I love painting ( and collecting) rocks

[BayouGirl]

I have always loved rocks and have a rock collection which I will turn into a rock garden one day. I literally pick up rocks from wherever I go. I can go to friends houses who have gravel driveways (with river rock, not limestone) and I will happily sit in their driveway finding unique rocks and even fossils. Here are some smoother river rocks that I painted with my grandkids.

I use nail polish because it is durable, inexpensive (from the dollar store) and has the most beautiful sparkly colors. I wish I had the talent to paint more realist paintings (such as curled up sleeping kitties on round rocks) but for now I just do simple things with them. I also encourage friends to join in the fun and then I have a great keepsake with their names on them for my rock garden. they are also a great keepsake of the grandkids and their creative abilities and how they have improved with their painting skills. We use a few coats of paint on them and finish them off with a clearcoat to seal the colors and to make them shiny.




http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=948&d=1349142648

[Tussiemussies]

What a nice idea for keepsakes of your grandchildren and close friends!:)

[Float On]

I've always collected rocks too.
I live on a glade with natural shelf rock patios that I cleared off and built rock walls behind. I build walkways with rocks. I built garden beds with rocks. Finally I'm to the point where if I think I need another rock around the little pond well I have to hike a quarter mile up the hill and haul back rocks in the wheelbarrel.

One of my favorite rocks is actually a petrified either ancient horse or whale bone (can't remember)- they only wash up on one little beach on the gulf side of FL. We were walking there on our anniversary a few years back and I gathered quite a few of them. DH had a jeweler friend of ours make a pendant setting for it - it's beautiful and I love wearing it. There are rocks and fossils all over our house in various glass or pottery dishes. Always fun to sit and sort thru them.

[BayouGirl]

I love collecting rocks of all sorts. I still remember as a teen going into Tennessee and Kentucky and going to the mines where you could dig up your own gems. I could have stayed there for weeks. I just loved it! On my honeymoon, we went to lots of places including the beach and the Florida keys where much of their rock is calcified coral. My husband swore he was gonna divorce me if I stuck one more rock in the truck. When my friends go on vacation, they know they can thrill me by bringing me back some rocks which are cheap and easy to find souvenirs.

I remember many summer vacations across many states as a child collecting rocks across the country for my great grandma. We would also walk to the beach by her house and bring her back buckets of shells. So mu love of rocks came naturally. Plus, I don't have a green thumb but rather a thumb of death so a rock garden suits my gardening skills.

[Wildflower]

My granddaughter and I have been collecting rocks together since she was a wee little one. :)

[BayouGirl]

I wish I could get to the level of painting rocks like this:
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=955&d=1349160211

[Float On]

I think it's time to break out the I Love Lucy honeymoon movie "The Long Trailer" remember her 'rock collection'??

[sweetana3]

That was a great movie.

[ljevtich]

I have enjoyed collecting rocks, but now that I live (usually) in National Parks or National Recreation Areas, that is just not possible. However, I am going down to the Outer Banks, NC in a few days, and the northern part is not under those restrictions. I especially liked the painted shells. Maybe I'll find a few of them and paint with sparkly colors. Or you could get pearlized colors. Then if I got small shells or rocks, we could use them for scrapbooking. It is a thought.

[BayouGirl]

I remember that movie well and thought of it when my husband was trying to ban me from stuffing anymore rocks in the truck. Even if you were to look in my car or my purse right now, you would find rocks in both of them.

See, I'm just not much of a gardener and seem to have a "thumb of death" rather than a green thumb. So a rock garden suits me well

[Mrs-M]

Get me on a beach and look out! Every glittery, shiny, extra-smooth rock I find, I'm like a kid, and as far as painting rocks goes, I have always loved that art style.

My advice to you, BayouGirl, don't give up. Keep at it and one day out of the blue it will happen. You'll be able to paint rocks as your mind tells you, and how you see them (vision).

[Gardenarian]

I like your "rock garden"! Pretty!