Another lovely dog has passed over Rainbow Bridge. Koda was loved by so many. He was such a handsome guy and was so lucky to have such a loving family. Rest in peace, sweet Koda, until you all meet again.
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Hubster did something super nice for me before his ankle surgery last week, and I'm just getting around to posting the photos. I had ordered a hammock with the canopy netting awhile back and we just hadn't gotten around to putting it up, but one day I walked out on the patio and there it was...hanging...and so pretty. He put one of my favorite books on the end along with a hummingbird wind-chime, a stuffed animal hanging out the other end (a fox), pillows and a light plush blanket inside. It's so wonderful that he is still so thoughtful after 30 years of being married. It is so comfy and will be one of my favorite napping and reading spots. He scored high points on this one! I love it!  Lori sent me a couple of photos of how she has Belle and Cooper displayed on her shelves. They look so cute together! Thank you, Lori! :)   It was an honor to paint this memorial portrait of sweet Belle. I know she couldn't have had a better family to live her life with that could love her so much. Rest in peace, sweet one. Until you meet again at Rainbow Bridge. I know you are running around in green fields with Cooper. Bless you both!  Candee Aaron sent a photo of the commissions I have painted for her over the years. I'd forgotten just how many I had done! More than I remember! They look cute and cozy all snuggled up around her fireplace. Thanks for the photo, Candee! :)  Keep Her is 9 years old and Candee's therapy dog. Keep Her is a sweetheart and she is devoted to her. Candee had her sold as a puppy and she came back to her because the lady had 2 pugs that were going to hurt her. She didn't sell in the next couple of weeks so Candee decided to "Keep-Her." Such a cutie pie! My calico cat, Little Baby, was supervising the painting, as usual. She is such a loyal, funny, and sweet cat. I think I have painted 11 commissions for Candee over the years and we have become friends. I always enjoy painting her furbabies.  I was going through some old photos this morning and came across this one of the Secret Garden stone. I painted it a few years ago and thought it came out really soft and pretty. When I find more time, I'd like to paint some more. It reminds me of spring and my mother's flower garden in Iowa.   Finally! It's spring! I have been working on some outside projects over the winter, but it is about time to start on commissions again..if you have been wondering what I've been up to. I'm still here! lol I look forward to getting back into my art studio and enjoy the Arizona temperatures with all the windows open in the house before the hot summer arrives. The desert is in full bloom...the prettiest time of the year! I need to get out on the quad and get some photos taken soon. I've also been working on what I call my prayer tree area which will also be the last resting place for our animals when it is time for them to crossover Rainbow Bridge. I'll take some photos soon of that project. It is a place I like to go to and watch the sunsets over the mountains, talk to God, and just enjoy the nature around me. So don't worry! I'll be back soon!
Hubster and I on one of our rock hunting trips a few days ago, out in the desert, found this really cool piece of driftwood. Right away I saw a snake with a forked tongue, hubster saw a dragon. Either way, it's still cool. I put a clear crystal in the open hole where the eye is (when the sun is shining on it, it really sparkles) and piled some volcanic rocks that we also found in the desert under the length of the body so it sits up higher. So now he lives in our Aloe Vera and cacti patch. Cool or creepy? We love it!  Just finished! So....hubster had this horribly ugly metal door on one side of his shop and I decided to jazz it up a bit with a horse mural.Years ago we had a 3/4 Arabian horse named Mariah, so in honor of her memory, she now graces our property again. She was a beautiful girl and I still miss her. I've always wanted to try something like this, so after a lot of prep work filling in scratch marks, sanding, sketching, figuring out things, etc., I got to work. Here are some of the steps of the process from beginning to end. I didn't overdo on all of the details as it is to be seen from far away. Hubster put a security light over the door so she can be seen at night too. We are both happy with how she turned out and hope you enjoy it too. A couple of our neighbors were fooled and thought we got a horse when they first saw it.  I had a request from my husband to do a mural on the outside end of our patio. We get a lot of dust from cars/trucks driving by on our desert road, so we decided to block off the end of the south side of the patio...for added privacy too. He had several ideas, so we settled on a simple silhouette of a sunset with a buck and doe. I'm also in the process of painting the entire outside and inside of the house and this mural really livens things up outside with some color. He also reminded me I that I forgot to add the other ear on the doe. lol I'll get to that soon! He has a couple of other ideas for some more murals around the property, (two on his shop doors) and I am looking forward to more fun projects to do outside before this summer while the weather is cool and nice.  When I was visiting my mom and dad in Iowa this past summer, my dad showed me this stone he had found. He asked if I could paint a bird head on it for him sometime. So I packed it in my suitcase, brought it home where it sat on my shelf and painted it for him for Christmas. It was a fun project! He was really happy with how it turned out. 
