Rinse and Repeat

 Okay. So perhaps you've seen a few of my designs repeated and appearing on the table at the Farmer's Market. Pursuing excellence, and the repitition of visually appealing designs have a way of honing one's skills. Admittedly, the best work and those rocks that have sold well, have kept production time to a minimum. Twenty-five to thirty-five hours a week painting rocks, are far and away enough to foster new ideas in keeping the creative juices flowing.

Here's an example of one such rock...

What can I say? I'm dancing as fast as I can.

For every rock I sell, a new one has to take it's place. I've painted and have sold over a million rocks in the thirteen years since I painted the first rock. (See the framed piece below)

The point made is that repitition is the work worked, or more accurately, " The work performed" . In Latin, this is known as "Ex opere operato". The question begs to ask, " Does ritual and repitition breed excellence or is it merely an obsession?" Is the work done in vain, or does it serve a higher purpose... other than survival by virtue of monetary providence? Finding joy in the activity is providential but not always satisfying. These are questions I ask myself.

Below is this week's Rock of the week...

"Galaxy and the Little Bang"

A Debt of Gratitude

 Thank you. This post is for everyone who has a rock that I've painted, or who I've had the good fortune of meeting at our Farmers Market. Your Spirit truly does Rock, and I will be forever grateful to you!

This has been an intention that was set over thirteen years ago at a beach just north of Jenner, CA. Skipping stones pondering where or what was to be the next chapter in my life had me at an impasse. Only then, after surrendering to my life to a Higher Power, God, the Universe or whatever is the author of our existence left me aiming in a singular direction... self-employment, or more precisely, Creativity. 

Looking a smooth, flat rock seemed to be an ideal surface for  small paintings.Having studied Fine Art in college, it was time to pursue this as a calling.

Granted, it was doubtful that i would be making a living doing this as a profession, but I still had to give it a shot. It seems that the Universe will shift when one makes up their mind to take a leap of faith. What was my next move going to be?

Unemployment would leave little to go on,and I still had a few years before I was able to collect Social Security. Thankfully, painting rocks and a little savings have kept the wolves away from the door. 

Eventually I approached my friend Karen, who guided me in becoming a craft vendor at the local Farmers Market. What can be said? It's been a wonderful adventure that hopefully will continue well into my adolescence ( tee hee... who am i kidding? )

By the way, if you have read this far I would encourage you to see the portfolio video by clicking on the link to the right of this post ->

Below is this week's Rock of the Week

Strength in Vulnerability

The Rock below is another Dazzler insofar as it is sending my artwork in a different direction. Black has always offered a nice contrast to whatever color or figure I place in front. In this case, the feather seemed fitting, as I knew it would be fairly easy to place the image on practically any stone. 

The glow as always, is an added feature. The other thing that filled the whole motif is the starry background. Perhaps I was "Guilding the Lilly" as it may appear, but I did want to add another dimension to the whole motif.

I like the color black because it draws the eye in, and gives it a place to rest. It is also makes a powerful statement. This is also why I find the image of a feather complimentary, because it seems to express the opposite... vulnerability and fragility.

No rest for the Blessed

 Today was practically unbearable, but I still got a lot done. I am all caught up with just about every rock I promised myself that i would paint this week. Upon checking my email, I discovered that all my stored emails had disappeared. 

Is it possible that my email address was upended by someone who has nothing better to do but to mess with other people's accounts ?  ( I don't know really what happened, and it still remains a mystery ).That being said, I was able to get through to tech support which eventually put my mind at ease. The email are still gone.

Then my keyboard started to give me trouble. It refused to make spaces wheneverIhitthespacebar !!! I finally figured out that it was the Safari browser that wasn't letting me compose anything.This too also is a mystery, but I am presently on the Chrome browser and everything is functional, at least for now. Could it be that Mercury in retrograde or something to that effect? No worries. This too shall pass.

