I recently visited a picturesque little area with a remarkable large rock. Greyhound Rock stands on the edge of the ocean about five mile north of Davenport , California. This very large natural structure stands as a stationary symbol of strength against the steady bombardment from the sea. Looking at this rock while I paint conjures up the importance of rocks in spiritual history. The Egyptian pharoahs spend years creating monuments in stone to their legacy. They believed that since rocks were immortal, so would they be. It's very interesting to to study Eqyptian art and you realize that the names of the pharoahs are still remembered today because of these stone structures. So in some ways they were correct. Of course, there are many other examples.
The stone on which Jacob slept is recorded in the Old Testament where he dreamed of a ladder to Heaven. That rock became known as the Beth-El stone or God's house. In Christianity, Jesus even said that upon this rock I will build my church referring to Peter as that stone. And in modern days, there are about 1,000,000 people that go to Mecca and visit the K'abba which is the site where a meteor fell and has become a centering and sacred spot for millions of Muslims. So rocks are important in religious consciousness. In our human psyche important rocks represent solidity, permanence and a spiritual connecting spot with the divine. Think about that the next time you look at or paint a rock.