Jessicca Morningstar Hoover loves painting and hiding rocks, so she started Cordova Rocks on Facebook in May to get the community involved, to promote creativity, togetherness, family fun and being outside.
“No one in Cordova was doing this that I knew of,” she said, although the rock painting had already gone national and beyond.
It’s a simple, inexpensive hobby for all ages. To join in the fun simply find some rocks, clean them, paint and seal them and find a special place to hide them.
Just don’t get caught!
The idea caught on quickly in Cordova and within a month the group had 426 members, mostly residents.
About one fourth of Cordova’s year round residents are out there searching for the painted rocks, on hiking trails along the Copper River Highway, and out at Alaganik Slough. Some rocks have even made it 52 miles away at Child’s Glacier, she said.
Sealing the rock is important, said Hoover, “because we don’t want to create waste in our beautiful Cordova. Copper River Watershed Project had incorporated a project to include ours, and wrote a great article on their Facebook page. They hid rocks while cleaning up the spot the rocks were hidden in. I was inspired by that idea and I teach my one-and-a-half-year-old to clean up as we go too,” she said.
Members who paint and hide rocks post photos of their artistic creations in the group, generally with hints somewhere in the photograph to guide rock hunters toward finding the prizes. When someone finds the painted rock, even if the person isn’t a group member, Hoover encourages them to find the page on Facebook, hashtag #cordovarocks, then post a picture of the rock.
“We want involvement from everyone. You paint, you hide, you find, and then rehide the rock. Documenting on the group’s page is important. Our artists spend so much time painting these masterpieces, and I fear some may get discouraged. I ask our rock finders to remember that we all want to find these rocks. So, find it and enjoy, but share. Document your finds, so that our artists can see that their rock is on the move,” Hoover said.
It seems lately, that more rocks are being kept, than rehidden, she said.
That’s fine if it’s one or two rocks, she said, but ideally, Hoover would love to see the rocks shared numerous times in the community.
“While it is your choice to keep the rock or rehide it, please consider that this is a Cordova project. We’d like to encourage rehiding them.”
“I know it’s hard to give up some of these amazing rocks, but the project’s intent is to keep rehiding the rocks and sharing the enjoyment,” she said.
Hoover advises group members to avoid hiding the rocks on private property, but Wendy Ranney, owner of Orca Adventure Lodge, has invited the group to hide their rocks on lodge property anytime.
“I’d ask that you use common sense when hiding because of the diversity of the age groups looking for rocks, ask yourself, ‘Could a toddler find this? Or an elder?’” she said.
“I absolutely love the feelings that these rocks bring to people. I had a group member send me a photo of her mom painting a rock, saying that she’d not seen her mom paint in 20 years! There’s another story of a rock being hidden on a memorial plaque, and when the daughter visited the memorial (and found a rock), she was so happy to receive that gift from her dad,” she said.
“Friends are painting rocks to leave in gardens. Adults are recreating their childhood heroes on rocks. I’ve had friends ask me to come to do birthday parties. This is a project that anyone can enjoy on every level.”
Hoover said she’s been in and out of Cordova her entire life, but finally decided to settle here in 2006.
“It’s hard to say if I’m an artist – I come from a long line of pretty amazing artists, so when I hold myself to their caliber, I want to say no, but I sure like doing artistic things,” she said.
There’s no right or wrong way to paint and seal rocks. Hoover has used acrylics, fingernail polish, and Sharpies, but doesn’t recommend the markers, as they take too long to dry and tend to run underneath the clear sealants. Sealants should be for outdoor use, to provide a waterproof seal over the art in Cordova’s rainy climate.
Hoover’s method includes using a spray sealant for the rock’s bottom coat. After that dries, she picks a neutral color as a base coat and lets that coat dry. Next, she uses a pencil to outline her design on the rock and starts painting, using the darkest color of paint first.
“I layer, allowing one coat to dry, then coating again, especially with lighter colors. It’s hard to get a good base with white, or yellow. Layering with three or more coats will pop that color right out! When I’m done with my rock, I allow the paint to dry and then coat it with the sealant. Spray sealants are smelly, so this should be an outside project. When the front side is dry, I use rubber cement to adhere the Cordova Rocks tag on the back, then seal the back of the rock. Once the backside dries, you’re ready to rock and roll,” she said.
The Pitchford family, Charlie, Marianne, Joshua and John Luke, became involved with Cordova Rocks in June.
“Our family enjoys getting outside and doing things, and so when the idea popped up on Facebook, I knew it would be a great addition to our summer activities. It works out quite well for Cordova, because painting rocks is a wonderful rainy day activity. After the rocks are finished, picking the perfect hiding spot has become a fun challenge for the kids. They’re loving the Mission Impossible aspect of trying to hide the rock without being seen by people,” she said.
“I like that it’s a project that can teach our kids that it is not always about getting something for ourselves, that we can do a little something for others,” she said.
For more information, log on to Cordova Rock’s Facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/groups/1395001083890793.
