Joey discovered his creative and artistic talents during a family vacation in 1983 when Joey was 11 years old. Given fresh white paper and a black ink pen, he created incredible pictures inspired by nature and historic buildings. His first notecards were hand-folded and printed on an office copier. With encouragement from his two younger sisters, Joey has shared his story and talent at various workshops and craft fairs.
Joey has expanded his focus to painting and distributing rocks in the community to bless others. His family collects rocks from local creeks, the coast, or nearby gravel pits along the river. The process is a family affair, as Joey’s mom will prime the rocks and Joey will decorate them. Once they’re sealed, stickered, and ready to be found, they are placed around the community with help of his family.
Joey was Inspired by a family and their
local Facebook group, Rocks N Dallas, OR, which was created in memory of their precious little girl who had leukemia. He has been painting rocks ever since. After seeing a couple’s delight in finding one of his rocks, he now places two rocks every day around the community, hoping his rocks spread that same feeling of optimism, love, and happiness. Joey has inspired others to place his rocks across the world and they can be found on several continents.
PA Kyle Raymond (left) started working with Joey (right) and their family shortly after he was hired, over a year ago. In March of 2024, Kyle was contacted by an organization that provides life-saving stem cells and marrow to people with blood related disorders across the world. The National Marrow Donation Program identified Kyle as a match for a child somewhere in the world and he agreed to donate his marrow to the kiddo. Kyle’s donation took place at the City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, California.
As Kyle got to know Joey and learned more about his painting rocks story, he was hoping he could place one of Joey’s rocks in the rock garden at the hospital to help spread Joey’s message of hope and love. Joey agreed and one of his painted rocks, with the powerful memory of the sweet little girl with leukemia, rests in the garden. Kyle was recently contacted by the NMDB organization and, with support from Kyle’s family and friends, Joey and his painted rocks, and the ISN/CCS Team, he was informed that the child is alive!
If you would like to sign up to be a match for someone in need of blood stem cells or marrow, please visit: nmdp.org. One cheek swab can help save a life!