My Month in Maine
Becca Watz
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Deer Isle, Maine.
I arrived. Ready. Open. Willing. ~I met a group of clay lovers from around the world. Things got messy. Clay is very messy.
I sat at the potter's wheel and could not throw anything worth keeping. It was my first time using porcelain.
It was fussy, finicky, and wonderful all in the most frustrating and exhilarating way!
I met some of the most interesting people and terrific ceramic artists at Haystack. Chris Staley was our professor for two weeks. Chris provided demos and discussion that I will not be able to forget. And, the students added to the lessons. We all left camp welled-up with sincere emotions toward finding meaning in our work and much more.
It was truly serendipitous! Many of us from that camp remain friends to this day.
I dried out my recycled clay and shipped it home hoping to try porcelain again. It was a mess when it arrived; clay dust everywhere. What was I thinking?
I stayed in deer Isle a couple weeks longer to hike the area with my husband. It was such a memorable month in Maine. Each time I visit, I find another reason to fall in love again.