An orange and yellow rhombus shaped rock with a white and black slanting mark from the upper edge towards the centre, on a background of pine cones, grass, dirt and grey rocks.
Rock inspiration! (sadly, I am not speaking about music.)

Rock inspiration! (sadly, I am not speaking about music.)

Comments 22 comments

This time I would like you to follow me on a journey of discovery of the inspiring abstract beauty of..rocks! Well, I know, rocks are often deemed quite boring in a dumb-as-dirt kind of way, but, please, bear with me, and I hope that you will come to see their weird artistic side by the end of my post.

I have a geologist dad who has always been commenting on different rocks and sedimentary formations that we could observe during our yearly holidays to the mountains. We were very lucky to have a great variety of different types to observe, apparently, as we used to live not that far from both Italian Alps and Dolomites ranges, so plenty to pick from.

In particular, Dolomia, the unique type of limestone that mainly forms the Dolomites mountains, is a beautiful white or pale grey rock that can hold fossils and lends itself to the most lovely effects at sunset: the mountains become all soft pink in a very romantic fashion. Dolomites have rightly been included in the World Heritage List for their unique beauty in 2009 (link here).

A landscape at sunset: a small ancient church on a grassy hill on the foreground on the left and in the center background mountains that are pink with the rays of the setting sun
It does not really convey the full pinkish beauty of a sunset on the Dolomites mountain range, but that is only the photographer’s fault (e.g. mine). The ancient little church on the left is the old San Bartolomeo’s church, its foundation dating to Medieval times.

Not that I have been that interested in rocks from a geological point of view, I must admit: just picking a few shiny or interesting pebbles here and there, like all kids do, that kind of stuff. My dad always tried to smuggle some pound-weighting rare pitchblende, fossil or whatever into his backpack by the end of the holiday, while mum used to complain about more rocks in the house: it was that kind of family thing.

Since I took on a new interest in art, though, I have been quite fascinated by the look of some of the rocks that I keep finding around now when I go on holiday with my own family: my husband and kids are complaining about my lugging around pebbles and rocks galore, when they are not picking up some for themselves (and who is the one hoarding rocks now, eh?). We have become that sort of family, eh eh. I pick my pieces wherever we go, but especially on the beach (usually in Norfolk, UK, where there is a huge variety of pieces and fossils, too) or in the mountains (usually in Cadore, Italy).

Because of space issues in our small flat, I now try to stick to photographing the interesting pieces, unless they are so small to be viable for transportation. And sometimes I like a composition of a few rocks together: that would be hard to take home!

I also sometimes really love brick or rock walls that I find around, and stop there observing them and thinking about how to reproduce the same combination of visually pleasing colours and shapes in felt: I know that there are many felters and fibre artists who study walls and bricks to add realism to their landscapes, so I am not the only one stopping in front of ordinary walls for half an hour and photographing them!

So, let’s have a look at some of the amazing hard stuff that I saw, and I hope that you will be inspired too!

Rocks that may inspire abstract composition:

