Lichen

 I have been experimenting with the concept of using lichen covered stone.  It has been noted that lichen is a living thing and I've contemplated the problem with using it for my work for a while now.  This particular lichen is actually the very common Crabs Eye Lichen (Ochrolechia parella) It covers every piece of stone that exists in Caithness, there is as much of this lichen as heather on the hills or moss on the ground.  To protect the lichen from flaking off I have chosen to put a thin coating of resin over it and this has turned the white an interesting orangey yellow.

What is of importance to me is that I don't go removing vital stones from the walls that surround the fields.  These walls have been here for hundreds of years, and the more I look at them the more I marvel at the shear scale of man power that went into building them. Hard graft and skill.  The walls have survived hundreds of years of powerful storms and sadly many of them are slowly leaning and subsequently falling, leaving gaps which are then mended with wire fencing.

So what I would like to point out is the distance I travel on foot to find a piece of stone which is lying on the ground and not part of an important construction. My daily dog walk takes me to a number of my favourite spots where stones can be found, the quarry, the coastal paths and the beach, miles of walking and in the end, come home with a couple of pieces that fit in my pocket!   As for lichen, which I happen to find fascinating and incredibly beautiful, the small pieces that I do find are common, to me, it would be as wrong as digging a 6 inch piece of peat to take home for the fire.

I want to highlight the beauty of our county of Caithness and it's landscape and nature. It is often passed by on route to Orkney, and visitors who take the time to spend a bit of time learning about our history will find it to be a special place.

These pieces will be showing at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in conjunction with Emergent Makers from the middle of May for one month.  I have some amazing pieces I'm excited to show and hope that they will be well received, and bought of course!