This Week's Rock of the Week

This week, I honestly haven't felt like painting rocks much.In a slump, you might say.When this happens, my modus operandi is to go out and purchase a bunch of new art supplies to get me motivated. This has not happened.Rocks have even been found, prepped and painted with a base coat, so they are ready for some kind of creative juice to render them beautiful.

Last Saturday was cold and even though the sun came out later, there was not much foot traffic.Usually, Calistoga is a destination for people from the city who come to wine country to get away, take to the waters, eat good food, drink fine wine, etc. January is not the month where they are beating a path to your door. My sales reflect this observation.

Your Spirit Rocks are talismans that bring about prosperity and abundance if used correctly.The rock becomes a focal point at which one can direct their attention during meditation.The affirmation sheet that comes with each rock is what I personally recommend as a guide to bring about good fortune.My best thoughts and prayers go along with those who use these positive affirmations to fulfill their dreams for the highest good of all concerned.

The Rock and the picture below are my efforts at bringing peace of mind and creativity back into my life.The rainbow picture was taken at Russian Gulch facing east,away from the beach.

This Week's Rock(s) of the Week

Actually,as you can see that there are several new rocks shown below.This is an assortment of what is called the "Mandala" Collection of rocks.A recently purchased Epson™ ET 2750 desktop printer,has enabled some fun in the printing of "Mon crests" and other assorted badges.Sticky-back,high gloss paper is used and the images are then cut out and pasted right onto the surface with E6000 glue™,a very strong and effective glue for adhering most anything to hard surfaces like rocks.

After giving them a clear coat of Triple Thick™ which seals the rocks with a high gloss, UV protected layer,it is time to begin adding glow dots and glitter to bring forth a unique design.Occasionally,the use of gel pens for fine details are put to good use.When the design on top of the rock dries, it is time for a spray coat of Krylon acrylic coating.This seals in the gel dots so that they don't spread or get diffused.

Many other products are used for special effects,like the Montana™ brand UV-effect spray varnish.A glow in the dark invisible ink by OpticZ™ can be used for the hidden layer effect.Jacquard interference acrylics are put to good use when painting over primary colors to in effect, give a tertiary color that is seen when holding the rock in the light.Lastly,the drying process can be a bit daunting because the different materials dry at different rates.All materials dry according to the humidity and time of year as well (Winter being slower).Lastly,the finished rocks are placed on a spiked mat for overnight drying.It is hoped that you have found some of these tips useful in producing your own rock creations.Good luck!