It's interesting how often people feel compelled to put a familiar label on something, even if that label isn't accurate.
I've been painting "Alchemy Stones" for somewhat over a decade, using the same basic mandala style all the while... and before I started painting on beach stones, I used to draw the same kind of intricate patterns using colored pens or just black ink on plain paper.
A very large design. Note how most of what you see here is actually small straight lines!
Some of those early drawings are actually in small frames that hang in my home office. The dates go back all the way to 1976.
But getting back on point, what I find interesting is the number of people who just have to tell me that "what I am doing" is something called "Dot Painted Rocks." The whole thing rather amuses me, because I actually had no idea what "Dot Painted Rocks" even were until I decided to look it up one day, just to see what the fuss was about.
Without a doubt, Dot Painted Rocks can look somewhat like Alchemy Stones, but Alchemy Stones are definitely not Dot Painted Rocks!
Now, you might wonder why I'm getting my shorts tied in a knot over this... and the reason for that is somewhat simple: the mandala patterns I paint on my rocks are pretty much my own style that I developed originally while I was in high school — and that was over 40 years ago! — and so they are nothing I copied off of something somewhere else, and they have nothing to do with the current popularity craze of painted stones.
In fact, the patterns I use were an offshoot of something I learned in high school art class about ways you could create the illusion of a curve using only straight lines. That's one of the interesting "hidden secrets" of Alchemy Stones: Even though it looks like they have "circular" patterns on them, they are actually made entirely with small straight lines!
One of my designs that actually has some "dots" in it!
Dot painted rocks — while undoubtedly sometimes very beautiful — essentially represent the commercialization of painted rocks. They sprang into popularity approximately 5-6 years ago, and have reached their current level of distribution and renown fairly recently... and to such a degree that there are actually people who sell "Dot painted rock KITS," and there are books about them.
Alas, in 99% of the cases they're a little more than "paint-by-numbers." Very intricate paint-by-numbers, I grant you, but paint-by-numbers nonetheless.
When I paint Alchemy Stones I never use templates or "cheat marks" or anything like that; the pattern is done completely freehand and generally without my having any real idea of what I'm going to start making before I get started. The patterns more or less build themselves as I go along.
It's definitely not that I begrudge anyone their commercial success with painted rock kits... I just don't want to be lumped in with them!
Thanks for stopping by! Do leave a comment if you feel so inspired, engagement is always nice!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
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2022.02.15 AS-TXT-085/051