Meditating upon a stone
2014, collected stones, jute twine, linen, plant dyes collected from Canberra bush land.
Collecting stones is an activity I began doing as a child. I would collect from the bush, on family holidays, in foreign landscapes or just in my backyard.
I feel the weight of each stone, its smooth curves or rough rugged edges, the coolness of its touch in my warm pulsing hands and its dense smells of its earthy origins. This awakening of my senses triggers memories of place and brings on an enhanced awareness of my being in the world.
I net these stones as a way of containing these memories and as a way to meditate and contemplate on. Each netted stone contains a distinct moment of time, process is slow. It allows my mind to quieten and focus on the gesture of my hand move the needle in and out as my breath slows and the memories contained within this rock begin a movement within my thoughts.
Stones hold a weight and connection to the earth, they ground me. Each stone has its own story separate to the one I give it. From the materials it is made from and its naturally sculpted form. Once netted the stones rest upon eco printed plant dyed linen, acting as the territory from which I found it.
