeling of being wild and free. This art piece has been painted on a 9 x 12 wooden plaque. The price of this piece is $200.00. I feel it envelopes the look and feel of the indian maiden in all her glory riding her steed who dances in the wind.

She is Wild, She is Free
She is one with the Wind

Peaceful is the valley
Where the Indian maiden walks
The morning skies above her
As nature soars and squawks.

She knows ancestral spirits
Will protect her and will guide
As the trail leads her much higher
Along the mountainside.

She is a lovely beauty with her
Darken skin aglow
She gathers roots and berries
To preserve through winters cold

She crosses open prairie,
Bareback upon her steed,
Thinking of a brave she soon will marry
To keep the tribal creed.

With heavy heart she rises
Returning to the band,
Baskets of fresh berries
Held tightly in her hand.

SOLD

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com

Gone But Not Forgotten

This is a painting I did for my son's girlfriend who lost her dog just a few days ago. It has been hand painted on a 8 x 10 wood plaque. Anyone who has had a pet knows it has to be the hardest experience to let go and move on. Gone But Not Forgotton is a tribute to all the pets who have crossed over to the RainBow Bridge.

Request From the Rainbow Bridge

Weep not for me though I am gone,
Into that gentle night
Grieve if you will, but not for long,
Upon my soul's sweet flight.

I am at peace, my soul's at rest,
There is no need for tears.
For with your love I was so blessed
For all those many years.

There is no pain, I suffer not,
The fear now all is gone.
Put now these things out of your thoughts,
In your memory I live on.

Remember not my fight for breath,
Remember not the strife,
Please do not dwell upon my death,
But celebrate my life.

(author:constance jenkins)

If you have lost a furry friend I would gladly do a portrait in their honor. Please contact me by email if you have any questions or concerns.

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com
Copyright 2008 CraftyCritters Newsletter

You Are An Inspiration to me!

Dear Mom...

I am absolutely so proud of you in so many ways. You are a daily reminder of encouragement and inspiration. All of your hand crafted rock paintings and wall art paintings really speak to my soul. I wish I could open a gallery and share your work with the world! Yaay!

xoxo Love you Mom!! Lisa

Here is a video of my new house!! Enjoy..



Here is a beautiful reminder of who we are...

Dragon Dreams

This is another RiverRock Critters Fantasy Art painting on a 5 x 7 wood plaque. I wanted to use a multitude of colors to emphasize the imagery of a fantasy dragon and to convey his mystical power. The price on this item is $75.00.

Dragons are the embodiment of primordial power - the ultimate ruler of all the elements. This is because the Dragon is the master of all the elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. As a totem, the Dragon serves as a powerful guardian and guide. Encourage communication with your Dragon, and acknowledge your Dragon's presence as often as possible.

Their weakness is a fondness for beautiful gems, precious metals, tokens of magic and the occasional poem or spirited song of an accomplished bard.

In Chinese culture, the season of the Dragon is mid-spring, its direction is east-southeast, and its fixed element is wood.

KNOWLDEGE

If a person has knowledge the dragon does not have, after it learns it will give that person a token of gratitude such as a trinket from its own treasure. Gathering treasure is a favorite past-time of Western dragons. Dragons begin at a young age, when they get their own cavernous home, to start their own hoard. All dragons love beautiful things.

Western dragons are fickle, and only gather the most beautiful goldsmith work, such as crowns, the best cut jewels, and well minted coins. Some theories say that a dragon's hoard is a symbol of rank in dragon-society, but other theories say that the dragons just like the look and feel of the coins and other sundry items.

Some dragons inherit previous treasures from their parents, but most of the time dragons will gather items here and there from around the world, and bring them home. Some dragons are very well organized and will go so far as to separate gold, silver, jewels, etc. in separate piles. To find a dragon abode and steal some treasure is a quest for some thieves and rogues to be ranked in their guilds.

END OF THE LIFE-CYCLE

A dragon rarely lives past 1,500. When the time comes, the dragon realizes his life-cycle has come to an end. He will gather all Great Wyrms at the rim of a great volcano. All the Great Wyrms will howl a great song named "The Passing Song". This song will continue for a full half hour, and can be heard for 300 miles around. This announces the passing of an Elder. Once the song is heard by Adult Dragons, they will howl the same song for all to hear until all dragons on a world will understand they have lost a great member of their community. During the song, the dying Great Wyrm will circle the live volcano and then dive straight down into the lava to give himself back to the earth that spawned him.

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com

Two Cute

For all you Yorkie lovers out there. RiverRock Critters presents the Yorkshire Terrier. This has been handpainted on a 5 x 7 plaque and purchase price is $45.00. This would make a lovely gift for the Yorkie owner or anyone who loves dogs.

The Dainty little Yorkshire terrier ranks high in the top ten of American’s favorite toy dogs. It might be a bit difficult to find a more intelligent, bright and generally attractive little guy in the doggie world. The Yorkshire terrier well deserves its rank among the American pet owners.

When we trace the origins of this famous toy dog we go back to the days when he was a broken-haired terrier killing rats around and about his home. Others say the broken-haired terriers known sixty years ago or more in the West of Yorkshire at Bradford and Huddersfield were the ancestors of our present breed. These were bright little guys weighing from to 10 to 20 pounds.

