The other day I found a box of beautiful stones I’d taken off the beach 20 years ago. I decided to finally let them go, so left them them outside at the foot of a tree in the field by the house. Just a few days later quite by chance I found myself joining in at a stone stacking championships at the beach in Dunbar. I’d occasionally liked to create Andy Goldsworthy style pieces with stones but never put much thought into it. Watching the competitors on the first day make some amazing artworks, I thought what the hell! It looks too much like fun and I saw that there were several other total novices that were having a go. So the next day I found myself along with about 25 others, trying to see how many stones I could stack in 20 minutes. As soon as I started I realised it’s totally addictive. I had our dog with me so couldn’t join in the 2 hour artistic creation part but come hell or high water I will have a go next year.
It was all very low key, just in it’s third year and organised by one James Craig Page, a Dunbar artist and stone stacker himself. Check out the event website… The overall winner Pedro Duran, who also won last year and wins a flight to the world championships in Texas. It seemed all the winners are old friends but it was good to see some locals also get placed. Very inspired by John Earnshaw who drove up from Lancashire to compete despite being a total novice. He, like me, just wanted to have a go. I loved that it was such a friendly event. The artworks seemed to invite folk to chat with strangers around them and I met so many nice people.
It’s not very widely advertised and it needs proper publicity so I hope this might encourage a few more folk to come along next year. Now I’m just heading out to find my pile of beautiful stones and take them back in the house. Got to get practicing!
Lovely pictures! Your next to last uncredited black and white photo is of the work by Neil Andrews, also a Lancashire based novice.
Thanks Joanne, that’s amended now.
Fantastic blog and great photos!
cheers Kate!
Thank you once again James for making it all happen & bringing us all together again for an amazing weekend ♡
yup, well done James!
A great event looking forward to 2019
Can’t wait.
very cool, if only one year i will be able to travel. great seeing all the cool pics tho. thanks for this blog buddy.
cheers Bill.
Laurence
Fabulous photos of a great weekend.
I’d love to get a copy of the photo of my stack – is that possible?
Neil Andrews
I loved the photos and the general calm atmosphere which the stone stacking seems to generate even via the internet!
Aye, it was a friendly event. Thanks!
‘It seemed all the winners are old friends…’ 😀 It’s very nice to read what you see when you look at us from outside! Actually, we all met for the first time either this weekend or last year!! 😀 But it feels indeed like if we were old friends, we are in fact a ‘friends family’ 🙂
well you all seemed so friendly, especially with your medals! Nice to all get together when it’s often a solitary thing to stack stones.
Some words from Wendy & John, Lancashire. Thanks for the exceptional images and the blog Lawrence, much appreciated:
No Glue (A poem by Wendy Davison)
The hands, the hands
It’s the hands I notice
Some small and fine
Others large and lined
But all have that sensitivity
Feeling, observing, adjusting
Yielding to some gravitational alchemy
Stone on stone and stone on stone
Impermanent, impossible, impressive
The gulls cry
A two-tone sky whistle overhead
Limpets stand fast,
Locked shoulder to shoulder
More permanent than those impermanent creations
People look-on, generating a hum of wonder, beyond a barrier of air
Frantic gathering of mineral matter
The right size, the right shape, the right colour
A voice drifts into our consciousness……………………..5 minutes to go
Thy will be done
It was lovely to meet you both and I’m looking forward to seeing you next year. I Love your poem! It’s caught the tension perfectly. It’s funny you should send it as I nearly posted part of Robert Frost’s, Wall Mending beneath the black and white shot of James Brunt as the mood of the shot put me in mind of the last part….
…I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
It’s a slightly demeaning line so I didn’t add it but it was brought to mind.
We are hoping to be there next year. In the meantime, hope the rest of 2018 goes well for you. Wendy