WHAT'S NEW — my story
WHAT ARE THE ROCK STORIES ABOUT? - CHRISTINE ONWARD'S INVITATION TO DISCOVER THE MEANING OF THE STORIES SHE PAINTS ON ROCK 129
"My painted rocks invite you on magical journeys never seen to the eye before, but imagined, dreamed of, and felt in smiles.", Christine Onward
WHAT ARE MY PAINTED STORIES ABOUT?
BIRD OF MAGIC, painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
The most amazing thing about art is the fact that it has the power to manipulate and transform our most inner emotions and experiences in such subtle ways no other means of therapy can.
Many times my day stars with a grim, not knowing what to paint, how to paint, what to start with..., and so on. But I don't give up because I know that if I take small steps into changing the narrative, and I turn the grey clouds into sunshine, and the stormy seas into hues of turquoise, and old scares into islands of bright green, life will begin to smile again.
This is why today I would like to invite you to discover with me what the stories I paint on rocks are actually about:
1. MY ROCK STORIES INVITE YOU DREAM
DUST OF STARS, original painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
To me, what gives value to a work of art is its power to take you to places where you can dream, where your imagination is fueled to grow wings and learn new ways to fly.
In a world where what we dream is dictated by social standards and mainstream media, who can afford to dream authentically anymore?
That's why, when I begin to paint a new story, I aim at creating gates: gates to dream lands, to places unnamed, to lands never seen to the eye and to songs never sung or heard before.
2. MY ROCKS INVITE YOU TO CREATE YOUR OWN STORY
A VILLAGE OF SUMMER, painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
Take a moment and think when was the last time you let your mind roam about to places you once saw and almost forgot? When was the last time you remembered a happy thing from the past and allowed yourself time to re-live it?
To me, art should have the power to lift you from a daily routine and place you to a land where your own stories from the past are allowed to come to life again.
For this, almost all the stories I paint have something to do with an experience I lived in the past and I trust my experiences are never singular, they must have been lived and felt in the same way by others too.
ITALIAN TRAVELS, painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
3. MY ROCK STORIES CONNECT YOU WITH YOUR INNER CHILD
BLOOMS OF SPRING, painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
Trauma will always teach you to close doors. That's why we slowly start forgetting ourselves behind dark walls, too afraid to make peace with the past or begin trusting the future again.
That's why I love painting places where I felt happy as a child. Even if they are not all my stories, if they are just adventures from books, or stories lived by friends, I trust that art has the magic to reconnect and turn the grim of the day into sunshine.
A TASMANIAN MORNING, painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
4. MY ROCK STORIES INVITE YOU TO SMILE
Painted rocks collections by Christine Onward, for sale HERE
With almost every rock that I paint, I am told that my art brings smiles to your hearts.
I still find it hard to explain how this happens. It might be the naivety of the landscapes I paint. Or it might be the colours I choose for my paintings. I don't know how and where the smiles begin. I am somehow sure though that if I put smiles and good vibes in what I create, this might return in a million other positive ways in the world. And that's what I want my art to be about.
FADING DREAMS, painted rock by Christine Onward , for sale HERE
Story of my painted rock - visiting the land of Turquoise 10
Stones are like treasure chests. They capture inside the purity of the universe, the power of waves, whirling winds, and roughness of sand. We only add our story, with colours, brushes and no words – just love.
This is a story of how and where I painted this rock. Hope you enjoy.