Qurator's Art Walk! | Rock Art | Art Competition: The Fall Season

Rock Art. You may wonder exactly what type of art this encompasses. I've always considered it to be drawings on any type of solid or grainy surface that you couldn't move. When I was young, we would play with white chalk and draw different images on the sidewalk.

We'd spend hours drawing and then try to interpret our friends images. Mine were always simple. A cat with whiskers. A dog with a long tail. And sometimes a face.

It was the best fun as the images would stay there for several days if the rain didn't wash them away. If we saw rock art on the sidewalk, we were careful to walk around it. Now that was respect from one artist to another.

Then we were told that that playing with chalk and getting it on our skin caused ringworms.

We didn't care. We'd sneak and play with it. Our moms would always tell when the large circles formed on our skin. The itch was agonizing. But she'd just break off a fig from our tree and rub the white, milky substance on our skin. In a couple of days, the itch and circle of raised bumps would disappear. She's scold us, while shaking her finger in our face warning not to do it again.

We were always careful not to scratch our face while handling the chalk. One time doing that would definitely be a stern reminder. Can you imagine having that sticky substance all over your face at school? Well, I only had to experience something once before I learned my lesson. My siblings were a bit more stubborn when it came to doing things we were told not to do.

In any event, once an adult, I discovered the true meaning of the term, Rock Art. According to Geology.com, before the development of the written word, communication through visual images recorded ancient peoples' understanding of events. They communicated through these images their desires, needs, and plans.¹

They did this by carving and painting on solid, immovable objects such as stone so that others could see. They used the tools that were available. Learning to communicate in this took skill and produced incredible artists that depicted nature, the atmosphere, and the heavens. There are two types of Rock Art. It can be carved into the stone, which is referred to as "petroglyph". Or, it can be painted or drawn onto the surface, which is known as "pictograph".¹

Can you imagine if I were able to carve my digital drawing below into a rock. How intricate the image would be. Since our society already understands the shape and significance for the leaves' colors in my digital art, anyone seeing my image above would know that the weather is changing. I'd name the carving above and it's transparent version below "Snowflakes".

Also, I'd produce another carving so all would realize that the Fall season is here. I'd name this carving "Autumn":