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Rock Art Newsletter ----- Fall 1999

Painting Pets on Rocks, due in the Fall of 2000
At last! The completed manuscript, illustrations and photographs are in the capable hands of my North Light Books editor and "Painting Pets on Rocks with Lin Wellford" is tentatively scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2000. It features step by step instructions for tropical fish, guinea pigs, colorful parrots, four new cats, four dogs and a host of ideas for other canines. We're also including instructions for using your own pet photographs as a guide in creating custom pet portraits. A gallery of additional animal subjects will hopefully provide inspiration for rock painters at all levels of experience.

Coming up next .... Rock Painting Videos!
So many people have requested live action instruction that it seemed the inevitable next step. We've already taped a segment showing tips for selecting just the right rocks for a number of popular painting projects. The first video will feature step by step instruction for painting a wild rabbit, curled cats and kittens and a spotted fawn. I'll spend extra time demonstrating my techniques for fur and eyes, both areas that new painters sometimes find intimidating. We hope to have the video ready for distribution by early next spring and it will be available through my web site.

We Get Letters
Rock painting continues to grow in popularity. Daily I receive letters and emails from painters all over the world. Many want to share their enthusiasm and excitement for this unique art form. A surprising number have written to tell me that learning to turn humble rocks into artwork has helped them discover or reconnect with their creativity. And I've heard from hospital and nursing home patients who've found rock painting to be a great hobby that helped them to look beyond any physical limitations. A man recovering from a recent illness wrote to say that rock painting renewed his flagging interest in life, getting him up and outside to look for rocks to paint.

Painting on Candles
Can't find good rocks in your area? Recently I experimented with DecoArt's new Candle Painting Medium. I used small, rounded candles bought at Hobby Lobby and mixed the Candle Painting Medium right into acrylic paints I already had, then painted charming kittens and turtles right on the candles. The medium makes the paint adhere and the finished pieces are charming and inexpensive! They also weigh a lot less.

Rock Painting Books in Swedish, Italian and Japanese
News from the recent Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany- Soon the first rock painting book, "Painting Animals on Rocks" may be available in Swedish, along with the previously published Italian and Japanese versions. Search Press, a British publisher, is interested in adding their own edition of "Painting Flowers on Rocks" to their already available compilation called "Painting Animals on Stones", and Italian rights to "Painting Pets on Rocks" are in the works.

Soap Stones for Sketching
I was given a soapstone pencil at the Decorative Painting Convention in Wichita last spring. It's a handy tool for sketching, especially over dark base coats, and leaves no residue. They are available through welding supply stores. Love 'em!

Painting Flowers on Rocks on Television
"Your Home Studio" on TNN is scheduled to broadcast rock painting segments on Dec.31, 1999 and Feb. 7, 2000, although these dates are subject to change. They feature projects from my most recent book, "Painting Flowers on Rocks."

Thank You!
To all my painting friends, thanks for your enthusiasm and feedback! Remember, you can't 'ruin' a rock, so take the plunge and start rockin!' And don't forget to share your talents with young people, shut-ins and others who could use a fun and inexpensive past time.

NEW PHOTOS
Check my website in the next few weeks. There should be some preview photos from the new book up shortly.

Keep Rockin',

Lin

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