Rock painting as a form of art was originally brought to the world by Lin Wellford, author of a bunch of wonderful books about turning simple pebbles and stones into animals, flowers, buildings etc. I love this hobby, since it's inexpensive and fancyful... please be my guest and look at my rocks!
If you like them, you might want to search for them on eBay... I'll be selling them from time to time. Or you can contact me directly; I'll be glad to portrait your pet if you can give me a photo reference!
NOTE: it has been pointed out to me - thanks, Mike! - that rock painting as an art form has been around for millennia. I feel I should clarify that I meant the particular technique in which the whole rock is painted to look like the subject (trompe-l'oeil), as opposed to simply painting the thing _on_ the rock, as you would on any flat surface. Sorry for the confusing description!
Album by Vidja. Photos by (see descriptions). 1 - 17 of 17 Total. 9354 Visits.
1 ROSE This was my first attempt to paint a rose. My brother took it as a present for a friend of his... I'm told that it was appreciated. ^___^
2 PRIMROSES A sweet bunch of yellow primroses.
3 RACCOON This funny raccoon was purchased by a very sweet lady who lives near Bolzano... so it will hopefully be displayed in a beautiful mountain landascape, where it belongs!
4 SIAMESE CAT This Siamese kitty was a special request by my mom, who wanted to display one of my rocks on her desk at work... the camera's flash turned the colours into a strange yellow mess, but I'm quite proud of the fur texture in real light!
5 LITTLE TABBY CAT This cat and the following one were done on commission, for a hobby & colours shop in my town. They're now being displayed with Lin's books, as an example of what you can do with them... needless to say that I'm very proud of the fact!
6 CAT IN A BASKET This was my first striped cat, and I like it very much! The rock was not perfecly flat at the base, so I had to put it in a basket... which is great, since it fits perfecly and looks even cuter this way!
(You might have noticed that this photo and nr. 6 look far better than the other ones... that's because they were taken by a friend of mine, with a real digicam. Thanks Lorack!)
7 YORKSHIRE TERRIER Whenever I tell people that I paint rocks, they ask me for a cat... I love cats better than dogs myself, but after a while, a change is more than welcome. So I painted a dog instead... it was fun, and it was sold as fast as any kitten. So there!
8 PETUNIAS Flowers don't seem to be as appreciated as pets, but I like doing them from time to time... and this rock was just perfect for a bunch of multi-coloured petunias! (the back's very irregular, though, so I couldn't paint it... what a pity!)
I have to thank my friend Curson for this photo and the previous one... gee, thanks!
9 MICE These mice were done on commission for Sandra, the lady who bought the raccoon rock... besides making her my best customer, her request gave me the possibility to experiment with small critters!
10 FROGS My first non-mammals ever!
The one on the left is a Leopard Frog (Rana Pipiens); the other one's colours are based on real frogs, too, but I gave it a cartoony look and huge, beady eyes... either way, frogs are fun (and for once, I don't have to paint fur...)
11 CORAL SNAKE Note to self: always take pics _before_ sealing the rock...
Seriously, the glossy finish is not so noticeable in real light... the camera's flash is unforgiving (that's why I'll never pose for a close-up of my face... but I digress!)
12 LIZARD & SALAMANDER I had to cheat a bit with these - a lizard's body is too thin to be fitted on a rock, so I had to paint the critters as if they were scuttling or resting on the pebble instead, as suggested in Lin's books.
As a side note, allow me to boast a bit about my salamander... I love it, it's so cute!
13 TURTLE A painted turtle, supiciously eyed by a real one... Carolina, my beloved pet and, in this particular instance, my painting muse!
14 IGUANA And I was complaining about painting fur... LOL, scales are no better!
But reptiles are fun, nevertheless... strange shapes, bold colour schemes, and an air of mistery reflecting their kinship with dinosaurs...
15 FOX I painted this fox during the summer holidays in Serina (BG), the very same mountain place in which I had spotted a _real_ one two years ago.
This also gave me a chance to go a little creative with the pic's background...
16 FOAL I know, summer time should be for having fun and flirting and getting drunk, and I was painting stone foals instead, so maybe I need to get a life... ^___^ But it's cute, isn't it? (besides, I didn't really forswear the other things completely...)
17 BLACK DOG Geez, black fur is HARD! I found myself walking a fine line between painting a boring block of solid black and risking turning it into a grey dog... and it's also difficult to take pics of it; I really couldn't help the nasty reflection!
And if you really need a laugh... this one started off as a labrador... LOL!
i paimt on rocks too.they are my bigest seller at the backwoods fest in thornville oh.i also paint on feathers and everything else i can get my hands on.see my stuff on my friends web site at www.sculpturesbyconnetta.com and click on guest artist. - kathy allen, Thu, 12 Jan 2006 2:53AM
Have you done ladybugs? I think that would be cute. - Kay, Fri, 16 Dec 2005 10:09AM
You said that you cheated a bit with the lizards and had to pose them as though they were "scuttling" or "resting" on the rock, bacause they were too long to fit lengthwise. You sound as though you improvised and that they are unique creations, but the exact same lizard is taken from a "painting on rocks" magazine that i own. Other than that they are good paintings....just give credit where credit is due. - melissa, Tue, 29 Jun 2004 9:45AM
I am looking to have rocks done of my friend's cats (she is so hard to buy for). What would you charge? Please send me an email with your answer. Thanks - Anne , Tue, 1 Jun 2004 4:33PM
Love your rocks! They are so cute! - Esther, Tue, 8 Jul 2003 1:34PM
I feel a little silly writing in English, as we both are Italians, but I want everybody to understand my comment. I really didn't know you were so talented! I simply LOVE your painted rocks...just a suggestion:more cats!!! :-P - Elisa, Thu, 26 Jun 2003 2:42AM
I love your animals - Bob, Tue, 10 Dec 2002 3:12PM
Hi Silvia! Now, if you could freehand those rock designs on miniature knights shields or on tabards, pants..even space marine armor, you would rule! - Craig, Sat, 2 Nov 2002 1:20PM
Very, very good work! I'm on your rockpainting group too and think you are doing a wonderful job! Cat are my favorite to paint too! Glad you joined our group! A big hello from me in Alaska! - Kris, Fri, 13 Sep 2002 12:12AM
Hi! Thank you for the invitation in Yahoo's Rock Painters to drop by and view your work. You do really beautiful work, I only wish I was able to see the feathers you had painted. I love your "cat in a basket" he's so cute. Thank you for sharing this with me. Always, Air - Airbrshldy, Thu, 12 Sep 2002 2:46PM
Linked over here from the yahoo rock group. You are very talented I really like your work especially the rose( I havn't seen anyone doing these)I also like your siamese and well actually I like them all.I'm glad to see that rock painting has truly made a hit all around the world. How cool is that?keep up the good work. You can see some of mine if you'd like.I'm new to this and have just posted my first four rocks in the yahoo group album (newest rocks). - P'trisha, Thu, 12 Sep 2002 12:02PM
