Surreal Night in Transylvania - how the painting was born 48

If you ever travel to Romania, you need to know that although many places across the country are beyond beautiful, there is one part that will never fail to charm you forever. And that is Transylvania.

Original painting by artist Christine Onward, products for sale Here

I spent time with this painting thinking about Transylvania: the dark blue skies of the summer nights with the orange moon above, larger than all mountains, fantastically reflecting on the forest trees. And the stars, looking straight at you, shining straight into your eyes, and the crickets endlessly singing songs of love for their dear ones…

If done with passion and from the heart, painting has the power to take you to some of the most amazing and perhaps long forgotten memories from the past.

Painting this design took me to cousin Ghita and the night when we were waiting for the wild boars.

NIGHTS IN FASCA – Transylvanian adventures with cousin Ghita

I am 11 or 12 years old. Cousin Ghita, my best mate and most honest accomplice, 11 years old too. Days are long in summer, so many soccer games to play, so many trees to climb, geese to fly to the river, cows to run to the forest…

Wild boars have been pestering everyone across the village. We have to guard the maize from them all night until the sunrise. Then we are allowed to rest.

I jump with joy, looking forward to spending the whole night under the starry skies, covered in that large sheep skin, laying in the hay smelling of summer flowers…  

But uncle decides I’m not allowed to go. What has a city girl, all silly and clumsy as me, got to do with wild boars? I must stay in my room. And I’m not allowed to protest in any way. Because it's terribly rude to not obey your relatives in Transylvania. Uncle is merciless these days.

Late in the night I try to sleep but the thought of the wild boars sneaking through the trees straight into the corn field is not easy to ignore. I hear voices at the window, like whispers calling my name. I'm not scared. It's just whispers, calling my name from outside.

I jump out the window, without no shoes, just bare feet. Cousin Ghita is waiting for me with neighbour Cornel both holding the big sheep skin coat so that I don’t get cold.

We have to march quickly down the hill, to check Cornel’s maize.

I walk in Cornel’s shoes. He doesn’t need them. He hated them anyway. To me the shoes are too large and too noisy. But I mustn't say anything, or I scare the night.

Cornel carries a little light pointing at dark animal pathways, secret holes in the trees, plants leaving chaotic shadows under our steps…

Cornel likes talking about dead men. How they also took this way to go to the valley. You can never hear their steps in the grass, because they are dead. But you can feel them cold, like a breeze, sticking to the back of your neck until you get stiff and can’t move anymore.

I walk slowly behind Cornel and in front of cousin Ghita. If there were to be dead men passing by, then there will definitely not be my neck for them to stick to, because I am wisely walking in the middle of the line, not behind, like cousin Ghita.

There are no wild boars roaming through Cornelu’s maize. It’s silence. Only deep in the forest there is a chilling whisper of leaves and sometimes night birds shouting sadly at long forgotten ghosts…

We return to the little hut that uncle built for the boys at the corn field. I hide inside, hoping that cold breeze bodies don’t get stuck to the back of my neck. The ship skin coat smells revolting, but it’s warm and soft. I can close my eyes and listen to cousin Ghita and neighbour Cornel chatting away outside…

Apparently if the devil follows you in the dark, it will definitely want to call you by your name. But you should know it’s the devil. Don't ever turn your head to see who called you in the dark. Keep walking or you’ll lose your mind and voice forever...

As my eyes are slowly going down to sleep, I hear whispers of my name inside the tent. A terrifying low voice whispers my name, calling me to follow it in the dark!

I jump outside, hardly being able to breathe from fear, and start screaming: “It’s here! It’s here!” I hit the empty metal pot, making terrible noise while the boys are laughing their heads off.

The next minute, up on the mountain and all around the village hills I see fires lighting up. It was my shouting that woke them up. Everyone is banging onto metal pots to scare the wild boars. A concert of bangs, and shouts, and howling echoing from all corners of the village! It felt like it lasted forever.

At sunrise uncle finds the three of us in deep sleep around the sheep skin coat, “like newborn lambs”.

“What a happy gang, he says. The whole village is in frenzy. There's been talk that boars have been going through everyone’s corn fields. All night long the boars moved along the line of the mountains... And here you are, sleeping like angels. Bet you have no idea what happened last night”

Cousin Ghita looks in the distance, like a wise old man and sighs deeply.. in the most dramatic voice he says: “Bet nobody does”. I can hardly keep myself from laughing. Cornel keeps busy trying to recover his shoes from my feet.

Here is Fasca,the village of the wild boars, shining fantastically in strange shapes and colours under the moon light. I’d tell you more stories if you want. But we’ll have to ask cousin Ghita for permission first.  Maybe he would like to tell you more Transylvanian stories, much better than mine.

