Alice

The moment you meet Macrina, you're immediately struck by her larger-than-life presence. When she creates, it's not art for art's sake, nor purely utilitarian, but something in between. All her pieces have a sense of harmony, balance, and feel SO alive. It was incredible to witness her intuitive connection with the material. And of course, I loved the pottery lessons themselves. It was a special experience getting to learn about the entire process, from harvesting the clay in the mountains to open firing the pieces. Macrina is a great teacher and very patient. I particularly enjoyed learning about the unique ways that Macrina and her fellow potters approached things like trimming, burnishing, and attaching handles. I'm so grateful to Macrina, Amalia, and the rest of the family for one of the best weeks of my life! Even with my very, very limited Spanish, we had the best conversations (with the help of Google Translate) about art, family, and life. I'm also grateful to everyone in San Marcos Tlapazola for their hospitality (I attended two weddings during my short stay)! Until next time!