I am blessed, because I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach, good friends and family members, and a way of supporting myself. I am truly grateful for everything that has been given me, everything that has been taken from me, and everything that is left me. 

These are affirmations that are used when I am faced with my own powerlessness. My wish is that if i focus on that which i am truly grateful for; it isn't long thereafter that I realize that i am blessed. I wish the same for you who just happeded to read this blog.

Below is the Rock of the Week...

Pursuing Beauty

  As you invite nature into your daily routine, and allow for those moments of peaceful serenity, you begin to experience the way light illuminates all the plants and trees around you. Yet all of this goes beyond description. 

  Yesterday was a profound experience . Taking what is known in Japanese culture as a “Forest Bath” I came away with a fresh and new perspective . 

All of the usual cares and worries of the extreme political and social climate that we are presently facing…drifted into irrelevance. Having a modicum of timelessness left my friend and I speechless.No feathers ruffled here.

And of course, this weeks "Rock of the Week"

How to use your rock

     Everyone can enjoy the simple pleasure of having a painted rock of their own. However, what to do with one after you take it home? The good news is that most everyone enjoys the novelty of a hand-painted gift rock. Especially one that glows in the dark! Whether you paint one yourself, purchase it, or find one that has been hidden. These rocks are a special keepsakes. 

    Rocks have even been found next to gravesites as a memorial to deceased friends, family members or pets. Aside from this, on a practical level they make excellent doorstops, paperweights and bookmarks. 

     They can serve as a reminder to purchase a can of tuna for the cat when left by the front door. A particularly hard rock can also be used as a hammer or grinder when used to crush corn inside a concave stone (a la the mortar and pestle).

     A brightly painted rock can be seen as a boundary point, or a significant address marker when driving down an unfamiliar road. Rocks delineate gardens and cover holes to keep out rodents. You can probably come up with a grand list of ways to use a rock.

    To me, rocks are also spiritual items. They are in effect, one of the most ancient physical forms found in nature. Yet no two rocks are really the same, much as humans are not either. By themselves they are merely consolidated matter. As a group they can form walls and fortify castles. They play an important parts in Science, History, Art and Culture.

   Native Americans and Australian aborigines will say that they are imbued with the Spirit of their ancestors, and serve as talismans to be carried as a form of reverence and protection. Monks have used stones as a focusing device in meditation. In this sense, it serves one by keeping it in the palm of your hand, while holding someone in your best thoughts and prayers.

What a winter!

  Indeed, with more storms coming, it is a blessing to have our water table rise to pre draught levels. The good news is that more posts have been forthcoming and more rocks are being painted to refurbish the supply for every rock sold. 2022 has been a year of gratitude in continuing doing what has been a joy for the past 13 years. Whatever weather has kept me inside the apartment studio has added to a discipline and practice that is like meditating, but not quite. Music or podcasts are sometimes playing in the background. However, attaining a little serenity while painting can be a plus.

 Collecting rocks at the beach has not been as frequent an endeavour as it is in the drier months. A creek that crosses the entrance to the beach has to be travailed by rolling one's pant legs up in hopes you don't slip which could mean big trouble. Especially if you have an iPhone in your pocket. Luckily, that hasn't been the case on my last excursion. Flat, round and smooth are the criterion for finding suitable rocks. Luck in this regard has not failed, and finding other such treasures as pieces of abalone shells for making keychains is always welcomed.

 Below are samples of the latest additions to the "Your Spirit Rocks! ™" collection. The first picture is of the creek you need to cross to get to the beach.

    

  

A Belated Valentines day

    Today is the 21st of February, so it is a week after Valentine's Day and a day after President's Day. I love it that we have these days that make the season of Winter more bearable. I did receive some well wishes from my loved ones, and am more hopeful for a brighter future for everyone in our attempts in following our own best advice in 2023. 

