Painted Rock Garden

Materials:

smooth round or oval rock, about 6" across
DecoArt Patio Paint: larkspur blue, sprout green, wrought iron black, sunshine yellow, cloud white, geranium red
Loew-Cornell 7050 script liner brush size 0
Loew-Cornell 7400 angular brush, size 3/8 or 1/4
stiff-bristled flat or round brushes, size 1/2 or larger
white charcoal pencil or soapstone pen
clear spray or brush-on sealer
Uchida Terra Cotta Garden Craft paint markers, optional
card stock and scissors for leaf stencil, optional

* Keepsake or favor rocks should be 2"-3" across.

Steps:

1. Choose a smooth round or oval rock; scrub it and let dry. Use a white pencil, soapstone pen or paint marker to divide the rock horizontally around the bottom third (figure A). The lower portion will be the bowl or planter and the upper part is for the flowers.

2. Choose a color for the bowl portion and use a large brush with stiff bristles to completely cover all visible portions of the lower part of the rock with larkspur blue Patio Paint (figure B).

4. Draw the leaf pattern using a soapstone or white charcoal pencil. If you prefer, cut out one or two leaf-shaped stencils from card stock to use as templates (figure D). Start with five leaves around the top, leaving a space open in the center (figure E). Allow more leaves to cascade down from this first set. Vary the angle of the leaves for a naturally random look and let some leaves overlap others. Allow dark gaps to show between some leaves and include a few leaves that hang over the edge of the bowl (figure F).

5. Start with three small puddles of sprout green. Leave one plain. Add enough sunshine yellow to lighten the second one noticeably and even more to the third to create a light, bright green. Fill in the leaf shapes, using an angular brush. Paint a little over half the leaves with plain sprout green. Leave narrow edges of basecoat uncovered anywhere two leaves touch or overlap. Use the second green shade for more than half the remaining leaves and the lightest color for the rest. Let dry. Outline around the edges of all the darker leaf shapes with a liner brush and the lightest green mixture to make them stand out. Use the deep black-green base color to add a center crease down each leaf and also to redefine the edges where leaves overlap one another as needed (figure G). Let dry.

6. Sketch on a pattern of round flower shapes, starting with a triangle of three blossoms slightly off center at the top (figure H). Varying the distances between flowers creates visual interest, so make two of the flowers almost touching and set the third farther away. Add more flower shapes and buds to the outer edges, again varying the distances between them in a random way. Use cloud white and an angular brush to fill in the flower and bud shapes (figure I). A second coat may be needed for complete coverage.

7. When the flowers are dry, use a script liner brush or a paint marker to give each bloom a wobbly, broken spiral in the center using geranium red or other color of your choice. Give each bud a touch of this color, too (figure J).

8. To ensure the flowers stand out, lightly outline any place where flowers overlap leaves with the dark base color. Add a cluster of short curved lines to the top of each bud.

9. If any guidelines remain after the piece is finished, use a damp paper towel to lift them up once all the paint is completely dry.

10. To protect the surface and enhance the colors, seal the rock all the way around with a coat of clear acrylic. Use a matte finish for very smooth rocks to prevent distracting gleams.

11. For smaller keepsake or party favor rocks, use the same size leaves and flowers, just painting fewer of them. You can also opt for smaller leaves and more delicate flowers (figure K). Add a message to the bottom of the rock with a paint marker. Tiny tendrils of golden dots scattered among the flowers will give these smaller rocks a more elegant look. Larger rocks may be displayed in your garden or used to decorate your front steps or porch. Group painted rock flowers of various sizes together to give your yard a welcome splash of color year round!