Portfolio 2022

 Best Wishes to all this Holiday Season. The following is a slideshow of the many rocks that have been painted and sold in the past year or so.The slideshow is an import from YouTube™ and it is recommended to view it in full screen which is entirely possible when you click on the image itself and click on the full screen icon.

In the beginning is a brief introduction with some slide effects that were just fun to show when adhering to the use of symmetry as a background device. Then comes this "meditation guy"doing his thing. Aside from the rocks, included are some pendants, keychains, Cairns, bottle bells, and wind chimes. These are some of the directions the rock painting has taken me.Incidentally, if you have purchased a rock in the past year I thank you for you patronage, and hope to see you again in 2023.

The Bling or the Glow

 Sometimes I don't know. Which has more prominence ? These are considerations for every rock I paint. The bling usually includes glitter which I try to use sparingly. Yes, it is an embellishment. Glitter is bling, and what attracts attention during daylight.This bling factor can be an annoying though, if applied haphazardly.

The Glow paint on the other hand, can be difficult when applied unsparingly and against a color that don't offer much contrast. It is meant to be a surprise effect and a step in exploring other hidden features. Glowing puff paint can usually be appreciated only after it's been activated. Therefore, this feature has to have prominence in the dark. Invisible ink is used occasionally to showcase designs and figures that will only appear under a UV light.

A rock has three dimensions that are apparent. Hardened Puff paint on top of the rock will contribute this dimensionality. Adding de'coupage of a paper sample, or iridescent cutout may seem like mere decoration (which it is) but may still contribute to the overall gestalt of the piece.

Bobbles are something I may use to make a keychain, cairn, or pendant appear ornamental. These may have some foil reflection element glued to the back to make the bobble appear jewel like.

Below is are examples of that.

Paintings and Drawings

This slideshow features paintings and drawings that have accumulated over the years that I've always wanted to showcase at some time in the future. The future is now. The mediums I've chosen are anything from Watercolor, Acrylic and Prismacolor™ pencils done mostly on Canson™ paper and other types of paper.

The background music is by Justin Leary in a piece called "New Age".

The Process of Elimination

 We have all heard the saying about throwing something against a wall to see what sticks, as being a way of deciding something that otherwise may be difficult in the process of making a particular decision. The same has been true in following my own creative instincts. That which sticks has been, and will continue to be, akin to "Taking what you like and leaving the rest". Some will see this as being a bit foolish by not exploring or questioning what has evolved up to that point. More about that later.

    Honing and refining one's skills and choices in the creative process is very important. Happy accidents can and do occur depending upon how much time and energy you may devote to a process ( which in many cases gets abandoned because of an ineffable result ). However, two things may occur in that process. Your skills using a particular tool or medium will advance and/or it may remain a "Work in progress" until you are able to produce something masterful.

    Making something masterful is the result of trial and error. It takes a lot to make a rock look beautiful. Sometimes the process can interfere with the outcome and the rock looks disastrous. Thankfully, that hasn't occurred so much lately. Below is really a state-of-the-art rock, of which I am very proud.

        

  

The rock on the right its the same rock under a blacklight

Making Money vs. Making Art

 We all have to make a living. Some do it creatively by cultivating their skills and pursuing their talent. Others follow their calling and will adhere to a legacy passed on by their parents or relatives. The pinnacle of a particular skill can be called artistic and will have value both ascetically and commercially. A true artist is gifted in rendering both, by carefully evaluating their work both personally and collectively. However, putting the cart before the horse in this instance can be a delicate balance of priorities.

    The appreciation of art is all fine and good, but the time, skill, material, and marketing that go into an agreed value are commonly measured in dollars and cents.

    The other thing that an artist (as is commonly known), is the creator of a work of art., not that they have commanded the manipulation of materials or the environment by which something has been created, but that they are the vehicle by which the event of its manifestation has occurred. 

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

Enjoying Meta's Occulus Quest

    I recently purchased a Meta Quest 2™ Headset which allows one to experience Virtual Reality. In fact, this blog entry is being typed in a virtual space as it syncs with my computer screen. When I've figured out how to add a screenshot of one of the apps' backgrounds with a current rock creation, it will be posted below. It has been fun and challenging to explore the fantastic art that some of these new apps offer in VR.

     One app downloaded onto the Headset is called "Tripp™" which is a very psychedelic meditation app that invites the viewer to be totally immersed in the scene instead of just being able to view it on a 2D flatscreen. Being able to observe and interact in a 3D environment is where technology is now headed.

    Your Spirit Rocks!™ will attempt to stay up with these innovative experiences and creativity as it emerges. The learning curve for this type of interaction is fairly steep. Especially if you are not a "Gamer" of sorts, as it is presupposed that these were the early adopters of this technology... so please stay tuned.

Getting back to the purpose of this blog which is to showcase the latest creation. Below is this week's " Rock of the Week ". It is a new rendition of the Phoenix, with a screenshot background found on the Tripp™ application.

This Week’s “Rock of the Week”

    Okay, I’m back at it, because this is a fun thing to do. I like to tell my rock patrons about this blog so that they can see what I have been up to lately. This blog has been published beginning in 2010 when I first started this “Adventure “. It has been a joyous ride for sure. I still enjoy going to the Farmer’s Markets and meeting new people from across the U.S., and other places worldwide. You may want to scroll back in the blog archive by clicking on a year in the side panel below the links. The first entry tells about how I got started doing this.Feel free to comment on my work or anything else that you may want to submit. And...please check out “Your Spirit Rocks! “ on Facebook (now Meta™) and follow me. I love hearing about your own adventures and pursuits. All the best to you and your families,

Christopher 

P.S. The rock below is simply called “Daisies” but you probably knew that ;-)

Embellishing with Gold

The latest rock creations are ones that do not really involve the glow factor as such. I've discovered the value of using Gold puff paint on a very black background ( i.e. Black 3.0 ) after which the rock is coated with resin and ends up looking like an ornament from Italy (or Ireland as someone suggested). Below are samples of what is being described.

Messing around with Resin

 I know, I know. Resin is toxic and it is advisable not to use this material without wearing latex gloves or wearing a mask. The fumes can be bad news and if the stuff gets on your hands and skin it can be tough to get off. I have used hand sanitizer as the go-to substance for this problem.

 That being said, I find that this is the best clear coat for anything like rocks and shells that you might want to make waterproof and shiny. It also makes the rocks practically indestructible ( which they already are pretty much ). After coating a rock or shell with the one-step UV resin I use by Decor Rom™, its put it under a large black light for around a minute then put it out in the sun for a few hours. Viola! a beautiful finish with a hard, clear coat appears.

   Casting resin is another issue entirely and can be said that unless you are adept at this process, I would take a pass unless you know someone who has worked with this medium and knows exactly what they are doing. 

    As a novice, the work I've produced so far has me glowing with pride. My hope is that this process will work for you too if you are a rock painter starting out. The other option, of course, is to use a product called Triple Thick™ which gives a nice clear coat that dries fast but will not really withstand the elements as well as resin. The other plus is that you can get a project done quickly and it will not yellow over time which can happen with the resin. 

The rock below is an example of something that just happened to come together pretty nicely. This of course is how it looks under UV light. Enjoy!