I found a special rock in Lo de Marcos last winter when I walked up the street from the beach to my casita. It was shaped like a heart. I give my husband hearts once in a while for special occasions. I thought this would make a good gift, but I thought it needed a little something before it became a gift.
I was inspired to develop this rock into a work of art by a demo at the Montrose Visual Arts Guild monthly meeting. The woman who gave the demo used a variety of sticks to get different size dots. I quickly realized how tedious this could become, but I was motivated by the vision I saw in my mind’s eye upon completion.
I developed the cover design for the box based on Australian Aboriginal paintings. I felt this piece was an homage to their work, as it did not copy any of their animal images or designs. It only borrowed from their way of working and the rhythm of the dots.
As I developed the cover design, I simultaneously gave the rock two coats of red paint and worked on the paper lining for the inside of the box. As you can see these designs complement, but do not mirror each other.
After the red coat was dry, I was able to finish by painting the rock itself and placing it inside the box. This gift needed no wrapping.
Cheri Isgreen Fine Art 
Wow, you are just sooo way creative!
I love the finished product, of your found rock, and the beautiful, very unique valentine your finished product became.