I recently composed a mantelscape using “beachy” items in honor of summer and the many seashore areas we have visited. I created a cairn (stacked rocks) with a few pebbles I brought home from Block Island, Rhode Island. I have created many a cairn on the Block Island beaches and admired hundreds more of these impromptu works of art built by the talented stone stackers who roam the bluffs, rocks and sand of this beautiful place.

“A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones. The word cairn comes from the Scottish Gaelic: càrn (plural càirn).” ~ Wikipedia

Here are a few of the cairns I have photographed over the years on Block Island. As you can see cairns can be stacked quite tall…

Or very small…

Some have a picturesque backdrop…

While others adorn the muddy clay at the base of the bluffs…

Some stand alone…

While others stand en masse in a madrigal choir of stone.

There are even a few who have gotten married! (See note about this photograph at end of post)

Block Island cairns are created with the beautiful rocks and pebbles found on Block Island Beaches.

I composed and photographed the bride and groom photograph on Block Island a few years ago. I have used it many times as a wedding or shower greeting card. Please feel free to copy and use the photograph for non-commercial uses. It looks terrific mounted on a piece of black cardstock and then double-mounted on a white 5 x 7 greeting card. The photo is a standard size and should be easy to have reproduced anywhere they print out digital photos. Better yet, try your hand at creating your own bride and groom photograph from natural items…so much fun!