Honoring the origins, artists, and friendships that keep Frog Rock alive.
Frog Rock began as a late-night act of creativity on Bainbridge Island in 1971. Today, it lives on as both a beloved landmark and a symbol of humor, imagination, and community care — carried forward with intention, love, and respect for the people who brought it into the world.
Bainbridge Frog Rock is much more than a painted boulder — it’s a love story of creativity, friendship, humor, and community care. This project exists to celebrate its beginnings, honor the people who brought it to life, and continue the joyful spirit that has made Frog Rock a part of Bainbridge Island’s heart for more than fifty years.
Bob & Ellen Green — Creators of Frog Rock
Ellen & Bob Green at the Bainbridge Island Film Festival, 2025
Bob Green was born in Winslow, and Ellen Barnes moved to Bainbridge’s Port Madison neighborhood as a young girl. They met as spirited, imaginative theatre kids in high school, fell in love, and created Frog Rock together as seniors on Bainbridge Island’s long-standing Paint Night tradition.
A friend had suggested painting the split roadside boulder at Phelps and Madison as a duck. Bob famously replied:
“No — it’s a frog.”
Late that night, working by flashlight and headlight with paint from the local hardware store, they brought Frog Rock to life — never imagining that one small act would become a beloved island landmark.
They guarded it in the early years. The island embraced it for the decades that followed.
Bob and Ellen married, raised a family, built a creative life together, and today live in nearby Kingston, WA — still cheering Frog Rock on from just across the water.
How Today’s Bainbridge Frog Rock Came to Life
From noticing → to storytelling → to stewardship.
My name is Denise Stoughton, and I first sought out Bob and Ellen because I wanted to understand Frog Rock’s history. Many people on Bainbridge know me as “The Mailbox Lady” — thanks to years spent noticing and documenting the wonderfully creative mailboxes across the island.
That mailbox project grew into a larger story about how people attach memory and meaning to the everyday. Along the way, it was featured in local and regional media — but what stayed with me the most were the people, their stories and their sense of place.
Like Frog Rock, that project was about the art of noticing — creative curiosity, love of place, and the magic of folk art. Once the mailbox story world began to wind down, Frog Rock naturally called to me next.
I expected to interview Bob and Ellen.
Instead, I found warmth, humor, humility … and a remarkable story that deserved greater care, celebration, and visibility.
What began as journalism became friendship.
Friendship became collaboration.
And collaboration became stewardship.
Today, Bainbridge Frog Rock is created with Bob and Ellen — openly, respectfully, and lovingly — so their story stays at the center, and their voices guide how this cultural treasure is carried forward and shared with the world.
Our Mission
To honor the past, celebrate the present & carry forward the magic of Frog Rock.
Our mission is to preserve the joy Frog Rock has brought to Bainbridge Island for more than fifty years — and to share its legacy through storytelling, design, film, community celebration, and care. In partnership with the Greens, we uplift their legacy while inviting new generations to discover, smile, and belong to this wonderfully unexpected landmark.
Still Together. Still Creative. Still Loved.
Bob and Ellen continue to inspire every part of this work. Every story told, every creative collaboration, every gathering, and every piece of Frog Rock’s living history reflects their original spark.
They remain — always — at the heart of this project, and at the heart of Bainbridge Frog Rock.