Jewel Drop Mandala Stones and How to Paint Stones and Rocks

This is just so mesmerizing to watch and the artist has such control of the paint.

Alas my process is not quite as mesmerizing or as neat. I did find another video where the artist uses various stylus heads to apply the dots (much easier) for those who want to give it a go. 

I generally gesso my stones and may use a pencil to draw the design first, sometimes I use acrylic paint, or Posterman Pens and may add oil paint. In this one I used oil paints.

 This is part of a series of stones I paint each time I do a radiation treatment but this isn't the first time I have painted stones.

Back in 1999 I started painting portraits on river rocks I found in New Jersey. We had just moved to NJ and on a walk with my husband by a river I was feeling somewhat down about not having my studio set up.

My husband picked up a river stone and said why don't I paint on some stones until I get the studio set up. There was something intriguing to me about manipulating the paint in a way so that viewers couldn't tell if it was the shape of the rock or how I painted it that defined the features. 

Some of these stones ended up being embedded in a wall in a custom house in Las Vegas, some sold in frames, and I still have one or two. The Chuck Close stone is currently on display in town in the jafagirl art box.

For those interested in painting stones I found a great site that has a step by step guide which I hope you enjoy.

Painting on Stones Is a Craft That Rocks!

I have recently discovered the enjoyable craft of decorating stones. What's not to like? Your canvas is free! Okay, maybe it's not so free if you actually purchase a bag of stones from Michael's Crafts. But that's still okay. Stones are cheap no matter what!