When I was hiking last year, I looked down and saw many stones, matte in texture and would write just like chalk. I decided to see how many colors there were.
After a few weeks I had several distinct tonal ranges. Then it was necessary to crush them up so it would require stones far harder than these and not likely to chip. Basalt and quartz were chosen as grindstones.
Here is the process...
When hiking be observant to these earth tones, try to write with them on harder stones. The pigment stones will behave like chalk.
Some are big, some are small. The size ranged from a pea to a loaf of bread.
Assemble your discoveries and buy small glass vials to store the powder. Crush them over a large sheet of paper.
The particles will fly everywhere under the force so best to do this outside.
The resulting powder may need lots of grinding to reduce particle size. Sift on a sheet of paper before bottling.
Some of my results which show the range of the tones in the area I hiked, a glacial moraine.
When mixed with art store mediums like acrylic, they paint on nicely.
Full length of the bow colored on the back, leaf pattern.
The grip area is unpainted under the leather, it only overlaps 1/4" so the grip is smooth.
Bending of the bow does not hurt the paint, all surfaces were prepared first, sanded fine, dust free.
Thanks for viewing, give it a try if you like...I'm happy with this idea that struck me one day.
William Hunter
