Italian artist Roberto Rizzo turns bland river stones into incredibly detailed artworks inspired by the animal kingdom. From mammals like cats and dogs, to birds and fish, there is almost no creature that Rizzo can’t turn a stone into.

Roberto Rizzo has always believed that stones have a soul, and using his mind’s eye and his talent as a painter, he has been able to turn stones into living artworks of sorts, by turning them into photo-realistic animals. He has been creating his beautiful painted stones since 1996, and is an expert at hunting for special stones that can be used as canvases for his art.

Photo: Roberto Rizzo

Mammals are the most suitable inspiration for the talented Italian artist, as their physical characteristics are well suited for bland river stones as well as for strangely-shaped ones. Birds, with the exception of nocturnal birds of prey such as owls, are generally more difficult, and require a lot of imagination.

Fish are the most challenging for Rizzo, as they require very specific characteristics that are rarely found in stones. Still, whenever he finds one of these rare stones, the results are quite impressive.

“The mammals are the ideal subjects to be painted on the stones. Most of them have thick fur and have a habit of gathering in a crouched position,” the artist writes on his website. “Working with the imagination I can adapt them to even the strangest stones and thus obtain unique works.”

“Painting  birds  and  reptiles  on stone is a real challenge. With the exception of nocturnal birds of prey such as owls and owls which have a compact body and which are easier to ‘insert’ into the stone, for all other species, imagination and experience play a key role,” Rizzo adds. “Stones suitable for  fish  are quite rare, but when I am lucky enough to find one I can’t wait to get to work!”

Roberto Rizzo uses high quality acrylic pigments and paints that are very resistant over time, but he recommends that collectors keep his artworks away from direct contact with the elements, as no painted work can resist heavy rains or direct sunlight for too long.

With an experience of over 25 years, Rizzo is one of the world’s leading stone painters. Each one of his creations is hand-painted and therefore unique, and even though he can try to reproduce some of his popular past works, no two will be identical.

You can learn more about Roberto Rizzo’s art, and even order painted stones, from his official website.