Stones as an Artist's Medium: There's More to it Than Meets the Eye
For me, painting on stones is about a lot more than just putting intricate mandala patterns on a smooth surface.
I'll be the first to admit that I have always liked walking on the beach, so there's certain an attraction there. But that's just the start.
Picking the right stones isn't as easy as you might think.
The "harvest" from a long day at the beach. At least HALF of these will end up back at the beach, after a closer inspection.
One of the things I discovered early on in this journey is that rocks are not nearly as smooth as we might initially think. You think you have a perfectly smooth stone, but when you get it home, washed and under a light... it's actually filled with tiny bumps, cracks and fissures.
And yes — given the tiny scale of the patterns I paint — I am very particular about having a perfectly smooth surface to work with.
Even with a decade of work behind me, I still recognize that any stones I decide to keep that were just about good enough seldom turn out as well as I would have liked.
At the in-between stage: These have been painted, and await a final protective finish coat. Each stone you see here is less that one inch (25mm) across, so they HAVE to be very smooth to hold the pattern.
No Tumbling
When we go to fairs and festivals, I have often been asked if I put the stones in a rock tumbler to get them as smooth as they are. And the answer to that is "no."
I am really only interested in working with natural and "unaltered" raw materials. Maybe that's limiting or "rigid" in some way, but I don't really care
It's important to me — and I might be the only one who cares — that the process of taking the time to "find the right stone" is part of the artistic process.
In the end, I choose most stones purely "by feel."
My fingertips tell me a lot more than my eyes can, so there's quite a lot of truth to what I often tell those who ask: "I choose the stones by FEEL."
Have a great day!
2019.01.31 AS-TXT-003
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I love this. I don't even paint on stones but have hauled home buckets worth of similar smooth beach stones, for no particular reason except they felt amazing in my hands :) Pretty impressive detail work for the size, the painted stones look great!
Thanks @carlgnash! There's "something" about stones that seems to touch people at a very visceral level. My wife and I have been taking them to Art Fairs, Street Fairs and Festivals for almost 10 years, and we've been listening to people talk about stones... in some very strange sense, they are *"the world's oldest collectible." We see an unusual/pretty stone when we're traveling, or on vacation... and even if we don't buy a silly t-shirt or some trinket, we often bring home a stone. It's "nature's art," in some way.
The painting is a constantly evolving process; both a meditation and a way to add color and beauty to something very simple.
This is awsome that you live so near to the ocean. I was born in San Diego California, and my family loved spending time at the ocean. I very much miss the smell, the sounds of seagulls, the sounds of the waves, feeling the warm sand between my toes, and most of all how beautiful it looks. These painted stones are so pretty, I love your color combinations. I carry a stone around that says thankful on it, to remind me to be thankful for all the beautiful things we have here on this amazing planet, like the wonderful ocean. This thankful stone fills good in my hand, cool, smooth and just the right size. So I understand when you say, you feel the stone before you decide which ones are perfect to paint. Thanks for sharing the gift that God gave you❣️
Thank you for the kind words @lildebbiecakes! Our beaches here are a lot colder and rougher than San Diego (been there a few times) but there's a beauty of its own around these parts.
I have much gratitude for being able to do what I do... after 10-odd years, the rock-paintery is slowly getting established enough that it at least pays for itself and a couple of trips, now and then. The joy for me mostly lies in sharing the work with others!
Hahahahaha!
Indeed, it is the constraints we choose to work within as artists that can strongly bring out our creativity! I understand and feel that too!
😄😇😄
It's part of the challenge, for sure! I have aspirations to create some large and incredibly complex pieces... but I have not yet found any large stones smooth and "right feeling" enough to do so. And I am not going to "cheat" in the process of acquiring/finding my "canvas."
Hmmmm...
I wonder if there are particular beaches or rivers with conditions that produce larger, suitable stones? Something to search for... ;)
I find that the best ones come from beaches with lots of loose stones and fairly violent surf... like we have on a number the Pacific Ocean coasts here in Washington state. The type of rock is also important... my best stones tend to have a basalt base, which tends to "polish" up very nicely in surf.
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