    As for myself, I've taken to things like eating nutritious food, exercising regularly, meditating and paying attention to my craft in such a way that I am not merely repeating old patterns. Returning to painting with a materials like glitter, crackle, resin, ink, and puff paint are usually very effective in  producing positive results. 

 It takes a long time to master the applications however, because they are viscous, gummy, cloggy, messy and expensive.The results rendered may be abstract and colorful, yet knowing when to back off before "Gilding the Lillie" takes place, and it then becomes a necessary challenge to achieve a desirable outcome.

Here's a quick video for all of you who find my rocks to be special gifts for that special someone. 

Pre-Valentine's Day

 As I write this, it is only February 8th. However, If I don't have some Valentine's rocks to sell by Saturday my patrons will be a little bummed after the Farmer's Markets this weekend. So far, I've come up with some standard heart rocks. On the back, I usually have another heart drawn in invisible ink which adds a nice touch under the keychain blacklight. These make special one-of-kind gifts to be passed on. 

Trying different things...

Always.I ordered some Bolo clips and Lanyards on Amazon™ along with some glowing lanyard material, which has sent me off in another direction. Someone suggested it at the Saturday Market and I thought to give it a try. Reluctantly, I adhered a magnet to the back of the rock and found that it will hold tightly enough to  to make it interchangeable! 

 The Bolo looks cherry in this picture because it has been enhanced with the photo editor. It still is not far off the mark in real life.After making mushroom rocks, bottle stopper rocks,Spinner rocks, Pendants, Refrigerator magnet rocks, having this suggestion work out pleases me greatly. The other technique employed was the crackle finish just for that rustic look.

The other thing tried this week was making a cameo. The white becomes glow naturally and the results are pretty awesome. Up close it has a few flaws and the resin yellows a bit, but hey, let's call this one a work in progress.

The Birds in flight are doves moving past the clouds. The original is perhaps as obvious as the glow version, but more emphasis was on getting the glow version just right.

Pursuing leisure

     How to pursue leisure in a world obsessed with work and worry. Well, first of all, take it inside. I mean that both figuratively and literally. Pursuing leisure is an inside job. It requires reflection and focus, which to some may sound like work. Conversely, it seems that the whole concept of leisure is more about escape and relaxation than focus. Taking that into account, it really is the balance between these two ideas.

    Being inside on these "Covid-induced" rainy days affords some of us the time to work on projects that move us forward by curtailing the desire to rush off somewhere to meet a deadline. Projects that point to a need for fruitful self expression, rather than adhering to that constant impulse to please some nebulous dweeb that is always demanding to be right. This  may beg to question... Why work for that ? or more pointedly, why work at all?

    Granted, human beings are for the most part, socially responsible entities designed to be altruistic by nature. We don't need to be reprimanded for pursuing individuated activities that may in truth, render us more valuable to others in time.

    Laziness though, is a perpetual condition of procrastination. When someone proclaims,"All things in moderation" (even moderation) that is not a clarion call for anyone to stop trying to better oneself. It's like the notable difference between beckoning a call, rather than trying to beckon a call.  

    That being said, there is no need to wrap yourself in a blanket of guilt if it feels like you are playing hooky in order to get ahead. After all, we should not be championing the value of work for work's sake. It is important in this regard , to worker smarter rather than harder, and with poise rather than pointless effort.

The rock below is meant to illustrate this activity.

Swirly Rocks

 Hi there, welcome to a new year, a new direction, and a new chapter of Your Spirit Rocks ! the rocks below are an indication of a style that is fairly easy to apply, although the results can head off in a variety of directions. It just takes a little steadiness of hand when following lines around the rock to give it that pooling appearance. Applying a variety of colors will inform you as to what works, as far as patterns and contrasting effects are concerned. It is a fairly simple exercise that producing pleasing results.Larger rocks seem to work better that smaller rocks when trying it for the first time, and sketching the design with a pencil prior to applying the paint with a small brush will do the trick.Feel free to post any of your creations. We would like to see what works for you!