*May also be used as a meditation object
You see, I've been over-taken with the beauty witnessed below. She is modeling a piece I created just for her. It is a Sun/Moon pendant which is adorned with glow beads and gold glitter. Yellow is her favorite color, so no opportunity was passed by when it was added. It has been an honor to have her wear this neckpiece, as it has brought out her best qualities which are her sparkling personality and a kind smile.
Enough said.
It's been said that we teach best what we need to learn ourselves. Well, what a lesson that was. Now I have taken to not just painting rocks, but meditating as they are being painted. It's peaceful at my place. Good music, a pot of coffee and I'm in the zone, usually coming up for air around 4pm in the afternoon. This has been my life for the past six years at least. What started out as a groove has turned into a rut lately. Now I'm reinventing myself as I seek greener pastures. The rock business has been about the same. Some days a grind, some days a groove. A wonderful time was had in Healdsburg however, at the "Art After Dark" event just off the square, last Friday night. Although I was sore from taking that fall, I was still able to put up the canopy, make lots of sales and take Saturday off.
The rock below is a trend started a week or so ago. It reminds me of a Clifford Still painting with the elongated strokes of color. Although I didn't paint with phosphorescent Glominex™ on the rock itself, it's got reactive paint to stun the viewer when observed under the UV blacklight.
A friend named Donna came by and told me about a paper-marbling class to be held at the Nimbus art center in St. Helena next Saturday. It may be time to take a break from the market to go check this out. Acrylic pouring and paper marbling are two styles I would like to learn more about. This artistic pursuit is calling me to explore other methods and materials.
This past week, a rock was donated to the Aids walk. It was a rock with the Hindu symbol for peace on it. You may notice many yoga practitioners wearing this symbol. It seemed appropriate enough for the occasion. It gives me a lot of joy to be able to contribute something to a worthy cause like this.
Next Friday I will be a vendor at the "Art after Dark" event in Healdsburg. It looks to be a fun time can be had from 6pm to 9pm on the Square there. If you are going, please stop by to say hello. Lastly, the rock of the week (below) is one I enjoyed making as it is NOT something that looks similar to rocks that have been painted in the past. Please leave a comment, as it is nice to receive feedback for my work. Until next time, be well.
The shape of the rock is another thing to consider. Craggy or obtusely-shaped rocks may require more than one coat of paint, as nooks and crannies are easily missed on the first application. Once the rock is given a solid color, it is sometimes fun to make it "two-toned" for more visual interest
.Using a complimentary color, this can be easily done by using an older,splayed brush and quickly flicking it up and down around the sides of the rock to cover only the edge. Then, using another slightly wet brush, simply diffuse the new color into the other by dampening it over the primary color. This process is better seen than explained.The two-tone effect should look almost airbrushed. So when we build and decorate these rocks,the surface will be ready for puff paint,glitter or whatever else used to add bling and texture. more to come...
This pasted image rock was done some time ago and features a .jpg image of a vaudeville dancer. The photo was easily re-sized in Adobe Photoshop™ and printed out on glossy sticky back paper.
After adhering it to the carefully selected rock ( which was very smooth, flat and shaped perfectly for this image )Trimming it to the size and shape of the rock is fairly easy, even if you are a novice using a pair of scissors. Lastly, I proceed to clear-coat the pic and add a glowing element around the border.
The nice thing about this process is that any digitized image can be modified, printed, and made available to be showcased on a flat rock. Pictures of family, friends, dogs, cats or anyone you may want to memorialize. The rock will look very nice on a desk or nightstand. Decoupage is the name given to artwork that adds pasted imagery to the surface. The addition of acrylic paints, dots, and design work enhance this process.
Upon taking it down later, it occurred to me that I have far too much stuff to pack and unpack, so in the future, I will be bringing less inventory and using the small canopy as an open-air solution ( no need to put all the UV lights up when I have a hand-held model ). Lastly, I've been taking more time with my creations, so you will see the quality of the painted rocks improve considerably. However, you will not see as many on display. The rock below is a custom job that was done for a special friend who is partial to black cats. See you on Saturday!
The voice and instruction style he has can be grating after a while, especially when that information is generally uninteresting and goes on ad infinitum. After other people began arriving, it became clear who was directing the show. One of the first things noticed was that no one of his performers from the two previous Fests was scheduled to be on this year's bill. Hmmmmm.Why was that? Anyway, we all followed his lead and the booths and logistical questions became clear.
I barely got much sleep Friday night due to the hard ground ( in spite of an air mattress ) and the ambient sounds that continued until dawn. There were coyotes, dogs, crows and other assorted creatures making a cacophony of sounds throughout the night. It was rough. Most of the set-up work was done save for a few extra chores.
Thankfully, I was offered some sympathy and a finely brewed cup of coffee in the morning by our aforementioned director, who actually can be a good-hearted guy. We moved picnic tables, garbage cans, and soft drinks as we coordinated the viewing area for the attendees. By noon, people slowly began to arrive. Even a few painted rock customers from the past!
Shows like these are gearing up to be a healthy, family-friendly event. A work in progress you might say. In effect, they do not draw wild, drug-induced fans intent on disrupting what otherwise may be a fun, stable weekend soiree. However, advertising this as a clean and sober event is not meant to be prohibitive in any way to those who are respectful of this idea. All in all, the future possibility of gatherings like these have great potential. Below is a picture of this week's rocks. I sometimes think that this would be the best rock to put on my desk. What do you think?
