A new trend is emerging in the world of painted rocks – a hobby which sees people decorate rocks and hide them outside for others to find.
Rather than painting a character, scene or positive message, the rocks are getting dotty makeovers and the resulting mandalas are seriously eye-catching.
With more people expected to get involved with painted rocks now the weather has picked up here’s what you can expect to find while out and about.
Havent painted anything in a month so Im happy how this sun inspired oddly shaped rock turned out #mandala #rocks pic.twitter.com/fciOjskEr6
— Ennas (@Ennas78) March 7, 2018
Sanne Hansen, aged 39, from Skanderborg, Denmark, started painting in September and now runs an Etsy store selling her mandala rocks – although just as a hobby.
“The act of dotting and symmetry in many designs is highly relaxing,” she told the Press Association.
“I guess the main reason I started getting into this dotting thing has derived from years of extreme social anxiety and the odd depression. I have been a gamer – mainly World Of Warcraft and the likes – for many years and the past months it’s just not given me the same ‘relief’ from my anxious mind.”
Although Hansen was fascinated by art she said she lacked the skills to create landscapes and characters which others were sharing.
Even though there’s still ice on the little pond where I go every week, the sun is still coming through #spring pic.twitter.com/APjX3l3Xea
— Ennas (@Ennas78) March 20, 2018
“This dot mandala and dot art style was more up my alley and something I thought I could do,” Hansen added.
“The symmetry and colours in the mandalas are great, both to look at and make, but I’m still learning.”
Around a central white dot, artists create a spiral of circles. The dots get bigger the further away they are from the middle of the design.
There are Pinterest boards and YouTube channels dedicated to the art, like that of Kristin Uhrig.
There’s even a scheme to request and send free mandala rocks via an online project called Travelling Kindness Rocks which is paid for by patterns, tools and lessons sold elsewhere on the same site.
“I have hidden rocks while going on my daily walks – maybe every few weeks – in my neighbourhood, in the nearby forest,” added Hansen.
“There has already been a few people downtown that have been out hiding little painted rocks and it’s great to see the trend spread! I’m sure we’ll see more rocks around.”
Craft stores sell river rocks but any found rock can be used for the designs.
