Patience

This is a word that I have had to revisit many times throughout my life.A woman at the Farmer's Market remarked last Saturday, "My,but you must have a lot of PATIENCE to do what you do".The truth is that I don't.The work I do affords me an opportunity to learn about this virtue called PATIENCE.

The materials I use, the brushes, the drying time, the integrity of the design all play into it.My business card says "Artist" but that is just a title (and one that is difficult to accept at times)

These are demanding times and many distractions will tug at our quest for Serenity and Peace of mind. Waiting,Focusing,Listening,Appreciating,Remembering and Prayer are all acquired through practice.Hearing how others acquire these skills as practices inspires each of us, if we allow them in. Stilling the mind and getting quiet before that first cup of coffee in the morning is a start.

Being a conscientious driver is another practice that requires a stilling of the mind.Either those around me are going too slow or they are obviously driving too fast if they are on my tail going just above the speed limit.PATIENCE for the most part, is just remembering to be gentle with oneself.This week's rock required a bit of patience on my part. I was in the "Zone" as they say, and it was a joy producing this result.

Frosty Mornings

Today will be cold as my car gets warm before heading over the hill to do the Farmer's Market in Sebastopol.Anyone can have nice time with the folks in Sonoma county they welcome all visitors near and far.The market is usually good, but it is a little unappealing to get up at 6am and leave by 7am to get there.The night before,it is certain that everything is packed and ready to go.The rocks that are packed are the most recent ones that have been painted, so it feels good to have only the best to show.Below are the rocks that are ready to be presented.If you are in the area, come by to say hello.It is always great to talk with my peeps! Just be sure to bundle up before you head out the door.

Spiritual Materialism

Just like many of us in our Western culture, I clamor for more things, I'll admit it.The things that entice me are art supplies.It's important to have a lot of resources to draw from to paint and enhance river rocks. The important thing to remember is that these things are used to put together the most beautiful, visually appealing rocks EVER!

When I began this journey it was all about appreciating the beauty in God's kingdom here on earth (and still is, for that matter). Beauty can be found in the many wonders we enjoy here.Rocks represent many things to me.As a kid, The many rocks I collected on the beach made me feel abundantly rich as I piled them up on top of one another.The weight, the smoothness, the shape, color and texture are intriguing to say the least.

Today, they are also symbols not only of prosperity, solidity, faithfulness and a host of other qualities, but a THING by which one can use for reflecting on these particular traits.

Rocks communicate security and strength to me personally.When I am feeling insecure, I hold a rock in my hand and imagine that God's protection and care are all around me. This has served me well to this day.I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things of earth, but to realize the spiritual nature which is at the core of everything in the universe.

Amazement

It is amazing how after five years, I've still been able to come up with some unique designs on such a small canvas. My largest rock hasn't been larger than eight inches across. Most of them are between two and three inches.I have experimented with both luminescent and florescent paint. The hardest part of the painting is keeping the nozzles on the squeeze bottles from clogging up.Coming up with the designs is not usually my biggest challenge.Pretty soon the Holiday Gift Show will be coming to the Fairgrounds. Unfortunately I won't be able to participate this year because I don't have anyone to cover the Farmer's Market which occurs on the same day.Today I have been working on a whole new batch of rocks which will be showcased at the Market tomorrow.

The Rock of the Week

This week's rock is one that is an experiment using some paint pens that I found in an art store. These are florescent pens that I can use for detail and pointillistic designs. I enjoy the rainbow effect that has been created here and am equally impressed with this rock under a blacklight. It is stunning!

Many times a blacklight has been recommended for people to view the rocks, because florescent paint will not glow in the dark. Phosphorescent paint will.Both are used for a specific effect. Florescent paint is very bright and almost appears radioactive under a blacklight.These painted rocks are best seen that way, mainly because one will still be able to appreciate the overall enhanced color.It is incidental that parts of the rock will continue to glow after the lights ( be they blacklight or incandescent) have been turned off.

The medium I choose is meant to enhance the overall design under three or four completely separate states... Natural light, Black light, Phosphorescent emitted light and blacklight with 3-D glasses.

Eye Flower

I pulled out all the stops when I made this one.Metallic fluorescent colors aren't always as brilliant as you might expect under regular light.I have used a burnt orange and citrine acrylic as the base colors for this rock. I have embellished it with a small mandala and have detailed small areas with phosphorescent paint which augments the color shift under the black light.The image looks much like an eye, even though their was no intention of that when it was painted.Focus is one of the qualities that I intended to engender with this particular stone.When it is held and looked at in the dark. Nothing comes close to the color variations that occur under a black light.

The Rock of the Week

This weeks Rock is of a Hindu symbol for "OM" which is the universal sound and diving chant in the practice of Yoga. Although I am not a Yoga practitioner myself, I like the calligraphy of this image and wanted to paint it on a rock.It also can be viewed very nicely in the dark, which can imply serenity and peace.The image is seen a lot nowadays, because many Yoga studios have it posted as an iconic piece.It is no doubt that Yoga is having a positive effect on those who have begun practicing the morning "Asanas" or poses as they begin their day.I salute any form of physical or spiritual program that enhances the quality of one's life, and the lives of those around them.

Assuaging Grief

Today we have learned that the Valley Fire is 35% contained and that in spite of a much needed rain shower, the weekend is stacking up to be a hot one again.The evacuees are still camping out at the fairgrounds and the community has grown more organized by the hour.One must go on... without paying too much mind to what has occurred. The stages of grief are arrived at quickly or slowly depending on how much you have taken in. These volunteers who have given of themselves, are learning important lessons about community and organization.We are all in this together, and we'll ultimately see how this whole tragedy plays out.

The Rock of the Week

The rock I have to show this week is of a "Luna Moth". When I first saw this, it resembled some of the most beautiful Lepidoptera one would come across. My friend Ron said that I should look it up on Google and to see if it would be possible to recreate this image on a rock.(the top pic is the result).

When I was a young man at Art school, it seemed that their were many ways to depict an object. One was through form, the other through structure, or even through color. We would know how to paint an apple it was assumed, by painting it either red or green.It would also in all likelihood, have a stem and be approximately three to four inches high. These considerations were not untrue, but only revealed part of a general idea of an apple.Apples can be a deep color of red with yellow highlights and specks of green. Apples can be short and squat, or large and round at the top.

Well, as you might guess, Moths and butterflies have far reaching descriptions regarding their extensive variety of shapes, sizes and colors.This large moth for instance, showed up at the door to my apartment.This is not a luna moth, but another grandiose creature whose identity took me a while to locate.

This creature was fascinating, and if my research is correct, it is a male polythemus (apparently the male have the plumed antennae).It is certainly not a Luna Moth, because the color is wrong, and although this one has a feathery 'plumose' it does not have the long tail or teal green color of a Luna.