The coat of the Yorkshire terrier has been improved over the years of breeding and his size gradually reduced. Colors also have improved. He is a most beautiful toy dog with long silken tresses of hair, a bright tiny face and small eye.

The Yorkshire terrier is always on the watch for a fun time and makes a delightful pet and companion. It is said of Yorkshire Terrier fanciers that a good Yorkshire does not the meaning of the word “fear,” and it is not uncommon to see one of these small creatures tackle an enemy four times his size, thus, retaining many of its ancestors sporting instincts. Many are still great “ratters,” even the daintiest of specimens.

Yorkshire Terriers are unusually healthy little dogs easily reared and not very difficult to get into nice coat. The grooming of a Yorkshire is a very important matter and much of his general appearance depends upon how well this is done. The hair should be divided from the nose to the tip of the tail in an even parting, and be brushed straight down on each side. If the “fall” is very long, it is best plaited and tied on top of the dog’s head. The eyes of a Yorkshire terrier should be small and expressive.

The general appearance of a Yorkshire terrier should be a long-coated dog with the coat hanging quite straight and evenly down each side. The part extends from the nose to the end of the tail. The Yorkie should be very compact and neat. Hair should not be wavy. The hair of a Yorkshire terrier should be long, straight, and glossy like silk. Among the colors are beautiful bright steel blues, extending from the back of the head to the root of the tail. The tail should have plenty of hair on it cut to a medium length.

One of the domesticated dog's greatest attribute is the capacity for unconditional love. He helps protect the family from bad feelings toward one another. Dogs have long served as guardians for man. They are infinitely loyal and steadfast in loving kindness, service and protection.

One can learn many things from the dog:

The joy of service

Loyalty
Sensitivity to "sniffing out" dangerous situations
Faithful companionship
The true meaning of unconditional love

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com

A Touch of Magic

Didn't every little girl sit at the edge of the ocean (or the bathtub) and pretend that she was a beautiful mermaid, a sea nymph so lovely and rare? The freedom of being able to traverse the undersea world just holds so much fascination. It is a place of no limits, no fears and complete freedom to be playful in the sea, cradled in those watery arms and JUST BE.


The grown up mermaid is the woman who has big dreams, who believes in magic and fairy tales and mystical creatures. She likes to put a touch of magic and beauty in everything that she does. She is not afraid to experience her full range of emotions because she comes from the water, the place of emotions. This is her domain. She creates from a place of pure feeling.


The mermaid signifies deep honor in being a woman and she has unrestrained delight in being a creature of exquisite beauty. Merely being in the presence of a mermaid will uplift and inspire you to create magic in your life.


She will inspire you to let your beauty be fully expressed in the physical and to embrace your own loveliness. She will help you banish fears surrounding this, such as fears of not being beautiful enough, being too beautiful, or misusing your beauty. Mermaids will help you settle into your own physical beauty as you follow her lead and express yourself with joy from the deepest part of your soul.

Mermaid is something of a muse, as well as a guide. She loves to create beautiful objects and leave them for you to find...mostly in your dreams is where she hides them. She is that part of you that loves to play and be joyful. As with most sea creatures she is the embodiment of playfulness and fun. And she will help you to access this part of your soul, the part of you that wants to be totally free and fluid enough to express yourself from that deep place within.

MerMaid Poem

I create my own persona with love

I am graceful and lovely

I am expressive and free

I flow my emotions and feel their stirrings in my heart

I am playful

I am vibrantly alive and engaged in my life

I allow myself to be me

I feel excited about my abilities to create

Today is my chance to create something beautiful

I honor my hands and the way they serve me

I honor my sexuality and the divine energy that it flows through my body and soul

My joy resurfaces naturally

I share my joy with all

This RiverRock Critters Art piece has been hand painted on a 5 x 7 wood plaque and is $75.00

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com

The Silent Hunter

The Owl is the symbol of the feminine, the moon and the night.

Magic, Omens, Wisdom

The owl is the bird of magic and darkness, of prophecy and wisdom.

An owl totem gives you the power to extract secrets. Meditate on the owl and things will be revealed. Listen to its voice inside of you.

You will hear not what is being said by others, but what is hidden. You can detect subtleties of voice that others cannot. People cannot deceive a person who has an owl totem.

Owl people can see into the darkness of others souls. Most owl people are clairvoyant because of this ability. It can be very scary at times. Learn to trust your instincts about people. Let your owl totem guide you.

Owls, which have been called cats with wings, are the silent hunters of the night. Their downy feathers and the front edge of their wings have a fringe which silences their flight. The wings are substantially bigger than their actual body making their slow smooth flight all the easier.

These birds also have a third eyelid which moves from side to side to clean their vision. An owl's eyes are fixed in the socket, however to be able to see all around, their incredibly flexible necks can rotate 270 degrees in any direction. An owl's vision and hearing work harmoniously enabling them to eat their body weight on a daily basis.

Owls know when to move silently and when to be still, which makes them the keepers of secrets. These solitary birds don't feel the need to proclaim their presence to anyone until the timing is right. Owl comes to us when we need to open our eyes, and study the situation at hand.

If we watch and listen with our inner selves we can figure out what is happening behind the scenes, and confront those who are trying to deceive us at the appropriate time.

This Owl has been hand painted on wood and is a miniature 5 x 7 wall art. This would make a lovely gift for someone who loves animals of all species. The price of this art piece is $75.00

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com