Among the conversations I was having with some of my fellow vendors at this past weekend's festival was the invariable discussion about the infiltration of AI into the art market.
Now, our booth was in a long row of vendor tents and we also had "neighbors" backing up to us, so we overheard a few conversations in the course of our day there. More than a few times the issue of AI came up.
This was particularly true for the people in the tent immediately to our right, who were selling some beautiful natural photography that had minor digital manipulations.
I have noticed this has become an escalating issue, even though I can remember being asked if my designs were computer generated and were basically stickers or transfers on rocks... going back as far as 2015, as well as during the years we had a brick and mortar gallery.
Of course, all of my mandala painted stones are 100% free hand painted. There are no stickers, no transfers, no digital assist, no AI involved and the design is actually built "live" (no pre-planning) as I start working on a blank stone.
But the marketplace is changing.
I talked to a fellow artist — whom I have known for many years — and he said he was trying a new sales venue in Everett, WA. He went to this alleged "Maker's Market" three times... at the end of which he had enjoyed very few sales, and remarked that most of this market was in fact not about handmade goods but about cheap imports being resold in the guise of being the handmade work of artists.
Very disappointing... but clearly the event organizer had decided to turn a blind eye, all in service of collecting a few more booth fees.
Similarly, I am increasingly seeing the influx of AI on some of the online sales venues we have used — and continue to use — for Alchemy Stones. And instead of selling an actual physical product the artwork is being sold as a "digital download."
Maybe I'm getting very old fashioned here, but having a digital download is definitely not the same as having a piece of art that was actually created fully by hand by an artist, and then had a human signature added when its make was satisfied that the work met their quality and creative requirements.
It will be quite interesting to see whether AI and "synthetic" art is going to start putting in an appearance at any of the holiday markets we'll be attending in a couple of months!
I really hope the answer is no...
Thanks for stopping by!
Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal
Alchemy Stones web site and blog
Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!
Thank you for supporting independent art & creativity!
2026.10.02 AS-TXT-408/378
