Rock painting is a thing. Walking in the park, shopping at the mall, strolling down Main Street I can glance down and find a painted rock tucked into a corner or peeking out from beneath a flowering plant. This growing trend of painting, hiding and finding rocks, has swept across the US. Chapters have formed in many cities, including Joplin.
The concept is simple. Paint a rock. You can create a design, an elaborate picture, write out an inspiring quote or go with an abstract painting. On the back of the rock, you write the name of your city's rock painting club, which has a page on Facebook. Joplin Area Rocks is the local chapter. Add the Facebook symbol. And then hide your painted rocks. The rocks are supposed to be easily spotted. Imagine a four year old hunting for these treasures. When you find a painted rock, you hide it again, in a new location, after admiring the artwork.
A rock I found last week at Mercy Park.
Today I spent time with three of my grandchildren…Joey, Oliver and Aubrey…and my great niece London. On our agenda was a first for all of us. We had a pile of river rocks, large flat pieces of shale, tempera paints in vivid colors and an assortment of artists brushes. We created our first painted rocks.
I put tarps down in the garage (thanks Papa Greg) and set up art supplies. The kids selected rocks, squeezed out paint on makeshift artists' palettes, and grabbed a brush. I managed to paint a simple heart on one small rock. I was busy the rest of the time snapping pics, handing out damp paper towels and chasing Carl the dog away from the paint.
I love these kids. They are so willing to try new things and enter into fun adventures. I allowed them complete freedom to paint their rocks as they wished. They all chose different designs and colors and methods of expression.
The kids created works of art. I set the rocks aside to dry while the artists changed into swimsuits and escaped the heat of the day by jumping into the pool. I was proud of them for their enthusiasm and their creativity.
The higher humidity today prevented the paint from drying quickly. We decided not to rush the process. We will hide the rocks on a different day. And while we are hiding painted rocks we will look for those hidden by others before us.
Rock painting is a thing. It is a fun thing!