Christmas is over and the new year is on its way! It was another busy year here at RiverRockArt studio. I want to thank all of my new customers and returning friends and customers that had me paint for them. It was an honor to paint all of your lovely animals and I'm so sorry for all of the ones that passed over Rainbow Bridge.
The weather in central Arizona has been beautiful so far...snow has fallen in the northern part of the state. Today the temperature is supposed to be around 73 and by Thursday 75. I am looking forward to seeing what the new year will bring. I wish everyone health and happiness.
I've been super busy painting the last couple of weeks for Christmas commissions and getting ready for Thanksgiving and the Holidays. I have sooooooooooooooo much to be thankful for this year! Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with your friends and family.
Update on sweet Coco. It's been 10 days since she has been on her medications for liver disease. Today will be the last day of Amoxicillin for any underlying infection she may have had going on just as a precaution. So we still have to wait a few more weeks before another blood test for her liver levels and her other ongoing meds to see if they are helping or not. I have been boiling whole chickens and stripping the meat and freezing portions to mix with her green beans and carrots and a bit of dry food. So we are keeping optimistic and letting God do the rest. She was even getting her toys out of her toy box yesterday and played a bit. I want to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers.  (Commission for Lori Neuburger Howell) Hand painted on a 2" 1/2" x 2" 1/2" Mini Canvas. Cooper was such a sweet little guy. He brought so much joy, laughter, and fun to Lori and her family. He was so special and is greatly missed. Rest in peace, sweet Cooper. Until you all meet again at Rainbow Bridge.  Some sad news about our sweet Coco. A few days ago, I noticed her behavior was different. She was tilting her head slightly to the left, walking in intermittent circles and kept getting up and down, up and down, and couldn't get in a comfortable position. Her appetite was less and she didn't want her favorite snack...baby carrots, so I knew something was wrong. After watching her closely, we decided to take her to the vet and had blood work done. A couple of days later the results came back with elevated liver/liver disease. So we will be starting her on Milk Thistle and other prescribed liver treatment meds, antibiotics, Denamarin (liver protectant), different food diet, etc. In a few more weeks we will check her blood again. The liquid Gabapentin has helped her a lot this last week. The head tilt is almost gone and she has been able to rest and doesn't seem agitated like before. She seems happy and wagging her tail again. So, we will take it a day at a time and see if we can manage things. We will love her as much as we always have and treasure each and every day. Praying that she will get better.  It is so heartbreaking to have our furbabies leave us. Foxy was such a sweetheart and is so missed by her family. Her eyes could melt your heart. She was so special! Until you all meet again at Rainbow Bridge. Rest in peace, sweet Foxy. It was an honor to paint you.  Logan was a beautiful handsome old boy and lived a long life and is greatly missed. His eyes could melt your heart. It was an honor to paint him. Rest in peace, sweet one, until you meet your loved ones again over Rainbow Bridge.   Just in time for Christmas or anytime! Only $49 with Free Shipping and the little easel is included, too! Pet portraits and Memorials or anything else you might want painted. Make sure to get on my commission calendar to reserve your spot. You only pay on the day I start. PayPal Preferred. (Shipping in the U.S. only.) Send several clear photos of your pet. Head portraits only. Contact Maggie at RiverRockArt@gmail.com. Quality portraits with attention to detail and great pricing! Thank you! (The other easel with the saying is not included...it was used for display purposes only.)  I had fun painting this commission for Maggie Manwarren. I have a lot of MT and Coding friends. A nice break from painting furry animals. :)  |
 
Maggie Stoller, Arizona wildlife artist. Gabby, Bitsy, Little Baby, & Coco...my studio companions and furry friends.
All images and written material are Copyrighted ©2011-2013
Maggie Stoller All rights reserved. No material may be copied, printed, traced, duplicated, uploaded, downloaded, edited, published, reproduced or transmitted in any way without written permission from the artist. |
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