Two white and grey rocks dotted with black circular mold formations, on a background of moss and grass, and darker rocks.
Polka dots anyone? An alien language in alien dot script? Very probable.
A rock with darker and lighter grey areas on a background of fresh and dry leaves and grass.
A sober grey on grey effect: I like the fact that it is almost like white clouds mounting up on a background of pewter stormy sky..maybe it’s only me.
A light grey rock with two greenish-orange horizontal curvy lines, on a background of dark grey rocks.
Waves? Notice the orange accents and the depth of the upper line, that is actually a dent or step on the surface. I quite like the orange detail on the very bottom right.
A very light grey rock with a smattering of black and dark grey mold formations in the center upper part.
I just liked the pattern of mold or lichens on this one, how they are variously intense: could I get a similar varied pattern with wool on an artwork?
An orange and yellow stained rock with one white and one black slanting line from the upper edge towards the center, and a wedged chip on the upper right. The background is of pine cones, light grey rocks , dirt and grass.
This is my star: how perfect is that? look at those varied and bright colours, look at the white and black paired slanting lines, look at its general rhombus shape! That’s an abstract painting in nature.
A light grey rock with faint ochre crags and fracture lines on a background of dirt, rocks and grass.
Well, this is more about cracks and fissures, and it has many: is it possibly about something rupturing? or, if you see it from another point of view, connecting lines? it does remind me of leaves and such. I wonder in how many ways you could remake it in felt.
A light grey and white rock with some green moss on a background of dirt, rocks, pine cones, moss and grass.
Two tones. It reminds me of a landscape where there is some kind of land mass at the bottom (the bigger whitish shape) and a bird of prey (think red kite or some such) soaring up there in the sky (the whitish line on the grey background), and maybe the moss could be small clouds?
An ochre and yellow rock with grey-green parts on a background of dirt and rocks and sticks.
This one has wonderful colours and reminds me of some of the backgrounds of Ruth’s artworks, with those potential different depths to build upon: I am sure that Ruth would be able to get a whole world of possibilities from a felt with those features.
A burnt stained grey rock with deep fissures on a background of other similar rocks and dirt.
I was intrigued by the mysterious deep fissures in this one, surely due to cold weather action on smaller previous cracks: how do you manage those with felt? There must be a lot of different paths to reproduce this in felt.
Moss and lichens of three different greens on a big grey rock.
I can see a lichen and moss face in here: maybe a troll who is trapped in the rock during the daylight hours? It seems sleeping.
Two rocks, a smaller white one with a black surface covered in white dots, a bigger seashell colored triangle shaped one, on a background of dirt and smaller rocks.
The rectangle, black and white, and the seashell- colored triangle, the former all dotted and the latter all scratched and with horizontal steps at the bottom. Mh, I do not know, one could do something with them.
A grey blotched rock on a background of sticks, dirt, and pine needles.
Plenty of blotches with a smattering of tiny black lichens dots: the fast pace of those blobs seemed kind of interesting, especially with the addition of the tiny black dots.
A grey rock with white and black lichen shapes on a pine needles background.
This one also is a study in lichen distribution: depending on how you rotate it, you may have a darkening effect toward the upper part or a lightening effect. I would like to observe the distribution of splotches to achieve the same natural effect on a painting, whether it is to darken its mood or lighten it.
A light grey rock with ocher and burnt yellow stains on a dirt and rocks background.
Another one that reminds me of some of the home-dying with natural dyes. I am sure that you can achieve a similar effect on felt in other ways, to use as background, I just have not tried yet, lol.
A grey rock with bright yellow green lichens in a rough square shape.
Bizarre lichens growth, it’s as if someone had come and painted a lime square shape, then elements have weathered it. I can see how this combination of light grey background and lime foreground shapes is bound to be eye-catching in an artwork or felt wearable.
Grey and brown rock in a spider web pattern with a red blotch.
It seems a spider web with a rust blotch from the centre: I wonder at its meaning..
A grey rock with lots of fissures and cracks slanting right. In the background dirt, rocks and grass.
This is pretty sharp-cut, but also organic at the same time: I like the combination, because I usually struggle with sharp-cut lines in a more organic context, and this rock has much to teach me about natural shapes. It also seems a Cubist abstract face to me..

Rocks with a sculptural element:

A very bumpy rock in grey and sienna and brown on a background of dirt, rocks and grass.
This bumpiness seems pretty interesting to make in sculptural felt, especially trying to balance the different colours.
A pinkish very craggy rock on a background of rocks, dirt and sticks.
I like the cragginess of this rock: all those fissures seem very intriguing to make in felt, a bit like a modern ceramic piece, I think about an organic sculpture.
A light tan bumpy rock with a vertical faded red paint mark and black lichen splotches.
This light tan rock seems also quite an interesting bumpy and craggy shape, with an added vertical red line from faded paint and a smattering of black lichen. I see a bigger shape on the right hugging (protecting?) a smaller shape on the left..
A pinkish bumpy and deeply fissured rock on a greenish grey rock.
This smaller pinkish rock that I placed on a bigger greenish grey one was lovely and my main problem was which side of it to photograph, as all of them were very interesting. It has deep fissures, bumps, lines and cracks, and a white inclusion that makes a curved line all around it. I am sure that one could make something visually catching with it in felt, some sculptural organic shape.

