Friday, March 15, 2013

Cairns

Mixed media expressive arts retreat
photo by Jane LaFazio
I've long had a fascination with cairns.
 cairns  plural of cairn  
Noun
  1. A mound of rough stones built as a memorial or landmark, typically on a hilltop or skyline.
  2. A prehistoric burial mound made of stones.
Mixed media expressive arts retreat
photo by Jane LaFazio
As I drive along the Pacific Ocean beach, I often see them piled high among the boulders.
Mixed media expressive arts retreat
photo by Jane LaFazio
But this recent stay in San Clemente, was the first time I'd ever took the time to build some. Build many. And I loved it! So easy, so meditative, so fully engrossing. Soo easy and somehow satisfying.
Mixed media expressive arts retreat
photo by Jane LaFazio
Mixed media expressive arts retreat
photo by Jane LaFazio
Mixed media expressive arts retreat
photo by Jane LaFazio
My plan: walk on the beach more often. And build cairns wherever I can.  
Have you ever created a cairn? 

22 comments:

  1. hollyllama3/15/2013 5:42 AM

    Thanks for sharing these pictures, Jane. Cairns fascinate me, too! I've never tried making one myself, but someone in my town built a bunch of cairns next to an overpass by the river out of rocks and chunks of broken concrete. It's fun to drive by them and see how they evolve, getting knocked down and rebuilt by passers-by. I should take pictures of them sometime... :)

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/16/2013 8:29 AM

      yes, take some pics, or better yet, draw them.

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  2. Linda Teddlie Minton3/15/2013 6:00 AM

    Jane, yours was the first blog post I read, early this morning, and it was a delightful beginning to my day. The cairns themselves seem to exude calm and peace, and your photographs are beautiful. Thank you.

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/16/2013 8:29 AM

      Thanks Linda! they do exude calm, don't they?

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  3. Unknown3/15/2013 6:11 AM

    Jane

    I should take some photos of the neolithic cairns around these parts and send them to you!! Stone circles....??

    The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic càrn, and in Gaelic the plural is actually cairn I believe. But even us English-speaking Scots use cairn as the singular, and cairns as the plural! I also think they are great (though I probably don't pay as much attention as I should - another lesson in opening my eyes!)

    Morag
    ;0)

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/16/2013 8:30 AM

      Morag, you can draw them and use them in the online course you're taking! :-)

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  4. Unknown3/15/2013 8:32 AM

    I just love rocks. I think I get swept away with fondling each one and don't make it as far as creating any architecture ^_^

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  5. Linda M3/15/2013 8:43 AM

    I have built one and it's on my studio porch right here in SW Idaho ,no where near a beach :( .

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  6. trish3/15/2013 9:21 AM

    Dear Jane,
    My comment is not directed at you or anyone in particular and is meant only to inform! Please take it in that manner.
    While beautiful indeed (and I am an admirer of this form) I think its important to know if you are creating a cairn or simply doing rock balancing. It is also important to know the culture of the area in which you are doing this activity. In Hawaii (my husband was born and raised there) this is not a local custom and one that can bring about a steep fine. Here is an older article about this topic and ongoing issue for Hawaii-ne: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Nov/04/ln/FP511040351.html
    I encourage anyone who wishes to build these to do some research and respect the surrounding cultures before leaving them. Live by the adage "take nothing but a picture and leave nothing but a footprint".
    Submitted with humility and respect ~

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/15/2013 9:39 AM

      Tish, thanks so much for this input. Actually, in this case, we were building them silently, on the labyrinth we'd drawn in the sand, so they were indeed respectful. In fact, the whole thing was washed away by the tide.........

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    2. trish3/17/2013 5:45 PM

      Jane, thank you for your sweet reply! I was confident you had not done anything wrong! You are too kind and gentle to do other than leave love and joy behind you.
      Maybe one day we can build a labyrinth on a beach in Hawaii and do yoga in public places together! *S*

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  7. liniecat3/15/2013 9:28 AM

    Ah now is this going to be phase 2 of the circles tutorial I wonder? It could work I reckon lol

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  8. Sharyn Sowell3/15/2013 11:44 AM

    I do them with pebbles and small stones along hiking paths. I don't think there is anything disrespectful. In fact, we often see them at places where the path is confusing and someone might go the wrong way. They serve as markers to point out a particularly good view or keep one on the right path. I've never seen a cairn anywhere that could possibly be interpreted as disrespectful or changing the environment or culture. Usually they are small, just three or four stones placed atop one another.

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/16/2013 8:31 AM

      yes, Sharyn. I remember making them in girl scouts, on the trails.

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  9. Regina B Dunn3/15/2013 1:13 PM

    Rock cairns have been in my radar for many years. I first saw them when I was trekking in Nepal. I've wanted to do a series of art quilts featuring them for some time. I've started some sketches and stampin trying out various compositions. I'm just about ready to translate them into cloth. Thanks for the photos. I find them inspiring.

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/16/2013 8:31 AM

      oh, and what a beautiful series of quilts they would make!

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  10. Monique3/15/2013 6:31 PM

    We've seen many around Lake Superior and I think they are wonderful. And yes, I build a few small ones as reminder of wonderful summers!

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    1. Jane LaFazio3/16/2013 8:32 AM

      I love the idea of a 'reminder' of summer.

      Delete
  11. Monique3/15/2013 6:33 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. CLJH3/16/2013 11:28 AM

    Hi Jane, Thanks for the pictures of your cairns on the beach. While living in Maine and hiking a lot with the AMC we would often come to a cairn at the summit of a mountain. Maine, being extremely rocky, would always have plenty of stones or small pebbles we could add to the cairn. It was sort of like adding part of us to the whole, and we would have a quiet moment while we added our stone. For me, this is a very pleasant memory!

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  13. Jeannie3/16/2013 12:37 PM

    South of Seaside, Oregon, there is what I call a cairn garden. About a half mile of cairns in all sizes, some over 6 feet. It is only accessible by walking along the shore, but so worth it. I have built cairns along the coast, along my river, in my yard, and along the Colorado River in AZ. The Inuits created huge and gorgeous cairns in Canada and Alaska. Their's are truly works of art.

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  14. Lyric3/16/2013 1:20 PM

    Jane - you've got to look at the work of Michael Grab - an artist who balances rocks. It's amazing. http://www.gravityglue.com
    Not cairns but beautifully balanced rocks that I know you'll love.

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