I'll be the first to admit that "Painting mandala patterns on rocks" is a pretty narrow niche, as far as creative expression goes.
Although I see almost infinite variation within the possible ways to create my patterns, for many people who look at the stones... they may admire them, but it all "looks pretty much the same."
With the exception of maybe a dozen or so regular buyers, I have never really managed to break through into the "painted rock as collectible" arena... unlike a number of my peers from "the early days" who seem to have really capitalized on it.
The other day, I found myself down a bit of a "rabbit hole" of studying and learning about Pyrography, or the technique of burning wood (and certain other materials) as an artform. What interested me is the fact that the tools being used in these days can be found with extremely fine points, meaning that creating a free-hand mandala burned into a piece of wood has now become possible.
Of course, the question then becomes whether or not I am actually interested in branching out, in that direction.
Initially, my "objection" was that a large part of what I do comes from the joy of working with color. However, to be perfectly honest, all my earliest designs — some of which were quite spectacular — were drawn with extremely fine tipped black "Rapidograph" type pens on white paper. There was no color involved, at all.
Next question then becomes whether burning patterns into wood really solves any problem. And is there even a "problem," to begin with?
The biggest challenge I am working with in the current configuration is the simple fact that "painting on rocks" has moved from the realm of "esoteric art form" a decade ago to "community art project" that pretty much can be found in the country, and even around the world. It makes Alchemy Stones extremely difficult to sell, even though they come with a "story."
But is a piece of patterned wood likely to hold any more appeal?
One of the things I learned when I had an art gallery is the fact that "requiring specialized equipment" tends to present a substantial "barrier to entry" in the world of creativity. People who fancy "doing something at home" want quick and easy.
For example, glassblowers rarely have to worry about competition because almost nobody envisions going home and starting to blow glass at their kitchen table! Even doing fairly simple lampwork and torchwork requires a fair amount of technical know-how... so few people go to the "I can do that at home" mindset.
Anyway, the wood burning idea is just something I'm rolling around in my head, at this point. MOre to come, if I decide to go down this particular path!
Thanks for stopping by! Do leave me a comment if you feel so inspired — interaction and engagement are always welcome!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
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2022.03.15 AS-TXT-091/057