A collection of beach abstracts:

A hand holding a white and grey pebble with an orange hole on the left side and an orange curved line on the centre.
This beach pebble has an imaginative curved smudge in bright orange and an orange hole on a side: does it seem almost a fish to you? (the hole being the open mouth)
A white pebble with three parallel yellow and orange smears on a background of dark grey pebbles.
Three orange and yellow marks on a white oval: this must mean something deep.
A hand holding a black pebble with with chalk inclusions. A beach on the background.
Black and ivory abstract, with mysterious shapes.
A hand holding a greenish grey pebble with brown and red inclusions. A beach in the background.
This one reminds me of natural-dyed textiles.
A hand holding a round greenish grey pebble with reddish inclusions. On the background a sandy beach.
This pebble is like a new planet with weird gas clouds in its atmosphere: maybe a series of artworks on alien fantasy planets? surely all space fans would be happy.
A hand holding a white rock with three horizontal rust marks of increasing size. In the background a beach.
I liked how those very bold rust marks increase in size (or decrease, depending on how you look at it).
A hand holding a white pebble with concentric circle marks in dark grey and orange. In the background a beach.
Concentric circles, anyone? I really like how the darker grey fades going towards the central orange circle, giving it an interesting almost 3D effect.
A white oval pebble with a dark grey inclusion on a background of conglomerate rocks.
Modern abstract art has given us many artists exploring alphabet-like and ideogram-like marks on canvas, here we have nature answering with its mysterious marks on pebble.
A hand holding a round pebble in dark grey, pewter, rust and white.
A fashionable brooch? A pendant? A miniature abstract landscape in just a few colours, with its frame and everything? who is going to make something of this inspirational pebble on felt first?
A grey pebble with white and light yellow chalk circular inclusions on a conglomerate surface.
This grey pebble with chalk inclusions seems a good inspiration for an organic sculpture, with those white circular grooves and some yellow accents.
A white chalk pebble with a grey and yellow inclusion in the middle, on a background of small multicolored pebbles.
Two sides, two faces? A river? I do not know, but I wish a bit more depth and value changes in it, if I were to make it in felt, I think.
A hand holding a black pebble with holes and white and light yellow inclusions. A beach is in the background.
Only three colours but a lot of visual impact.
A hand is holding a whitish rock with dark grey and black holes and light rust stains. In the background a rocky beach.
And this is about holes and depressions and raised areas: plenty to think about sculpturally.

I really hope that some of my rocks and pebbles have talked to you and will drive a rock-inspired abstract artwork movement! Lol.

 

 

22 thoughts on “Rock inspiration! (sadly, I am not speaking about music.)”

  1. Oh boy….what a feast for my eyes. I too have 100s (if not 1000s) of rock or rocks en masse photos. How wonderful that your father introduced you to such variety.

    I love how you are seeing different things in each stone, each conveying a different ‘story’. My own photos are more colour/lichen/moss related and the beautiful balance of each together on Mother Nature’s canvas – my aim being to capture in textiles….one day 😜

    I’m sure together we could ponder for hours over just a handful of rocks. Thank you for sharing your collection.

