Apart from one painted rock, painted in the mid 1980's, I had no interest in this medium for producing miniature art work. That was until July 2021 during the pandemic lockdowns in Australia. Children neighbours next door had placed some painted rocks on our letter box and I responded with a few painted small pebbles a bit later.

I then began to wonder if rock painting was some kind of trend.., an internet search showed that it was. I joined the New South Wales Rocks Facebook Group and began posting photos of 'rock drops' placed, on permitted daily walks during lock-downs, around the Blue Hills Wetlands, Glenmore Park.

'Rock drops' consisted of hiding painted rocks in suitable places for people to find and keep, give away or re-hide in another location. Rock-hunting became a popular pastime for families in lockdown, when the rule was - only local walks allowed. This situation was a 'hot-house' for the growth of painted rock popularity, and the Blue hills Wetlands was local to a good number of rock painting artists who's work was becoming sought after.

Many requests came flooding in beyond the scope of the 'rock drop' ideal, which I now felt committed to, and it was necessary to confine extra rock painting activities to charity auctions that I run from time to time on my Facebook Page whimsicalwood49-art.

The ink and wash technique that I had been long acustomed to as an illustrator was my 'go-to' method from the start. This technique, has been a well established one, much used from the beginning of the twentieth century, during the 'Golden Age' of picture book illustration. The technique alone, conveys the charm that characterised illustration work from that period.

I have found this technique to be particularly suitable for rock painting and have included some step-by-step instructional material on the rock painting pages. More comprehensively described and illustrated instructional material and step-by-steps will also be available as downloadable pdf files for sale at a later date.

About Painted Rocks and Rock Painting