As the readers of Rock & Gem know, discovering an interest for rocks, gems and minerals can lead you down many different paths. It can grow into a hobby, making you a lapidarist, a rock hunter, a collector, or a club member. For some, being a rock enthusiast even results in a new business venture: opening a rock shop or online store, or making and selling gemstone jewelry. For most, the interest yields enriching pastimes and new friends. For me, a professional artist, discovering my personal connection to rocks and stones led to an unexpected and exciting new direction for my work. Growing up in Utah, I certainly had opportunities to develop an affinity for natural rock formations and collecting interesting specimens. When I was young, my parents, who are themselves artists, took our family on field trips to Millard County, Utah, to hunt for agates and jasper, trilobite fossils and apache tears (obsidian). I was then--and continue to be--entranced by the idea of discovering beautiful and valuable pieces of the Earth's history. These experiences were the beginning of my longtime attraction to materials and objects that come from nature--the "originals," as opposed to the man-made copies. As my husband can attest, the stones don't have to be expensive, but they should be real! It is my opinion that there is inherent value in the real thing: solid wood instead of laminate; natural stones, not colored glass; original artwork rather than a mass-produced print.
展开▼
