I was reaserching artists brushes when I came across teh work of Lorna Crane. She is an Autralian artist whe creates brushes from the things she finds whilst walking. When used the brushes create a range of marks, depending on the materials she has used. I am impressed by the scale, and the sculptural quality of her brushes.  The mixture of man-made and natural materials act as a metaphor for the journey, and mans impact on teh environment.

In contrast the work of Stuart Cairns is delicate and intimate.

Stuart Cairns works as a silversmith combining natural materials and found objects alongside precious metals to create artifacts in the tradition of tableware and domestic objects

He does incorporate natural materials into his tool making but this is not the only kind of material he uses. Obviously when using natural materials there is an ephemerality to consider. He also draws and paints the tools themselves, reminiscent of Jim Dine’s studies of tools

Cairns documents the finding of the materials and the walks he goes on etc. His work has inspired me to make my own tools but it has also inspired me to think about documentation more deeply and to document the collection process, walking through nature collecting things to make tools with and to document the making process.