Rock Painting Ideas Are All Around Us

Ideas and inspiration for painting rocks can be found in unexpected places.

Recently I took a day trip to Colorado Springs and while window shopping came across a shop which featured Mexican art crafts.

Bear Cave Imports, Colorado Springs, CO

The bright colors of the painted ceramic animals, pottery, wall hangings, dishes, light fixtures and tiles spoke to my artist's heart and drew me into the store. Inspiration called to me from every direction.

I want to paint a simple sun/moon face on either a rock or round pavestone and I found this hand-painted tile I could use for inspiration.

My inspiration for painting a sun/moon face

After purchasing my single tile, I realized Mexican ceramics would be a helpful resource for new color combinations and painting ideas because I love bright colors.

If you're unable to visit a Mexican pottery store in person, Talavera Ceramics is a great website for inspiration. I especially like the Tiles and Animals & Suns pages.

Talavera Ceramics

You can also click here to see more brightly colored Mexican hand-painted ceramics to use for rock painting ideas and inspiration.

If you keep your artist's eyes open to what speaks to your heart, ideas for painted rocks can be found all around you.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Add Magic to Your Garden with Gnome Home Painted Rocks

Instead of whimsy, you may wish to add a magical element to your garden with yard art that invokes fairies and gnomes.

Because of the varying shapes of rocks and extensive paint colors available, hand-painted gnome homes are truly unique and one-of-a-kind garden art decor that attract attention, comments and curiosity about who may be living in the garden.

Learn More About This Blue Painted Rock Gnome Home

Discover More About This Pink Painted Rock Gnome Home

Can You Picture Two Gnome Home Painted Rocks in Your Garden?

A Gnome Relaxing Outside His Wee Neighbors' Painted Rock Homes

A painted rock gnome home nestled among the flowers and foliage adds a magical quality to your garden.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Hand Painted Rocks Become Stony Faces

I recently had some fun painting simple facial features on various sizes of rocks and stones. I called my new creation Stony Face.

Stony Face Painted on Rocks

I then had an idea and even more fun rearranging the eye and mouth rocks I painted to create five additional funny Stony Faces.

5 Different Stony Faces from 1 Set of Painted Rocks

Then I was inspired to paint more detailed mouths on some rocks and ended up with these LOL rocks that I could use with the basic Stony Face from my earlier project.

LOL Painted Rocks for Stony Face

Finally, I decided to record all the steps I took to create the basic Stony Face, added 3 more simple eye and mouth patterns, and made a Stony Face rock painting how-to guide.

How to Paint a Stony Face on Rocks

The Stony Face craft project is easy enough for beginner rock painters. Simple, step-by-step instructions, illustrations and photos guide you in selecting the rocks, drawing and painting the mouth and eyes, and arranging your painted rocks into funny faces. The 4 basic mouth patterns and 4 simple eye patterns can be combined to create over 100 unique, one-of-a-kind Stony Faces.

This is an easy, fun, inexpensive, craft project for both kids and adults. It's amazing how a little acrylic paint and imagination can bring ordinary rocks to life.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks