How to Avoid Classic Tourism Learning Ceramics in Majorca

I decided to do a VAWAA because I like to travel, and I like to feel at home while traveling.

There are so many reasons why this was a fit for me: I live for creativity, I hope to meet creative people, I like to learn from people, I like to be surprised, I am curious, I like crafts and materials, I want to explore…

And I wanted to escape from the daily rhythm at home, to get into a new environment and learn from new horizons.

At the same time, however, I am slow and rather quiet, and I need concentration. I need to know the people before I get social. 

On my VAWAA, I was hoping to explore a new way of expression and learn a new culture from the inside. I was hoping to meet like-minded people, as well as find a variation on sculpture.  

I was hoping to avoid the classic way of tourism and instead give an extra dimension to my holidays.

I was hoping to learn.

During my visit in Majorca, time was a different kind of concept. We stayed on the island for two weeks, but we only stayed the nights at the same place, so we made a kind of road trip with Manacor and Anastasia's atelier as a fixed anchor point. After a few days I knew my way around and didn’t need the GPS to get to the atelier. That feels like home, which is nice. 

Because my stay on the island was longer, we could arrange with Anastasia to adapt the hours at the studio so that my ceramics could pass two times through the kiln, which is needed if you do glazing. Sometimes it was a bit of planning, but I am very thankful that she could offer this. I was so much looking forward to the glazing. 

Below is a series of pictures from my VAWAA with Anastasia and my time in Majorca, so that you can hopefully get a feel for my experience and what it was like to be with Anastasia learning ceramics.

VAWAA ateliers at Majorca (Picasso and Miro in the picture). Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

S'Estanyol. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

From Vilafranca to Manacor. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Betlem. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Soller. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Arta. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Anastasia's place through the window. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Shapes and happy faces. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Eggs, water, sponge, and egg cup. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Different kinds of clay. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Creating textures. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Choosing colors. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Painting with clay. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Drying in the sun. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert. 

Porcelain spoons. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Anastasia, filling the kiln. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Lighting the kiln. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Defining the glazes. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Preparing the glaze. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Spoons in combination with driftwood from Majorca. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

My first production. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Back home. Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Courtesy of Catharina Bossaert.

Written by Catharina Bossaert

Vacation with Anastasia in Mallorca, Spain

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