I was given these two stones to paint while in Australia a couple of months ago and they’ve been sitting next to my rose quartz since I brought them home and today I was ready to paint them.

The smaller stone is the smallest I’ve painted this year! It’s about 1.5cm. These stones are quite different to what I normally paint; they are flatter, lighter in weight and are a lovely earth brown colour. And like the rocks from home, they have a special “feel” to them…
I felt this with all the stones I connected with in Australia – and I connected with many. There is a sense of “ancient” about them, just like the tāngata whenua there. I believe they are one of our oldest living people in the world, they are old spirits, that is what I see. And these rocks even though small, feel old too.
So the symbols that I see within these rocks are of a time long ago, I am not entirely sure what they mean but I know they are important. I wonder where they come from? Where do they connect to? What world, what people, what land? Or are they representative of many lands?
And despite our different cultures, environment and language, I believe there are symbols that bring us together, a common ground and story that we share with all living things. Perhaps these stones of old tell those stories too…
I have painted two other purple designs on the other sides of these rocks. I have chosen not to show them here but purple has always been a wairua colour for me. Balance of the physical and the spiritual.
Arohanui,
Jo x