Original Art Collage of Handmade Fine Art Prints on Paper in a Vintage Frame Tiny Cairn deals 14

Tiny Cairn 14 is a 5x7 inch collage of my fine art hand pulled monotype prints on soft gold metallic paper in a 6x8" vintage frame. This piece can be hung on a wall or can stand on a shelf or tabletop.

The name Cairn originates from a Gaelic term that means “heap of stones.” It was likely first coined by Scots who used them to mark trails across grass-covered, hilly landscapes. Stone cairns are still used to mark trails in many parts of the world, including in the Catskills where I've run across a few.

Most cultures and religions have a tradition of stones at gravesites, the most obvious being stone grave markers. Judaism has a tradition of placing a small stone on a grave in remembrance when visiting. In old Jewish cemeteries graves often have large piles of stones, bringing to mind the ancient cairns marking gravesites.
Stone burial cairns have probably been on earth as long as people have. There are well preserved examples from the Bronze and Neolithic ages in various parts of the world.

At its core, cairn building is an act of generosity, done to help others. They offer direction, they offer remembrance. I make my stone cairn collages in that spirit, both to memorialize our losses, and to help mark deals a path to a better way forward.

BIO
Sunny Chapman is an artist living in Brooklyn NY and Hancock NY. Her work is show extensively in the NYC area and elsewhere and is represented by Pinkwater Gallery in Kingston, NY, and Curina Collection in NYC.

ARTISTS STATEMENT

My work is strongly influenced by mystical practices such as Sufism and Alchemy. From these practices, the themes of my artwork surface- doorways as portals to other universes, mysterious languages, circles representing the whirling of the dervish and of the universe and birds being the link between heaven and earth, and between the past and the present.

The mixed media pieces in my Choose Your Own Adventure series are made using monotype prints and/or paintings on paper cut into shapes and mounted on paper, then embellished with paint. I've added metal grommets, chains and plastic charms to them lately.

Lately I've spent a fair amount of time in the woods thinking about stone cairns and trees , which turned into two series, Cairns and Pandos. A series that came from my dreams is called Sea Flowers. All are collages of monotype prints on metallic paper, cradled wood panels or canvas.

I was a jewelry designer for 25 years, starting as an artisan jeweler selling at craft shows, art galleries and museum shops, then moving into the fashion world and selling at Barneys, Saks, etc. Having to interpret different ideas and create five new lines of jewelry a year was good training for the varied way I work, from intricate line drawings to pieces with large simple geometric shapes and bold colors.