Japanese Artist Hand Paints Small Rocks To Look Like Realistic Animals And Each One Is Incredible
Art can take many forms and cross multiple mediums, come from a wide variety of inspirational sources, and serve countless purposes for both artists and consumers alike. In many ways, art is something that can unite people from all walks of life.
Scientists found a cross-hatched design drawn on a fragment of rock that was created 73,000 years ago, so it's safe to say humans have been creating art for a long time. We've been creating a lot of different kinds of art for a long time, too.
According to HumanOrigins.edu:
"By 17,000 years ago, they had developed all the major representational techniques including painting, drawing, engraving, sculpture, ceramics, and stenciling. Working on stone, ivory, antler, and occasionally clay, they created imaginative and highly complex works of art. "
Japanese artist Akie Nakata has taken her own path in artistic creation and expression. Nakata paints hyper-realistic animals onto rocks... rocks small enough to fit in our hands!
In fact, Nakata says that she's been collecting rocks since she was a child, even if it wasn't until 2011 that she began painting on them after she felt inspired finding a rock that resembled a rabbit. In an interview, Nakata said:
“Stones have their own intentions and I consider my encounters with them as cues to go ahead and paint what I see on them.”
1. Ferret
Akie Nakata2. Black Jaguar
Akie Nakata3. Rain Frog
Akie Nakata4. Elephant
Akie NakataIn the 1970's, an advertising executive named Gary Dahl came up with a seemingly ingenious idea: the pet rock. The "toy" was a smooth stone from Mexico's Rosarito Beach and came in a cardboard box with breathing holes and a straw bed.
Today, Akie Nakata has nearly 90k fans on Facebook alone and is running a pretty successful business selling her custom painted rocks. It's incredible to think that what was once a special interest in rocks has transformed into something like this.
5. Owl
Akie Nakata6. Sloth
Akie Nakata7. Siamese Cat
Akie Nakata
Akie takes a lot of time to contemplate her animal designs, asking herself: “Am I positioning the backbone in the right place? Does it feel right? Am I forcing something that disagrees with the natural shape of the stone?”
8. Sea Turtle
Akie Nakata
9. Tiger
Akie Nakata
10. Pug Dog
Akie Nakata
11. Parakeet
Akie Nakata
12. Bulldog
Akie Nakata
After finding an inspiring rock, Akie decides what animal it will become and then uses acrylic paints to bring her vivid imagination into a magical reality. The details she includes in each piece like whiskers, glimmers in eyes, and wrinkles in skin are the reason her creations look so realistic.
She says: "To me, completing a piece of work is not about how much detail I draw, but whether I feel the life in the stone.”13. Chameleon
Akie Nakata
14. Gorilla
Akie Nakata
15. Grizzly Bear
Akie Nakata
16. Cat
Akie Nakata
According to HumanOrigins.edu:
"Animal, human, and other figurines were created by modern humans beginning at least 35,000 years ago. Human figurines like some of those shown here were made by modern humans within a broad area of Europe over a period of about 15,000 years. The various sizes, shapes, and styles show that different groups made them. The act of creating the figurines, and the beliefs behind them, may have united these groups."17. Python
Akie Nakata
18. Fluffy Kitty
Akie Nakata
19. Cachalot (Sperm Whale)
Akie Nakata
20. Bear Cub
Akie Nakata
Akie has thousands upon thousands of fans and they often speak incredibly kind things to her very publicly. Take this response on one of her public posts recently:
"Once again, I feel like I could reach out and touch, so real looking Akie, you are blessed with amazing talent."21. Cheetah
Akie Nakata
22. Daschund
Akie Nakata
23. Gorillas
Akie Nakata
24. Turkey
Akie Nakata
Gary Dahl, the man who "invented" and sold the pet rock estimated that he made over $1 and sold 1 million pet rocks at $3.95 a piece. Adjusted for inflation, that's like buying a pet rock today for $20.14 and profiting over $5 million!
25. Bulldog
Akie Nakata
26. Leopard
Akie Nakata
27. Degu
Akie Nakata
28. Polar Bear
Akie Nakata
29. American Bison
Akie Nakata
30. Snow Owl
Akie Nakata
31. African Elephant
Akie Nakata
32. Moray Eels
Akie Nakata
Whether or not you were alive in 1975 to buy a pet rock, you have to admit that Akie's fantastic creations seem like a much more artistic and reasonable way to have a modern pet rock! Even if it just ended up being the coolest decoration in your house.
