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‘Friendship Rocks’ popping up in WB
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · December 14, 2017
A a few months ago, this reporter noticed a roughly triangular rock, painted red, at the base of the front door to the West Branch Times office.
Picking up the curiosity, it read “Go Bears” below a black paw print.
Then other folks around town started making similar discoveries, with many reporting their findings on the Voices of West Branch Facebook page.
Painted rocks, or Friendship Rocks, or Kindness Rocks — the trend arrived in West Branch in early September, from what we can tell. One anonymous rock-painter said she started during Hurricane Harvey, putting her first work out in either late August or early September.
From parks to the post office to porches, rocks of various sizes and shapes popped up all over town. Blue, grey, brown, black, red — most containing short messages. “You make me happy when skies are grey,” “Friends are the Chocolate Chips in the Cookies of Life,” “Friends make our (heart) Happy,” and “Be Kind.”
Some picture-only rocks consider the shape of the rock to drive the design. An oval rock painted to look like Spider-Man’s head. A ghost. A Hawkeye logo. A pumpkin. A craggy, oblong rock made to look like a fish. A half dozen ovals with different solid colors given a single googly eye, smile and fangs to look like a band of cute monsters.
All left behind anonymously.
That’s part of the fun of it.
“I put some at the park,” one anonymous rock-painter told the Times. “Just a few. So people will think, ‘Who’s doing this?’”
The rock-painter estimates her pieces run in the hundreds.
“The trick is finding the right shape,” the artist said.
Some mark holidays.
“We got a Christmas friendship rock today!” wrote one resident Monday on Facebook, showing a picture of a rock with stars and Christmas trees. “I love it and the person who is doing this wonderful thing for all of us!”
Some rocks are personalized, denoting something special or significant about the receiver. West Branch High School student Alex Fitzgerald, an avid photographer with a Page 1 Times picture, got a rock with a tiny camera painted on it.
A family with a volunteer firefighter posted on Dec. 1 a rock with a fireman and the words, “Thank you, Firemen”.
Another resident posted a picture of a rock with a message, “All things grow with love,” as well as pictures of hearts.
“Found this by the mailbox today,” read the posting. “Don’t know who is doing this but it is very cool.”
On Nov. 26, a resident posted a picture of two rocks, one which said “I (heart) you” and “You Rock.”
“Stepped out to look at some of my lights and found these two beauties on my steps!” she wrote. “Thank you- melted my heart! Spreading joy to the town!”
That is supposed to be part of the trend: Once you receive a rock, you then pass it on to someone else. For those personalized rocks, the recipient may have trouble passing it along.
Our anonymous rock-painter left us a clipping from Woman’s World magazine calling it “a heart-warming trend.”
“Artists of all ages are painting rocks with whimsical designs and hiding them in parks and public spaces!” reads the article.
According to Women’s World’s article, other artists use chalk, glitter glue and nail polish then add a sealer to keep the mediums from washing off. The trend has reached every state, reads the article.
“I’m not making any money, but I’m having lots of fun,” the local painter said.
She thinks there are at least two others in West Branch taking part.
“I’ve spent a lot of money on this, but I enjoy doing it and it’s made a lot of people happy,” the artist said. “I get such a kick out of it.”
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