About

Artist Bio:
Betty Chamness Trost of Three Smooth Stones is a Des Moines, Iowa artist. She is known for her hand painted stones in vibrant colors and complex botanical designs. Her love of color and the sparkling iridescence of flower petals, combined with her fascination with the Fibonacci spiral, led her to create her designs on smooth stones. In 2012 she began to explore how to delicately dot acrylic paints onto the fine grained basalt stones of her native Oregon coast. In about 2021 she became aware of the naturally round stones of the Washington coast and now walks those beaches, seeking these stones for her work. Betty is a self-taught artist. She left her career as a teacher educator at Iowa State University in 2013 to provide care for her late husband, Richard, who was ill with Alzheimer’s disease. Since his death in 2015 she has used her professional expertise and her love of this art form to teach stone painting workshops. She sells her hand painted stones at pop-up art shows around central Iowa.

Artist Statement:
Using brilliant acrylic paints, stylus tools, and a steady hand, I lay down tiny drops of paint on naturally smooth stones in designs inspired by the ancient Fibonacci spiral. This spiral is found in nature in the petal and seed structures of zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers, and pinecones. I create my soothing designs using multi-layered dots of shimmering color and texture. They have a mesmerizing dimensional effect that draws the eye to the center which often helps with focus and meditation. I source my own stones, walking the misty coastal beaches of Oregon and Washington, then shipping them back to my midwest work room. They are calming pieces of art for the palm of your hand, your desk or window sill.