Fun With Hand Painted Mandala Stones, Part II
Time for another "creativity post!"
This fairly thick and round stone is about 1 3/4" across
In my spare time, I have been continuing to work on my painted beach stones. We have these for sale at our local art gallery and since summer is the busy season (this is a tourist town) I have been trying to keep up with keeping our store stocked.
The stones seem to be quite popular with visitors to our little coastal town-- they are compact, and offer something colorful, hand made and locally created.
Although this has been my creative outlet for many years, I always get a kick out of sending them around the world. Just a couple of weeks ago, we had a lady from Melbourne, Australia in our shop, and she took a couple with her as gifts for her daughters. Previously, they have gone as artsy souvenirs to New Zealand, Finland, Germany and Argentina.
A selection of painted "spiral stones"
Creativity, Meditation and Happiness
A somewhat larger stone with a very complex mandala design; about 3 1/2" across
Why do we create?
For most of us, it is definitely for reasons other than selling art. For me, painting mandalas on beach stones is as much a relaxing meditation as anything. It's what I do at the end of the day as a way to "get quiet in the head" at the end of the work day. You might say it is my "happy place."
I know a lot of art and creative things are the result of people expressing their angst and distress; but I believe art created as a product of peace and relaxation has just as much "value" as art that's the result of distress and pain.
Some art critics and "purists" might disagree with me on that point... and so be it!
I Never Expected to be in the Art Sales Business
A very flat stone with a very complex mandala design; about 3" long
Originally, I just painted a few stones to give as gifts to friends who were interested in finding meditation objects. That was enough to get me really interested in developing the idea.
I actually continued painting for several years with the results simply piling on on window sills and shelves. At that time, my wife and I had moved to a part of the world that had a number of decent outdoor fairs and arts & crafts events, so we started setting up a booth at these, just for fun.
Even though I had already been in the art gallery business for 15 years, I never expected to be selling my own art. In fact, I struggled with the idea that it even was "art," for quite a while... regardless of what other people thought and said.
These days, this slightly odd creative outlet has become a fairly substantial part of the system of "Patchwork Economics" that affords us a living. That said, even if nobody ever bought another one of my stones, I think I would still paint them... simply because I enjoy the process!
What do YOU think? Do you have a creative outlet? Do you sometimes get so "deep down inside" what you're doing that you almost forget about the passing of time? Is creativity your "happy place," or more like therapy... or both? Is art part of how you make your living? Do you find marketing your own art to be difficult... or fairly easy? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- start the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Beautiful arts. Love the mandala rocks. Never made any money on the creative arts until Steemit. Not a living, but the feedback is as important if not more so than $$.
It is so very fun to become fully immersed in artistic creation. Which is what happens for me in writing and or photography and subsequent story writing based on it. Happens in both directions. See something odd or interesting, photographing the thing and taking it all from there with writing. Or write something, and then try to find an original image to fit, and if not, make something to use to illustrate the written word. Sometimes these things go in some 'different' directions.
I like to think of it as a small ecosystem of creativity. What's really fun is to get so immersed, that you don't realize you're still at the keyboard until the sun comes up. "Wow, I sat here all night". Not good for the body, but a joy, and often leads to writings by the score that never go anywhere but the hard drive. A true joy of the creative process indeed. Thanks for sharing your art and thoughts about same.
Yes... I'm very appreciative of the feedback and interaction with other creative souls. Like you, I am often inspired by something I see or read here on the site... and then I am off on a "creative tangent" that becomes new content I share with people.
It has been very fulfilling to be part of the Steemit community... this is the most creative writing and blogging I have done since... about 2006, when Xanga (a social blogging and content platform) went into decline because MySpace and Facebook were "new and exciting." Interestingly enough, now Steemit feels "new," even though it's very similar to some of those earlier sites.
Except for the rewards, which makes it a whole new kettle of fish.
This is my first online experience, but I'm loving it as well. Everyone seems so nice and supportive. And those monetary rewards are nice as well.
And as for tangents, yee haa, they come fast and furious. So much better than sitting around trying to figure out what to write about though. Glad for that.
Love these! Here in town we have a Springfield Rocks! group that encourages others to paint rocks and hide them throughout town or when they go on trips. It is always a treat to see people across the country have found a rock and are going to re-hide them for someone else to find.
Thank you!
It's amazing how the "rocks" groups have sprung up all over the place! I remember when it was just a community initiative in nearby Port Angeles, WA to get more families to get out and use the city's green spaces and parks more. That was just a couple of years ago... Now there are over 800 groups around the USA and worldwide! Wow!
We have different sized rocks on our property. I picked some a few days ago. I washed them up. Now I'm waiting for the next time my granddaughters to come for a visit. I will be painting mandalas. One of my 2 granddaughters is big into horses. I found 2 rocks shaped like horse heads. She will be so excited!! I will post some of them after they leave!
You have done such a beautiful job @denmarkguy!! You have inspired me!!
Thank you!
Painting rocks is a great family pastime... if you have some nice flat ones, they are really good for mandalas. Have fun with your grandkids!
I love stones I even have a heart shaped one I found by the Colorado river , I sure do love what you do to stones they must sell very well. My art was I was a musician a singer, piano player, guitar player I made good money doing it. I was in an accident, was in a coma and I forgot my talents and a few years later lost my voice. So now I garden and cook ethnic gourmet meals.
Thanks for commenting, and your kind words! Yes, the stones are quite popular.
Sorry to hear about the accident... must be frustrating to lose a creative outlet like that.
I love your work!
Flotte sten!
Tak for det!
selv tak!