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/

Taking Care of Mother Nature

Getting Up Close & Personal With Mother Nature

What do gardening, birding, hiking and fishing all have in common? They provide wonderful opportunities to get up close and personal with nature -- to experience it on such an intimate level that we quickly realize the absolute wonder of it all -- and the need to protect it.

Gardens allow us to co-create. In a garden, we work hand in hand with nature, co-creating a masterpiece of form and fragrance, color and design. We may carefully choose each plant and flower and painstakingly plan our garden layout, but it is Mother Nature who adds the finishing touches and has the final say.

Observing the Miracles of Life
Backyard birding and wildlife gardening allow us to observe the miracles of life and to share them with our families. A few carefully placed bird feeders, plants chosen specifically for butterflies or the addition of a backyard pond all provide us with the opportunity to bring the wonders of nature right into our own backyards. 

Decorating with chimes, stepping stone, or RiverRock is all part of the beauty of your personal touch. Which birds mate for life? How long does it take for the complete life cycle of a butterfly or for a tadpole to turn into a frog? Inviting wildlife to our garden allows us to experience these miracles on a daily basis and from the comfort of our home or garden.

Experience Nature with All Your Senses
Hiking, camping and outdoor photography allow us to experience nature with all of our senses. The sights of mountains and oceans and fields of wild flowers call out to be captured on camera or canvas. Hiking an unknown trail with the sounds and scents of nature provides the opportunity for experiencing new wonders around every bend in the path. And nothing can quite compare to the feeling of sleeping outside under the stars and waking to another day as it unfolds before us.

And fishing, whether it is standing thigh high in a cool mountain stream with a fly rod in hand or strapped in to an angler's chair far out at sea, allows us to test our skills against nature. Spending time in nature restores our spirit and all of these activities soon show us the importance of protecting the environment.

Getting Outside to Experience Mother Nature
Taking care of Mother Nature hopefully encourages you to get outside and experience nature. We want you to run your fingers through the soil and dig your toes deep into the sand.; to listen to the surf and the songbirds and smell the scent of whatever happens to be blooming at the moment; And we want you to keep doing it until you see the wonder in it all - until you realize how important it is to protect it.

Pauline Libutti, RiverRock Critters.com
Copyright 2007 CraftyCritters Newsletter

How to Enjoy Nature through Art

I have always appreciated nature, my surroundings, and all the animals that I share this world with. Unfortunately, I didn’t stop and take time to just enjoy the beauty that surrounds me in my everyday life. Work, family, responsibilities, kept me on the move and somehow you just get wrapped up in this ongoing process for survival. I’m sure you can relate.

We do need to step back every now and then and just give ourselves me time. Time to relax, to enjoy what we have accomplished, and plan for future events that will give us satisfaction and self worth. Enjoy the beauty of Nature through books, your surroundings or a lovely painting.

I started painting because I loved to look at other artist paintings and admire their creativity and images that they so skillfully put down on canvass. I felt I was missing something by not taking the time to see if I to could bring out this magic in myself. Art is one of mankind’s healthiest inclinations, and one of our greatest attributes. Unfortunately, it is tucked away in our inner being and at times we hold it prisoner instead of letting the beauty around us unfold and come alive. I think there is an artist in everyone but we just don’t take the time to show our talents. Yes, having financial well being is a necessity but to really feel accomplished you need to find a satisfying outlet to bring out the real you. Don’t wait until you no longer have to worry about the mundane day to day projects. Take time now to nourish your inner self so when all the family is gone, work is no longer your main objective you will be ready to expand on all the me things you set aside.

I have been painting for less than a year and at one time stick people were a challenge. I found if I took the time to learn the art of painting I could find my niche. My creativity just seemed to flow. I have a long way to go since I’m self taught but everyday is a new learning experience. I live in Arizona and needless to say since it is all desert I am totally surrounded by mountains and rocks. A far cry from the California life I once had.

Mother Nature was so kind to give me the opportunity to see the canvasses she laid before me, and voila, I started painting on rock forms. River rock is the canvass I use to express my love for animals and nature. Everything can be painted in one form or another but I chose rocks since it is truly in abundance here. The picture of the Cougar Cub is a true reflection of how I feel about art and nature. I feel I have captured his innocence and beauty in the world that surrounds him. He is a gift of balance power, intention, strength and grace.

No matter what path you choose take time to relax, meditate, and engulf the beauty around you. It could be a book, it could be a vacation, or just that beautiful painting you just purchased. After all, there is truly an artist in everyone if we just take the time to smell the roses.

Pauline Libutti

Artist & Writer

http://www.RiverRockCritters.com/

Helping Mother Nature ...

Creative Expression

Creative expression can transform negative energies into a positive situation. Rock Art seems to fill that frustration for anyone who is creative, or a want to be, and has the desire to fulfill a long awaited talent. It’s as though Mother Nature handed you a piece of her art, that has profuse shapes, sizes, and natural color and said, here, I want you to finish it with your senses of imagination and creativity. Hence, the Rockers were born.

I feel art is one of mankind’s healthiest inclinations, and one of our greatest attributes. Unfortunately, it is tucked away in our inner being and at times we hold it prisoner instead of letting the beauty around us unfold and come alive.

Spiritual Development

Creative expression is a spiritual development, and can be a way of becoming more aware, and also deal with high sensitivity. We all possess the tools necessary to expand our creative horizons. Learning to use and apply them in everything we do is what counts.

Even though we feel we cannot achieve our dreams the love of the creative process is available to all of us if we just take the time to listen and learn. You need to hone in on your skill, whether it be Rock Painting, Writing, Music, and pursue it with almost obsessive diligence, foregoing other activities for this one true love. You will find yourself working hard to cultivate your natural talents.

Expanding Your Talents

Environment, nurture, exposure to a particular skill in your early years, luck and timing all play important roles into expanding your talents. Rock Art is a wonderful way to express your thoughts and feelings and a more comfortable way if you are one that does not express your feelings easily. Just about anything can be painted on a rock form. After all this art form was started almost 40,000 years ago in caves. Some theories hold that they may have been a way of transmitting information, while other theories ascribe them a religious or ceremonial purpose.

I believe now when you are walking in the desert, at the beach, or enjoying the serene sounds of the river you will look at Rocks differently. A shape, a size, a look that speaks to you. You might even here a slight whisper from “Mother Nature” telling you to create, to beautify, because she just wasn’t quite finished with this one.