Kindness Rocks is a national movement encouraging people to create painted rocks and leave them on their path for others to discover—bringing happiness to people who find them. Munds Park Rocks, an offshoot of this movement, was created by a mother to celebrate the life of her son—and out of sadness came happiness and purpose.
Created in Memory of Gregg Deam
Artist, Diane Funderburg-Deam, is a full-time resident of Munds Park. Before arriving in our small town, Diane was an active member of the Lake Havasu City Art Guild and frequented art shows with her son Gregg. Touring art shows with his mother, Gregg learned to appreciate art and was inspired to become a painter. He adopted an aboriginal style of painting and painted whimsical and colorful lizards using found rocks as his canvas. Gregg's talent grew, and so did his fan base and soon became known as the "Lizard Man."
In 2014 Diane, her husband Skeet, and son Wes lost their son and brother Gregg. Nobody fully recovers from the loss of a child or brother—but there is no better way to celebrate life than to find a special way to honor the one you love. In the summer of 2017, Diane did just that; she created the Munds Park Rocks Facebook group in Gregg's memory.
It didn't take long after Diane created the Facebook group before Gregg's passion became a summertime favorite for Munds Park kids. Parents posted photos of their kids with huge smiles holding their painted rocks either created or found. The Munds Park Rocks group continued to grow— kids from the age of 1 to big kids at the age of 90 enjoy painting rocks and hiding them for the pure joy of others to find.
Diane's youngest son, Wes, found his inner artist in the process and has become a rock painter and hider extraordinaire! He and other group enthusiasts will paint and hide rocks for kids' birthdays, when someone is not feeling well, or simply just because.
What a beautiful tribute Diane created!
How to Participate Join the Facebook group Munds Park Rocks, buy some supplies, create, hide, post and enjoy!
Supplies
Apple Barrel or Craft Smart Paints (Recommended to buy large black and white paints)
Bottle of alcohol and Q-Tips – Used to clean rocks and correct mistakes
A variety of inexpensive brushes
Krylon clear spray paint
River Rocks – You can purchase at Home Depot in the garden department, TLC Landscape Connection, or find unique rocks around Munds Park
Instructions
Wash the rocks and use a brush if dirty. Once dry, clean with alcohol.
It's a good idea to paint a base of white on the rocks. If you plan on painting a large design, especially if you are using the colors red or orange, if you are painting a large amount of rocks, you can paint them all with Krylon Matt White primer. The white base paint will make your colors more brilliant.
Once you have created your masterpieces, spray your rocks with 1-2 coats of Krylon Clear spray paint (satin or gloss your choice) to seal the rocks. If you place rocks in your garden, be sure to reseal every few months.
Write on the back with a Sharpie "Munds Park Rocks" and the date.
Have fun creating and sharing! Make someone smile and make your heart happy! Don’t forget to share your creations and finds on Munds Park Rocks!
Munds Park "kids" creating, seeking and finding!
Gregg Deam's Art