Finds 22/5/14
Finds- street and beach, steel, wood and plastic.
Larger finds
Larger finds -wire- wood- plastic, looking at larger constructions.
Camera experiments
As part of my application for the Rosy James memorial award I asked to get a new camera, I wanted to push the documentary side of my practice further on. Most photos I have posted have just been through my iPhone 4 using an app, or my Nikon d40 when photographing drawings or pieces of my work. The D40 I found unwieldy to take on walks and the iPhone obviously has limits in terms of image size, focusing etc. so I went for a Fuji x10os – it is a fixed lens camera, very compact but capable of taking large files. I’ve had it a few days and I’m starting to get a handle on how to use it- I see a lot of potential in this- I love how portable it is and the quality of the image is amazing. Here are a few of my initial successes – still early days and I feel I need to develop a style on it but I’m encouraged so far with these few little trials and testers.
ACNI acquisition Utensil Set
The set of Utensils bought by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, cleaned up and delivered today as part of their permanent collection.
Beachfinds 7/5/14
Beachfinds textured glass, shell, driftwood and fishing line.
Utensil drawing 5/5/14
Utensil – watercolour on Fabriano.
Arrow drawing
Arrow drawing- watercolour on Fabriano. 12″x18″
Lough walk
Went out yesterday – planning on doing some more collecting in these sites to produce works specific to them. Weather was interesting- cloudy, moody with bursts of sunshine lighting up the lough, turning the blue-greys bright silver. 
The Rosemary James Memorial Trust Award
I have been awarded the inaugural Rosemary James Memorial Trust Award for a craft practitioner in Northern Ireland. The award is for £15000 and is to enable a practitioner to develop a new body of work. I am incredibly excited by this award- it means that I can spend the next year concentrating on developing my work without having to juggle additional work to pay the bills. I have big plans for my work this year, all possible now thanks to this award. Also thanks to The Arts Council of Northern Ireland for their support- the phone call telling me I had got the award was pretty amazing. Watch this space! Things are definitely looking up!
Vessel drawings 28/04/14
Trying a new series of drawings of vessels, working towards a new body of work and thinking of revisiting the vessel series. Watercolour on Fabriano
Stuart Cairns 