I first heard about Haystack a decade ago. It's situated on an island in Deer Isle, Maine where artists from around the world convene for 2-week immersions in their craft. Residencies and workshops are typically based in clay, glass, metals, paper, blacksmithing, weaving, and woodworking, and throughout the sessions studios stay open 24/7. Every spring, the Maine Crafts Association partners with Haystack to offer a 4 day mini-workshop taught by instructors from Maine. I managed to get off the waitlist just in time to pack my car with ceramic tools and a sleeping bag, and drive 3 hours north!
The view into the ceramics studio from the wraparound porch
The campus consists of 34 cedar-shingled studios, dining hall and cabins all designed by a New York modernist architect. The main artery of the campus is a dramatic staircase leading straight to the beach, which branches out to the cabins and studios. I snagged the lofted bed in my cabin, and the privacy made up for the many ladder climbs! There's no heat in the cabins, and I learned the hard way why everyone brings electric blankets and space heaters in May...
The ceramics workshop was taught by Jonathan Mess and focused on surface design. Jonathan creates beautiful slabs of texture and color using exclusively reclaimed ceramic materials. As someone who naturally gravitates toward straight lines and neutral palettes, these 4 days were a chance to step out of my comfort zone. Jonathan had us throw every ceramics rule we had learned out the window, and embody the imaginative, playful spirit in us all!
Our group of 15 included textile designers from NYC, carpenters, a nonprofit president, master potters, and a few total amateurs. Because there wasn't time to fire any of our work, there was no pressure to take home a finished piece. Instead, Jonathan's assignment was to create at least 10 test tiles and employ a different surface technique on each, based on the demos he gave throughout the workshop. The goal was to go home with at least 10 new surface design skills you could then apply in your own ceramics practice.
surface design
Everyone went in different directions stylistically. I opted to make a series of bowls with different textures and slips, the textile designers produced dozens of simply patterned tiles, one man built a village of wood and ceramic buildings inspired by a storybook, another handbuilt whimsical vases using paper cutouts, and everyone tried their hand at a Jonathan Mess-inspired slab. We stopped working every few hours to learn a new technique: inlay, slip trailing, mashima, sgraffito, bubble glazing, mocha diffusion, marbling, burnishing, wax resist. We drilled into clay, pounded it, pressed seaweed into it, layered it with deflocculated slip, and torched it. Taking the torch to layers of slip created this awesome antique, peeling effect you can see in my test tiles.
The freezing nights made for very early mornings, but watching the lobster boats fire up and head out to sea as the sun rose wasn't the worst way to start a day. There are beautiful nature trails and swimming holes surrounding Haystack, and in the summer sessions there are lobsterbake dinners and fire pits out here.
the bell tower
Announcing breakfast, lunch, or dinner to all the campus! All our meals were incredible. A feast of veggies and pies and soups, and giant (ceramic) jars filled to the brim with homemade cookies -- waiting for us at all hours of the night!
In the evenings, there was an instructor slideshow, mini-presentations, and an exhibition reception. Most people spent the evening in their studio, or in the forge (the warmest place on campus). Before we all headed home, we had studio walkthroughs -- essentially show & tell, where everyone gets to explore other studios and see people's creations. This was the absolute highlight, and I was astounded by what people accomplished.
the studios:
clay
glass
metals
paper
blacksmithing
fiber
woodworking
