WHAT'S NEW — stone painting
WHAT ARE THE ROCK STORIES ABOUT? - CHRISTINE ONWARD'S INVITATION TO DISCOVER THE MEANING OF THE STORIES SHE PAINTS ON ROCK 131
"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
Mystical Travels in the World of Pure Rock Art - an Interview with Fascinating French Artist, Lysa Mignot 10
Welcome back to our wonderful world of painted rocks and their astonishing creators! Today I have this extraordinary opportunity to introduce to you a fascinating artist, wonderful person, and dear friend, Lysa Mignot of Toulouse, France.
My journey with the RockStreet community has allowed me to meet many interesting, talented and hard working people so far, but I must tell, Lysa has never failed to show me the deepest passion and fantastic devotion to her art as noone before.
Here is Lysa's discourse addressed to you all. I left it unedited, because I wanted to preserve the unique glow showing not only in her art creations but also in her writing:
"Bonjour, mon nom d’artiste est Lyzzz, avec 3 z car je suis une rêveuse.
Hello, my artist name is Lyzzz, with 3 z because I'm a dreamer.
Photo: French artist Lysa Mignot of Toulouse | Facebook | Instagram |
I live in the south of France in the city of Toulouse, also called "The Pink City" due to the colour of its brick walls. The city is crossed by river Garonne which keeps the climate of the region quite temperate and invites to long walks along its banks. Going up the river to the Pyrenees mountains there is the wonderful Salat, a tributary of the Garonne, with its birth place in the heart of the mountains. It is in the Salat riverbed that I search for and collect my rock treasures.
Photo: Astounding capture of Salat river by the Pyrénées Mountains
I have always had the habit of collecting small pebbles. One of my biggest joys is to find the perfect stones in the shape of a love heart. Drawing has also been part of me for a very long time. I am fascinated by the antlers of the trees and by flowers. They are my insatiable source of inspiration. So I decided to meet these two sides of my personality and start painting fantastic trees and flowers on rocks.
I painted my first pebble 10 years ago, with students in my son's class. They needed to raise funds to finance a trip so we managed to sell plenty of painted pebbles at the Christmas market. I did not keep any pictures of those first stones but from that moment things went on and the adventure continued for me.
Here is a pebble heart I have created for the shop that exhibits my creations.
Photo: Miniature painted rock, art creation by Lysa Mignot | Facebook | Instagram |
I rarely paint the background of the rocks. That is why I choose mostly smooth stones and solid colour to play with the contrasts. I prefer to preserve a natural part of the stone so that it releases its soul. I prefer working on pebbles of small size and create miniature works of art.
I mainly use acrylic paint with pen or brush and I also make mosaic pieces. The eggshell and mother of pearl are easy to work with and make my jewels unique and original.
Photo: Fantastic art creations painted rocks by Lysa Mignot | Facebook | Instagram |
Even though I always return to flowers and trees, I like to learn and progress with my art. I always look for new ideas and new techniques. Most recently and thanks to the wonderful diversity of the creations exhibited by the members of the international group RockStreet Collective, I started to be interested in owls which I am studying to enlarge my collections now.
Photo: Miniature painted rock, art creation by Lysa Mignot | Facebook | Instagram |
As it is for many artists, moments of motivation at zero point sometimes torture me, so I really thank from the bottom of my heart to all the members of RockStreet Collective who allow me every day to discover a new surprise from another continent.
To you who give me your smiles and your likes, to all of you I say thank you, stay united in our family of rock painters and to continue this wonderful atmosphere of sharing and making friends.
I also thank all my friends who support me, my fans who encourage me and my customers who give me a happy means to live.
I hope I have made you travel through my mineral universe and invite you to join me on my artistic walks and enjoy the art that moves you.
Hugs,
Lyzzz