Haystack Magic
There’s something really special about Haystack Mountain School of Crafts that I still haven’t been able to pin down. Maybe it’s the remoteness, the quiet, the ocean. I think a lot of it is the people, and the space to bring out the best in ourselves. Being at Haystack was like being on vacation, but one where I was inspired and craved making art and wanted to be in the studio, socializing, and being part of the world.
Haystack Mountain School is located right on the Atlantic Ocean. On the right, the deck between the Graphics and Fibers studios, where many students gathered to socialize and create art in the sun.
I love teaching and I love assisting teachers. When Tikva asked me to be her Technical Assistant for the Graphics class, I was honored and humbled that she asked me. Tikva and I met in graduate school at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2014. We have kept in touch and collaborated over the years, and we got to have a grand reunion in Maine after not seeing one another for 6 years!
Left: a watercolor monotype fresh off the printing press. Right: adding water-soluble crayon to my monotype plates
Artwork ready for the Studio Walkthrough at the end of class. This is just a snippet of all the amazing art that the Graphics class made in their 2-week class.
Some of my favorite things at Haystack:
(list inspired by Alex Kalil!)
Nutritious food
Walking up and down hills
Quiet cabins
Fresh air
Access to tools and high quality materials
Being out in the sun
Rocks and moss
The library (open 24/7)
Limited cell service/internet
Finding connections with people
Being surrounded by artists
Meeting and working with staff members
Chewy coconut cookies
Jumping in the ocean on the solstice
Left: Tikva and I collaborated on these miniature diploma prints (made with watercolor monotypes,
linocut, and hand-drawn type). Right: Tikva and I hosted a 10-minute graduation ceremony for
Graphics students; Tikva hands me my diploma!
Sun prints
Some of the watercolor monotype prints I made at Haystack are now available as digital downloads on my Etsy site! They are printable art that you can purchase, download, print, and fit into your own 8x10 frame.
www.etsy.com/shop/redlentilpress
Putting 2 and 2 together
Tikva recently made this incredible video that describes her artmaking practice and printmaking process. I am obsessed. If you’re curious about the work we were making at Haystack, this is an incredible overview.