More, better or different?

     Today is August 28th, and the weather is finally cooling down a bit here in Calistoga. Later today, I will be seeing an art collector who has become a patron of my work for some time now. She lives in a community of warm-hearted people, otherwise known as a senior citizens.Her place is liveable, and somewhat aesthetically pleasing.

     Now that I've been seeking other horizons, my art work has evolved from small canvases (like the size of gift rocks, for instance) to actual canvases that would be somewhat larger. My goal is to eventually showcase work in a darkend gallery.The task of putting together a show or body of work that may be dubbed signature pieces, takes time.

Here is a link to a fellow artist who does what I think want to do for myself.

     His work is otherworldly. The painting he does reflects a lot of what i've wanted to achieve too, but I'm a long ways off even if the directon of optical illumination and the discovery of luminescent/fluorescent paint happens to be the medium of choice.

    I don't regret all the experiences I've had getting to where I am today. I've been able to acquire valuable skills in a quest for recognition and compensation.

    Personally, despite a long circuitous route involving addiction(s) and the life of a wannabe playboy, I doubt that anyone else would choose the pinball type of game my working life has been.

    The best employment salary I was able to secure rendered not more than thirteen dollars an hour, and those were the hospitality jobs that kept me motivated to stay long after I shoud have left.

 Pursuing the career of a serious artist is not all that it is cracked up to be. Keeping a roof over one's head, and staying fed is what every aspirant must focus on when beginning a journey of this type. Mine has been no exception.

Here is a sample of some work from the past:

A Debt of Gratitude

 It has come time for me to move on. Like I mentioned before, I've been participating in the Farmer's Market continuously, year-round for the past sixteen years. The dues have been paid, both figuratively and literally.The friends I've made there will always be in my heart. For starters, Karen Versosa, may she rest in peace. People like her have shown me the value of being patient, open-minded and respectful. All our townspeople have been blessed by the integrity of our market manager(s) and crew. Groundskeeper Ramon has been more dependable than an Olympic stopwatch every Saturday, rain or shine. Ed has filled the gap nicely as our new market manager, with a friendly smile and gracious attitude to match.There are far too many vendors to acknowledge individually, but they have all been kind and generous to a fault. 

    "But what about the rocks!?" you might say. Well, they are still available, and the one you recall may still be ready to ship.

     If you are reading this, chances are that you have received one of my business cards. If this is the case, just call or text me and i can get one out to you.The pricing is determined not by the size of the rock but the time spent in composition.Online payments are acceptable and within reason.

    Every one of these rocks are hand-selected in nature.These one-of-a-kind, hand-painted, glow-in-the-dark gift rocks are placed in a lovely draw-string bag which includes a UV keychain blacklight and an affirmation sheet which is useful during times of quiet reflection. The rocks are all clear coated in resin to where they are even safe to have in an aquarium, or outside in the garden.They are not really safe for young children without adult supervision.

Remember, these are not tchotchke items. They are heirloom place holders that can be passed on to the next person. Or even still... returned to the source where they emerged.These physical objects serve to ground you and assist you in focusing your attention on matters that matter.

Above under a UV light, and below under regular light

Spinning Rocks

    You often hear, "When one door closes another one opens". This phrase is intended to give me hope. Trusting this process can be a bit aggravating though. What if you find yourself between these two transition points? Sitting in the hallway can be a pretty curious motivational factor. Asking for assistance in finding what my next move is to be,is essential in moving my ass forward. 

    This is where i am at presently. I came up with an idea awhile ago that proved to be a lot of fun for people who came up to my booth at the Farmer's Market both in Calistoga and Sebastopol. It was kind of like a roulette wheel; insofar as it was a hand-spinning rock that if you were lucky, would point to an arrow on a plate where marked indicators would line up. If this occurred, you would win a rock! Many of the painted rocks were won this way by both adults and children.

    Needless to say, I've been at this rock business for quite awhile, and a whole assortment of ideas about what to do with painted rocks have come and gone. This one, however is sticking.This is also why I am taking a break from my weekly appearance at the farmer's market.

  Not long ago, a friend of mine gave me two powerful USB chargeable blacklights that included three distinctive features. It activated the phosphors and fluorescent paints on the rock so that it not only features colors that turn super bright when the light is shining, but also an array of glowing colors in the dark when the light is switched off. These features will display the rock under three seperate color perspectives.Many people over the years have already seen me showcase their Spirit Rocks with a device built with which people would look into,to see how their rock would appear in the pitch darkness 

    The new thing I've discovered was using the black light's strobe effect to produce a mesmerizing optical vortex from a design that was paint/drawn on the top of the rock.

To view this in pitch darkness is the best way to showcase the rock. I have a veiwer that looks like a bong, but in fact is the UV flashlight positioned on an angle at the top, and the hole next to it to observe the covered rock without any ambient light showing through.

This glowing, spinning rock experience can be fairly easy to reproduce

    First you must find a perfectly round and flat rock with no dimples or lopsidedness. Tough call, but entirely possible.Basalt rocks like these can be found on beaches if you take the time looking for them. Finding one you can hold in the small of your hand is preferable. 

    What you do now is to go find a small glass bobble like the kind you get at a garden supply shop. You know, the kind that fill containers that hold flowers. Using an industrial strength glue like a clear E6000™ will hold the bobble in place as you let it dry ( the tricky part is finding the exact center of gravity so that the rock will spin like a top ). 

    Once dry, you've got yourself a spinner. The glue by the way, can be obtained at most hardware or craft stores like Michaels™.

To get a USB-Ultra Violet strobe light, the best bet would be Amazon. 

    To paint mesmerizing dots and stripes on top I would recommend Citrine and Burnt Orange UV reactive paint,made by a company called Jacquard™. The best phosphorescent, glow in the dark paint is made by Technoglow™. A company called Tulip™ makes a user friendly glow in the dark puff paint. Now for the best quick drying clear coats there are Triplethick™, Krylon™ UV Resistant Clear Spray, or even Modge Podge™. All these products are great for decorating your rock and making it look professional.

    Below is spinner rock, others have appeared on this blog in the past. The reason I am sharing the process of making one for yourself, is that I welcome like-minded artists who like to fuel their fire with cool ideas and expanded art forms.Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or would like to show me one that you've made.

as always, may YOUR SPIRIT ROCK!

The rock below actually spins for about a minute. Enjoy!