Rock Garden

Everyone needs an activity that makes them happy. Not something for sale or gain, but for pure joy and creativity. Creating for the sake of creating. Taking time to create something, no matter how small, is one of my favorite pastimes. I’ve come to realize that keeping my creativity fresh brings me so much happiness. Pinterest, as we all know, is an amazing space to find endless crafts and ideas. When I draw a blank at the beginning of a project, Pinterest helps stir my imagination as I wait for my creative flare to kick in. Whether it’s painting rocks or tye-dyeing outside on a warm summer day, there is something so hygge about getting my hands dirty on a new project. For me, rock painting is soothing and something I do just to be creative when I need inspiration or a break from my normal form of art.

The day I painted my first rock I went to visit my mom on her lunch break. She works at a local community college, and on that day instead of hanging in her office, she walked me over to the library - a small corner of paradise only known to a few - to see what she had been working on. My mom and her coworker often escaped to this magical place on their lunch breaks for some creative fun. On the table were rocks of all shapes and sizes, some painted and some raw. She told me to pick a rock and get creative. She had a collection of rocks already in progress with perfect base colors just waiting for my art to come alive. I sat down and dove right in along side them. My first instinct was to create a beach scene, my forever go-to for any project. Twenty or so minutes later I had created my first rock, and I was hooked. This led to many more ideas, and ignited a hunt for a collection of perfect rocks to complete my own rock garden. My mom was teaching me all the tricks - what kind of paint was best, what tool to use for outlining, and how sharpies are your best friend. In the end, this was not only a creative outlet, but some serious mother-daughter bonding time. We were having a ball!

Painting and drawing were never my strong suit, but on this imperfect surface I had a unique canvas I felt free to create on. This ignited a small obsession, and sparked a whole new chapter in my creativity. I love that there are endless ways to decorate something as simple as a rock. Pictured here are some of my all-time favorites. Each is different and authentic. Fun fact: I went to college for art.. but that does not mean I can draw by any means. So trying to tap into that is something I always like to challenge myself with. Painting these rocks has become a personal challenge, and I love to see them come to life. I love how much joy can come from a rock, paint, and a few brushes.