Self-taught artist has grown fond of drawing animals on stones
Stone artist Akie Nakata, paints realistic and minutely detailed animal depictions on the surface of smooth stones. Though her selections may seem arbitrary, they are actually deeply meaningful. Nakata personally discovers and collects the stones that she decorates. As she keeps her eyes pealed for potential finds, she does not have specific subject matter in mind.
“What I paint on stone is inspired by the stone itself,” she explains. “In order to bring out the living being that I feel in the stone to its surface, I proceed very carefully. I consider step by step, for example, whether I am positioning the backbone in the right place. Does it feel right? Am I forcing something that disagrees with the natural shape of the stone?”
Believing each rock has a story to tell, the artist decides to breathe life into each one with her paintings. She reveals, “Sometimes I paint while I talk to the stone as I hold it in my hand.” Akie hopes that her stone animals will be treasured by those who hold them, as they treasure their own lives “because we all stand on the same earth, and we come from the same earth.”
Akie Nakata: Facebook | Instagram
