September pebbles...

Summer suddenly fades away....

but the beach is wonderful and FULL of pebbles.

 

And they look beautiful stacked and natural...

Or painted yellow, gold, copper, blue and pink!

AlphaPebbles

Pebbles and Words....a perfect combination.

Available in my Etsy shop - either a name, a word, a phrase or the whole alphabet. A lovely thing to have and a great gift.

Why paint pebbles?

Well, why not?

Pebbles can be smooth. They feel wonderful in the hand. They're comforting to hold and definitely contain something that gives out good vibes.

And whilst some are beautiful, just as they are, for me, the urge to add to them with a pen or brush is irresistible. I draw only freehand mandalas or other patterns. The shape suggests what I should draw and I lose myself completely during the process of drawing.

It is meditation.
It is relaxation.
It is concentration.


Here are some that I have painted recently.

So I paint pebbles because it's a good thing to do. I also paint them because they are a good thing to have.

Brid Stones

Originally from Yorkshire, though I resist the title 'God's Own County'...the nearest beach for us was Bridlington on the East Coast. It's home to the most amazing chalky white stones and pebbles. And before I left to live in Spain, we spent a wonderful last visit there with the children - and our collective love of stones is evident.

I also brought a tubful of these lovely, white porous stones with me to Spain....had to! I knew that one day, I'd find the perfect use for them.

It's been a process of trial and error to be absolutely honest. I began doing Zentangle on my BridStones - and the porous nature of them meant that after a while, the ink soaked in and spread somewhat. What started out as rather lovely has ended up a bit on the messy side. I'll spare you (and myself) the images. And even with the latest ones, I have struggled to get just the finish and effect I wanted. The green one smudged when I tried to seal it...

But I like the pink one and the black and white one and they are well sealed, waterproof and so far standing the test of time.

They are both large - bigger than a handful - and heavy, particularly the black and white one. Good for paperweights, I would say.

Collected from the beach in Bridlington in 2010, transported to the south of Spain. Completed in Casa Rosales in 2015. And I have just had a horrible thought...is it illegal to take them from Bridlington beach.....just off to check. Well, no but recommended that photos are taken if fossils are found. The beach is full of fossils too but we didn't take any of those. I do know it's illegal to take them from some beaches and I recommend that you check (beforehand, of course....!) if you're wanting to do some pebble painting.

Painting pebbles

I love drawing and painting - inspired originally through finding Zentangle - and especially indulging my passion for mandalas.





I'm lucky to live now in the south of Spain, not too far from the coast and about half an hour from Granada, in a glorious, olive growing area, near a town with a stunning Moorish castle which acts as constant inspiration.











A day at the beach, picking out just the right pebbles for painting on.


Sometimes, I draw whilst I am there and then leave my stones on the beach for someone else to find...and perhaps enjoy.

And when I don't have any pebbles to hand, I draw them!
















And this is my space for sharing what I do. I have two other blogs - Being Here and Annie's Tangles - where I share stories about my life and my Zentangles - although these are all absolutely intertwined!

I have an Etsy shop and all my work is for sale should you be interested. And even if you don't want to buy anything, please let me know if you like something. I will be having regular giveaways.