Thursday, February 9, 2012

Day 9 of the Challenge -- Another, yes ANOTHER, Painted Rock!



Day 9 of the '29 Faces' Challenge!  That means that sometime between today, Day 9, and tomorrow, Day 10, we will already be one third of the way through the month, and the Challenge.  One third!

As for today I didn't start out with any particular 'Face' plans.  I entertained a few notions here and there about what I thought I might want to work on, but no definitive direction at first in the beginning.  It was when I was actually digging around my studio looking for one thing (an old, unfinished watercolor), when to my great surprise I stumbled across quite another, and found my inspiration -- a little painted rock started years ago that I'd totally forgot I even had.   The second I saw her, I knew what my project of the day would be.... 

Meet "Rocksanne":
 

This rock is especially unique.  She has incredibly well-defined features, sculpted by Nature herself.

These photos do not do her justice -- they make her look much more 'flat' than she really is, when she actually has a lot of shape.

She has deep-set eye sockets, nostrils, and a well-defined mouth -- can you imagine my surprise when I first found this rock (a long, long time ago) and saw this really obvious FACE staring back at me...?

I happen to think she's really beautiful.

A View to her left side.  She was painted following the natural lumps and bumps of the rock.

 


Chock-full of character and personality.  I love her.

















I am so, sooooo glad I rediscovered her today, my 'Rocksanne' -- she definitely deserved to finally be given her just due after all this time.  I do recall starting her years ago and getting hung up on some detail or other, like I often can -- then setting her up out of the way on a high shelf, out of sight (and apparently out of mind).  Today in my re-attempt after finding her again, I ended up just repainting over her entire face, and starting over -- a blank slate (with no hesitations this time around).  It was the right thing to do.

10 comments:

denthe said...

I absolutely love her. She looks different from every angle. Beautiful work!

Diane said...

Love Her!!!!!

Unknown said...

Looks amazing! I need to start keeping my eyes open for rocks!

Gina said...

I think your painted rocks are all marvellous...I've always picked up the smooth stones, now I will look for the lumpy ones :D

angelself said...

Great face, Patience! My mom and I love painting rocks, too. I do know what you mean about starting a project that sits idle for a long time =) Kathryn

Sunshineshelle said...

Rocksanne LOL ! I love the way she seems 'animated' when viewed from different directions - like she is making different expressions, supa cool!!!

Jenny said...

She is awesome Patience... I just love her... and probably more so that she is painted onto a rock... fabulous!!!

Hugs
Jenny x

MangaMem said...

Rocksanne! What an awesome name! She's defiantly got personality. It looks like she's striking a different pose at every angle!

Laura Holman said...

Beyond cool! What a great concept!

Patience said...

Dear Denthe, Diane, April, Gina, Kathryn, Shelle, Jenny, MangaMem and Laura, thank you all SO much for commenting and leaving such kind words for me -- I do so appreciate all the lovely feedback!

As for my little 'Rocksanne' (and indeed, her name -- how could I resist? Couldn't help myself really ;-)) she really is pretty special -- I wish my pics were a little better, they just don't truly portray her features, but I"m hoping to reshoot soon in natural light and that might help. She does have the kind of eyes that 'follow you everywhere', and my pics seemed to have captured that at least, heh....

In any case, indeed, lumpy-bumpby rocks are by far the best kind as far as I'm concerned -- you can see all KINDS of things in them! Case in point, a couple of months ago I was raking leaves in my yard and had caught up a rock from one of my many rock piles. If it was outside, then it must have been one of my reject rocks -- but I picked it up to toss it back on to the pile, when suddenly it hit me...omg! There was an elephant face very clearly in the rock, staring right back at me -- with the big elephant ears, eyes and a trunk.... I'd brought that rock home who knows how long ago, and only just now noticed that? Makes me want to re-visit all my rejects to see what else I might find ;-)....

Thanks again, everyone! All my best!

--Patience