 Art by Christine Onward. More products for sale here

Glimpse into a life of art and self-challenge, artist Pamela Campbell talking about how yoga and rock painting became part of her life 85

Showcase of the most beautiful rocks painted by artist Lidia Zingerle, winner of the RED WEEK event in RockStreet Collective 25

Dear all,

As you undoubtedly remember, few weeks ago our RockStreet Collective group of rock artists honoured the beauty of using the colour red in our stone paintings.

Astonishing patterns, intricate shapes, hidden symbols, love and thrill, they were all captured in the most fascinating painted rocks there are. Here is one of my most recent articles capturing some of the most beautiful red rocks posted in RockStreet Collective. 

Red rocks of RockStreet Collective celebrated Here. (photo collage by artist Lysa Mignot)

Each participating artist had the chance to be featured on Instagram every day for an entire week. At the end of the week, the most successful artists of the RED WEEK event on Facebook and Instagram were Lysa Mignot from France and Lidia Zingerle from Italy.

Winning rocks of the RED WEEK event painted by artists Lysa Mignot and Lidia Zingerle

In honour of such event, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you today one of the winning artists, Lidia Zingerle, and some of her amazing creations on rock.

Rock artist Lidia Zingerle, at Steinmalerei Lidia Zingerle

"Hello everybody! My Name is Lidia Zingerle, and I am from South Tyrol in Northern Italy.

10 years ago I started painting rocks, and now it has become my every day passion!!"    

Colourful painted rocks by artist Lidia Zingerle

"I take all of my rocks from the rivers of the region I live in. I love the nature and because of this, I also use natural decorations such as old wood pieces to complete my artworks.To paint my rocks, I only use acrylic paint but no clear coating."

Stunning rock art by artist Lidia Zingerle

"My biggest motivation to continue painting on rocks is the smile on people's faces when they appreciate my work. 

I usually sell my rocks at creative-expos in South Tyrol, but I also ship them worldwide."

Inquiries about acquiring art by Lidia Zingerle Here

"Since I joined RockStreet Collective, I have become even more inspired. I enjoy watching other artists' creations, their different styles and cultural influences from all over the world.

If you want to see more of my rocks, please visit my Facebook page Steinmalerei Lidia Zingerle and Instagram @steinmalerei. Thank you."

Colourful painted rocks by artist Lidia Zingerle

**To all RockStreet Collective friends, I would like to thank you again for taking part in our RED WEEK event. You are amazing! Beginnig with 29th of June, I will launch a new event of colours and joy on rocks. Stay tuned!**

A Visit to Italy - The Amazing Marilena Sostero Talking about Her Passion for Creating Art on Rocks 29

A beautiful day in Ancona, Italy. Photo by artist Marilena Sostero

Greetings to everyone from Italy!

My name is Marilena Sostero and I live in a beautiful city by the sea, called Ancona.

For many years I have passionately painted using oil techniques. I also loved making portraits in crayons and charcoal. Later I approached the art of rock painting, with much love and fun.

The most exciting thing about rock painting is how you can change a stone or a little pebble found by chance, into a small artwork that so many people love!

 I love to find rocks in the shape of a cottage or a mushroom, which nobody appreciates ,  and turn them into beautiful pieces of art.

Mixed media by Marilena Sostero | I sassi di Marilena |  Instagram | for sale Here

My great passion is to paint stones of every form, but my true love is to reproduce the ancient houses with the flowers lurking on the walls. I love to create these houses without painting the walls with colours, but using only shadows to create the depth. Then I add the flowers and trunks that climb around the windows with synthetic paste. I do not draw almost anything in pencil, but I rely on the brush using black colour to letting my imagination carry me on.

Here is one of the works I never wanted to sell, because it embodies the best I want to achieve.

Artwork painted rock by Marilena Sostero | I sassi di Marilena |  Instagram |

If I were to give a piece of advice to someone who has just started painting I would say:
Always observe with great attention all the beautiful things that are around us … and never miss the joy of creating, like any baby would do.

Se dovessi dare un consiglio a qualcuno che ha appena iniziato a dipingere, direi: Osservare sempre con grande attenzione tutte le cose belle che vediamo intorno a noi… e non perdere mai la gioia di creare come farebbe un bambino.

Painted rocks by Marilena Sostero | I sassi di Marilena |  Instagram | 

I would like to thank you all for your attention and wish you best of luck with your painting in the future.

My best regards and appreciation, Hugo and Marilena

Vorrei ringraziare tutti voi per la vostra attenzione e augurarvi buona fortuna con la vostra pittura in futuro.

I miei migliori saluti e apprezzamenti, Hugo e Marilena

HISTORIA DE UNA PIEDRA - THE HISTORY OF A STONE - by rock artist Loli Gambin 19