The Life of a Maverick, Connecting the Dots Between Ideas and People With Just the Right Skills.

Like most of us who have found ourselves spending time on Steemit's platform, I would say that I am a maverick.

I like to think and I like to take old ideas and turn them inside out to create something entirely new.

I also like to share what I have learned or what I have figured out with other people. Especially, with those whom I think will be genuinely interested, motivated and have the skills to take a new or re-worked idea and... run with it.

This is exactly what happened when I stumbled across a website belonging to an artist in Australia. Unfortunately, I don't remember what her name is, but I really liked her work. She was painting fabric using sacred geometric shapes by "dotting" them into existence. When you saw them up-close, they looked like a series of small dots, but when you took a step back and looked at them from a different angle, you could see organic shapes, jump right out at you. (Not unlike a stereogram, but in a folk-art kind of way, as opposed to being computer generated.)

Once I saw her work, it inspired me and I immediately started to think about my girl-friend, who'd been going through a rough time.

About 10 years prior, she had closed the small craft store that she had started and moved away from the city where it was located. Her passion was to "tole paint" and in her store, she ran classes to teach others how to do it. I knew that she would immediately "get" this new idea and I also knew that she would have the skills to transform this idea, using her tole painting artistic abilities into something that would be uniquely hers.

Naturally, I couldn't wait to describe the idea to her. I sent her an email describing the concept at about 7:30 am one morning. I thought, I'll see if this "lights" her up.

By 4:00 pm, that same day, she had driven to my shop and presented me with her first creation...

It was a gift for me.  A "thank-you" for giving her an idea about something that she could be passionate about, again.

(This is the first stone.)

She had successfully connected the dots of the idea, (literally) and created a new form of tole painting using her artistic ability on stone. Her first step was to forage for a smooth round stone in her backyard. Then, she washed it really well, and started painting it, one dot and one colour at a time. She added more dots in a layered fashion once the first layers of dots were done drying. To finish, she sprayed the entire stone with a clear varnish to seal and protect it. (With the sealant, the stones can be used outside as garden ornaments.)

(Here it is from a different angle. When you touch it feels like braille. The stone is smooth and the dots are raised. It has a very pleasing feel when you hold it in the palm of your hand. It reminds me of both, a mandala and of mala meditation beads.)

This led my girlfriend to start another business, dot painting patio stones, garden rocks and flower pots. Marketing was done using word of mouth and in a matter of days she had several orders.

Foraging for every smooth beach stone that she could get her hands on, promptly ensued. 

I commissioned her to paint 3 more for me.

These 3 stones, look similar because they are painted with the same colours, but the designs are each unique.

I have them displayed together and I think they are really special.

My girl-friend's name is Kim Hooey.

She is the tole-painting artist who has made all 4 pieces.

Her on-line business is called: Kimz Christmas Balls and Garden Candy.

I took a wooden tray that once held 3 votive candles, put some large aquarium stones in the bottom of each section and placed the painted stones on top. It's different which makes it interesting to look at. Plus, it's a cool story. ;)

I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey.

~ Rebecca Ryan