a parcel full of the sea from over the sea

today i received a parcel

which was so pretty

it was hard to cut open

the butterflies are part of the sticky tape

the contents are magical

two glasses

wrapped in tissue paper

and tied up with seablue waxed bookbinding thread

they are sea-coloured

and

the big one has bubbles

like an incoming wave.

they have been made by Norwegian artist Kari Mølstad

when i offered to trade a cashmere shawl

for a handmade gin glass that looked as if it came from the sea

and Kari kindly agreed

i never dreamed that she would send me two of them!

+ + +

it's one of the things about being a student at Haystack

you find yourself in a class surrounded by remarkable company

and sometimes

you make friendly connections.

here's a link to her website

time out

after the giddy excitement of having my work accepted 

by a rather lovely store in Los Angeles

it was good to retreat 

to the woods and shores of Haystack in order to be a quiet student

thinking about traces and marks

under the guidance of Helen Carnac

the weather varied from almost tropical

to cool fogs and mists

there was time to walk barefoot in the woods

and to eat wild strawberries

i will admit to cooking up the odd brew after hours

there were lovely rust marks on the steel plate

that appeared overnight after i left some fern fronds 

resting on it

light-and-shadow drawings

and the enchanting Maine coast landscape, those rocks

perfect for drawing and dreaming in the daytime

and

at night, the best place to lie back companionably

gazing up at the heavens and the shooting stars

or marvelling at the fireflies below

all the while listening to the lick and curl, slap and splash 

of the incoming tide meeting the small waterfall

that chuckled its way down the hill

through the bog

and out from under the tree roots

to the rocks and the shore

+  +  +

i filled an entire journal

stitching in extra pages

and

even having to let out its waistband

Haystack open studio

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is a unique and wonderful institute 

situated in a breathtakingly beautiful part of the United States

rummaging around in the studio yesterday chasing a few last minute necessaries

i happened upon this page from last Fall's 'Gateway' publication and thought it worth sharing.

sadly my schedule precludes me applying this year

but then that might be greedy anyway, seeing as i had the good fortune to participate in a New Works session there last September

where i worked with paper and meditative repetition

Haystack 

is one of those places that 

[to put it simply]

changes your life.

i'm grateful to have been asked to teach there

and even more so for the quiet five days spent there

devoted to new work

and

i very much hope they'll have me back some time.

+

thank you Haystack

i was among the lucky ones

 able to attend the New Works session at Haystack 

this past week

on the first morning

i wandered out on to the deck

to gather a few leaves

here is the very first thing i found

 

as a portent it was spot on.

we spent four nights and three blissful days

working from early until very late

being fed wonderful food

lulled to sleep by the waves

and greeted cheerfully by jolly redbrown squirrels

Naomi Shihab Nye led three writing workshops

in themselves a revelation

as

i had not been to a writing class since year 10 at Heathfield High School

[which left much to be desired]

i would like to spend two weeks at Haystack 

[or anywhere really]

working with her

[just putting it out there]

i am replenished in body and spirit.

thank you Haystack and and all those who sail

and sail in, in this most marvellous vessel

fingers crossed

fingers crossed i'll see you on the other side

off to see 'breathe' performed at Edinburgh

then teach two classes

and

hop the Atlantic

to take part in the New Work

Session at Haystack.

shall drive up the coast from Boston

maybe make a detour into Vermont

for another adventure

or

three

we shall see

Haystack

Haystack is an extraordinary place

you have to make a pilgrimage to get there

the gaff-rigged ship of dreams sails by

from time to time

the fibre studio is a delight

we boiled our cauldrons by the sea

using tannin-rich water from a nearby brook

diving into the sea at the end of the day

water so cold it felt like fire