If you've followed my shop and blog for a bit, you know that I have a passion for rocks and stones. I can't explain the appeal, but throughout my life I've repeatedly found myself picking up smooth pebbles and slipping them in my pocket.

After a recent, glorious trip to Italy, I finally understood. Rocks and stones are the foundations of the world's civilizations! As you can see in a select few of my photos, structures built of stone thousands of years ago still exist in near-perfect condition today. The Arena of Verona, for example, is an open-air amphitheater still used for operas, concerts, and other cultural events. The acoustics within the marble and stone structure are perfect without the aid of technology!

As I walked through Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Verona, Bolzano, and Venice, I was struck by the power of STONE. Without it, these cities would not exist. Had these ancient cities been built with wood, these treasures would have disintegrated centuries ago.

Now I understand a bit better my draw towards the "lowly" rock and why I have a passion for collecting them and painting them. Inherently, I've always know this: that rocks are lasting and beautiful, and they form strong foundations.

I must confess that I had to resist a great urge to pick pebbles from some of the sites we visited! I behaved myself, though. A stone placed in a wall 2,000 years ago must remain in place as a link to the past.

Want to have your own painted rock to last through the passage of time? Click the link below.