Taking painted rocks on holiday

[Rolle]

I recently went on holiday to Centre Parcs and am still in the facebook group for that particular location. I've seen numerous posts from people about to arrive, showing off the 100+ painted rocks they have prepared and will be hiding around the park during their holiday.

We didn't have room in our car for a spare gnats nadger, I can't imagine the look on DHs face if I went "ah, just the rocks to squeeze in".

I guess on the positive, it's a free activity for others to do at CP, where it feels like if they could charge you for farting whilst on the park they would. And it doesn't do anyone any harm. But I just don't understand the compulsion to paint hundreds of rocks and hide them around. I can be a miserable c**t though, so maybe it's that!

Actually, depending on the paint/varnish used, it does do harm as it is spreading microplastics into the wild environment - they’ll degrade and get into soil and water.

Never in my life have I known anyone to paint and take 100 rocks anywhere.

I do occasionally find them hidden in the grounds of my work place though and they make me smile.

Yes, a good point which I hadn't thought of. I guess I more meant "my holiday wasnt harmed by the presence of painted rocks" but absolutely agree with you from environmental perspective, which is more important than me being irritated by amateur cyclists for 4 days on holiday

What's the point in peppering the countryside with painted rocks?
Who the hell wants to see it?

I have found the painted rocks craze to be a bit odd, I agree, but doesn’t worry me too much.

Is there no end to the twee shite people will do because they’ve seen it on TikTok?

I think what has tipped me over the edge is someone then posting on the group asking if anyone had found the one they had hidden, giving the exact location. Rock clearly hidden so someone would make a post about finding it and the painter could claim credit for doing something so quirky and wonderful.

It's littering plain and simple. Shouldn't be there.

Don't fuck up nature with your twee whimsical shite is my view, although cp and nature might be pushing it.

I agree.
I have started to see them on local beaches, bloody eyesore.
They say things like “The Peterson Family on Tour 2022 !! “ in jolly bright paint. They give the absolute rage.

It's just a nice bit of fun (providing you use the correct environmental safe paint etc) to see how far your rock can travel.
The idea is if you find one you take it and place it elsewhere, someone else finds it and moves it and so on....
Often there will be an email/Facebook link written on the back so you can send a picture to the original painter.
@ShadowoftheFall painting rocks has been a fashion for quite a few years now - before tiktok became a fashion.
I've seen some beautiful ones painted up that are incredible works of art.
It's just nice. A nice sweet thing in a grey and grumpy world.

I found a rock painted with a message from
Jehovah's Witnesses once.

During lockdown a lot of places started an alternative version where you didn't move the rocks (because you couldn't spread covid obviously). It was often a pathway snake. Someone would start it off with a rock like a snakes head and then walkers could add their rock to the snail along the edge of the path. Communities who couldn't actually get together could at least join in and add a rock and on their daily hour of outside go and see the snake. Like a little art trail. Some rocks with really detailed paintings or patterns, some the hand print of a covid born baby. Really nice idea.
Do you miserable lot on this thread also object to outdoor art trails of fancy wood carvings or what not?

I have one in my car that I found about 6 months ago when I was having a shit day. pulled into the grocery store, and there it was sitting on the light standard. painted bright white with a pretty flower on it. on the back it said "have a wonderful day" It made me smile and I still smile when i see it in my car.

Hate it when people do it here in Cornwall. You're littering, fek off.

@EscapeRoomToTheSun they're rocks - the type usually found on gardens, rockeries, beaches etc. How can it be littering?

I understand having the kids paint a rock as a random craft activity. Why you would then litter the great outdoors with them, I don't understand.

The paint will peel off and may be toxic to wildlife. You're making the choice to leave an impact on unspoilt landscape. I don't want to see it. I want to look at nature, not your shitty paint job. Plus the scale of it-it's not just one rock, it's thousands of the bastards.

I’ve never seen this in my life!! I’m in the midlands, I’ve yet to be graced with a painted rock!

It is a big thing where I live. We also had a few Covid snake things too.
I have painted some, and relocated ones I have found.
It is a bit of fun and can bring a bit of cheer to someone's day.

I paint and drop stones, and people tell me they like it

Children see them and pick them up and everyone I have spoken to say they like them - obviously I get that if they didnt like them they probably wouldn't say anything

These are some of mine

Why not just paint on a different canvas, instead of defacing the countryside, though, I don't get it?

@EscapeRoomToTheSun as long as it's environmentally safe paint I don't see a problem. Most usually get left at bus stops, on top of walls etc rather than actually hidden among nature.
Do you dislike other street art?

There's some right misery's on this thread 😕

What paint do you use pls?