    You’ve now sent me off on another adventure ‘seeing’ what stories lie in each of my findings, with more bemused onlookers and my EPH (ever patient husband)….mmmm 🧐🤔

    Reply

    1. He He, Antje, it seems that we could compare notes on rocks! There is so much to amaze us in Nature that one life is not enough to explore it all! I am glad to have found a fellow rock lover, and I am waiting to see what new textile artworks you will be inspired to create.
      Xx

  2. What an inspiring post Caterina. Lots and lots of inspirational idea – now my head’s going around and around.
    One comment though – when I saw the picture of the “smaller pinkish rock that (you) placed on a bigger greenish grey one” my immediate reaction was “that’s rude!” and having noted that I can’t see anything else in it. Sorry, I suspect that’s ruined that photo for everyone else now.
    Just when my head’s bursting with ideas of where to go with my felting, you’ve added another layer. Thank you (I think).
    Ann

    Reply

    1. Oh Oh, I am laughing so much about the pinkish rock, thanks, Ann! Well, when I said organic sculpture…
      I can’t wait to hear the others’ comments on your interpretation, lol.
      I am glad that I managed to inspire you, thanks for your comment.
      Xx

  3. Wonderful,
    I have a similar project in mind using local granite fragments with wonderful edges. It must have been a fabulous holiday. Thank you for posting inspiration giving us an insight into different ways of looking and inspiration for stitch. Kathy G.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your comment, Kathy, I am glad that you liked the post.
      Granite can be very interestingly fractured, and lichens and moss are usually quite dramatic on granite: do send us more on your project in the Forum, please, I am very curious about what you will make of your local granite!

  4. Love the rock journey!!! They way you describe them made me feel like I was there next to you – thank you for sharing!!

    Reply

  5. Thank you Caterina. I do love rocks also, and bring a few home from wherever i visit. I love your beach finds especially.

    Reply

  7. I want to live where you do so I can enjoy all those lovely rocks-admittedly I am a retired geologist. Thank you for the great pics!

    Reply

    1. Hello! I am glad that you liked my rocks!
      You can surely find loads of amazing hard stuff where you live as well: if not rocks (admittedly the better choice for a geologist!), then walls and pavement may be pretty inspiring as well and worth a second look, with many different effects of weathering and molds and lichens to study.

  8. I hate to be a killjoy, but do be careful where you collect your rocks and pebbles. Some areas are protected and it’s an offence to remove bits. For instance, Chesil Beach in Dorset UK is all pebbles and the powers that be don’t want it reduced to dust by people picking up some of the fantastic pebbles that can be found there. It would take a long time, but I suppose if every one did it that’s what could happen. Get Mr Google’s images to show you what it looks like.
    Ann

    Reply

    1. I totally get it, Ann, and I do not think that being respectful of a maybe delicate environment is too much to ask. So, thanks for pointing that out: always check if one can actually pick those rocks up, before doing so.
      I believe that photos are quite enough in most cases if not all: that is a great way to enjoy your finds without having more to dust at home and respecting the places that you are visiting.

    2. Dust? What’s that then? I will admit that my shiny surfaces get dull occasionally, but my eyesight’s not what it was! 😜

  9. Rocks are amazing things. having a rock hound in the family means my house will never blow away. There are so many fascinating colours and shapes. I have to admit a fondness for taking pictures of lichen and moss.

    Reply

    1. 🤣My flat will stay put in a tornado, also!
      Lichen and moss are just amazing, so I can share in your fondness. Such an inspiration for your work!

  10. Oh how fun to read this after I’ve just shared my own post on photography but using some of my new rock ‘friends’ as subjects. I am teaching myself about geology right now because my curiosity has led me there. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Dani. I found your posts about photographing textiles very very useful, although my photos here have been shot a while back, so I will try to use your tips for the future. Thank you so much for your very clear explanations.

  11. I was out of town so I missed this post. I love looking at and taking photos of rocks too. Always so many interesting patterns, colors and textures. The best part of this post is your comments on what you see in the rocks. It’s so interesting to hear what other people see in something because it’s usually different than what I see. Loads of inspiration here!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your comment, Ruth. I am glad that I am not the only one observing rocks out there! I guess Nature is and has always been a primary source of inspiration for humans! That’s very hopeful.

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