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Painters turn rock into pieces of art hidden across Valley

Posted at 10:27 AM, May 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-10 16:05:24-04

With a steady hand and a big imagination this group of painters is turning rocks into pieces of art.

"They're easy to find," said Margee Ripley. "Easy to paint and it's a very-very cheap hobby."

Ripley helped start A.J. Rocks with just a handful of people in late 2016. Now more than 500 are a part of this group in Apache Junction.

Some of the rocks take hours to paint. Even with the intricate detail they're never meant to keep.

The group hides them around the East Valley, hoping they'll be found.

"Whatever rock I'm painting I'm always thinking about what it will be like for the person who finds the rock," said Debbie Tramundanas.

She is going to hide a few of the rocks around hospitals hoping a small stone will have a big impact.

"When you think about how it might affect another person's life when they find it - because you never know how it's going to affect somebody."

The group says once you start painting rocks you'll never look at one the same.