Waxing Philosophical

     Okay, I don't purport to be a philosopher ...but like Socrates, I have a lot of questions. Waking up this morning was like non other. Yet everything seemed to be the same as before. Then a thought came to mind, what if I had died during my sleep? What would it matter, and to whom? and why?

    Oy vey! ( Yiddish for Ay caramba! ) Is matter or energy what effects us, or do we effect matter? just " Talk amongst yourselves " as Mike Meyers would say on SNL. 

Enquiring minds want to know (Thank you, National Enquirer).

None of this has been or will be resolved, so let's get down to business...Rocks Matter! 

Nuff said.

Now, here is this week's "Rock of the Week" 

Relaxing on my couch observing a large green Africani Rock sitting on the floor of my apartment. All done in augmented reality using the Metascan™, app on my IPhone.

Having Fun with AR

Although I am not a big fan of acronymns, AR ( augmented reality ) is a technology worth exploring. Especially if you have an iPhone. Their is an App called Metascan™, which when downloaded to one of the newer IPhone models, it will prompt you to take a bunch of pictures all around an object...in this case, a rock. Which upon taking about 50 pics you would then upload all of them and wait as they are processed (It doesn't take long, about five minutes ). What then happens is that it will render a 3D image which can be viewed in a variety of positions. Below is a video which sort of gives you an idea. Click on the link here:

https://vimeo.com/837071747?share=copy

After the object is rendered, it is then possible to place it in any enviroment you wish. In this case, I thought it would be fun to resize it and put it on the potty. The little green yoga skeleton is sitting on a rock cushion that was painted for this very reason.

The skeleton is not one of my pieces, but I thought I would share it with you anyway. :-)

Trust me, I did not have a rock this big sitting on my toilet.

Treasured Beauty

 Many ask me, "Where do you get your Rocks?" I usually respond jokingly,with... "If I told you, I would have to kill you". This is not what they really wanted to hear. However, it is not a question I readily like to answer because the place where I go is probably the most wonderful place you could visit and want to return to, often.

A place that you'd want to keep secret.

Just a hint, it is about four miles north of Jenner, CA. Where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. Many have this out to be their favorite spot for a romatic interlude. Jenner by the Sea, The River's End restaurant, and Kayak rentals are a few of the joys you can enjoy before driving further up the coast to the bottom of a steep ravine.That's all you need to know.

Nothing beats a trip to the Beach, especially on a calm, moderately sunny day when seagulls scavenge for treats as the tide goes out. It's easy to get caught up in the serenity of this place, especially on a weekday when most people are probably busy at work.

Looking and finding an assortment of rocks to paint is fun for me. The criterion employed is to find rocks that are flat, smooth ( no cracks or dimples ), symmetrical and as perfectly round as possible. To think of them as little canvases helps, because you have to envision how they are to be painted.What materials, colors and adornments are you going to use? These are all questions that become apparent during the creative process.

Eventually, these treasured beauties become a reflection of another positive experience to be shared with others. Something to be passed on.

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"