Several weeks ago, Shannon and I had the pleasure of sharing an evening with Guy and Jane from London. Guy works as the Chief Legal Counsel for the company Shan works for here in Ireland, but in his 'other life', he is a London Barrister. *Guy is also a classically trained pianist and his talent is unmatched. Jane is Guy's wife--equally charming and talented. We visited over a beautiful meal in an old wine cellar which has been converted into the most charming Spanish Tapas restaurant--El Celler. The food was absolutely delicious, but the company was divine.
https://www.opentable.ie/r/el-celler-spanish-tapas-and-wine-bar-blackrock-2
As we visited, Shannon and Guy talked shop, while Jane and I shared our interests in the arts; museums, crafts, painting, writing, and pottery. We were kindred spirits from the start. I mentioned to her that I really wanted to take a pottery class and was currently looking for classes near me. She mentioned to me that she is currently writing and illustrating a book, and she shared some of her drawings with me--which are phenomenal, by-the-way.
After dinner, we walked down the dark allies of the Blackrock Market and made our way out onto the street. What had only been a drizzle before, was now a full Irish downpour outside. We quickly said our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch. Guy and Jane ran to the train stop to the left, we ran to the bus stop to the right. It was a dreary ending to a lovely evening.
Only a few days later, after Guy and Jane had returned to England, I received a link to Pink Moon Crafts, along with this sweet text from Jane: "This looks like a nice place. Is it near you? I'm obsessively arty, and this looks like it would be loads of fun. I like the combination of food and craft and a nice lady in charge. Great way to meet other people and be convivial. Let me know how it goes."
I was deeply touched that Jane, in England, would be thinking of me, and trying to help me get connected to an art community in Ireland. I thanked her and rang the number immediately and left a message for Helen--the nice lady in charge.
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Today, I attended my first (but certainly not my last) pottery class with Helen. I don't know what I expected, but it was nothing I ever could have imagined! Shannon dropped me off in front of a lovely 19th century building, and I wondered if I was in the right place. I climbed the stairs and used the Lion-Head door knocker, took a step back, and waited. Helen opened the door, wearing a brown craft apron, and welcomed me into her beautiful home.
I felt like I was stepping into another dimension. Even the walls of Helen's home seemed to welcome me in. It quite literally took my breath away. As if on cue, a beautiful black Cocker Spaniel rubbed up against my legs and dropped his ball at my feet. I was a bit tongue tied as my eyes scanned the halls, ceilings, and decor. I felt as if I were Alice in my own Wonderland when she cried out, "Curiouser and curiouser!” - (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English). Me too, Alice. Me too!
My conversation with Helen was easy and comfortable. It seemed as though we already knew each other. Ah, another kindred spirit, I thought to myself. How did Jane know? It was like we were just catching up with each other after a long separation. We talked about our families, our lives in Ireland, religion, and our love for animals--all within the first few minutes.
Helen gave me a quick tour of her lovely home, which also doubles as her art studio. I was truly awestruck. Each room looked like it was straight out of an Interior Design Magazine. "STUNNING!" I kept saying. "This is absolutely stunning!"
We made our way to the kitchen where we would hand-build our clay pinch pots. Helen was prepared, and the clay was sitting on the table with the clay tool and water. She fixed us both a warm cup of herbal tea while we continued chatting away, getting to know each other. We sat across from one-another and I tried to copy what she was doing with her ball of clay. At one point, Ozzie, the Cocker Spaniel, came into the room and put his paws on the bench beside me. I spoke to him, and he took that as an invitation to get a little closer. He sniffed my face and then my hands. He licked the clay from the back of my hands while I tried to build a pot. "Did you practice this with him?" I asked Helen. "Because if the clay doesn't make me want to come back, Ozzie surely will." We both laughed as Ozzie made himself comfortable on the table beside us--occasionally lifting his head to inspect our work.
I don't know how it happened, but between our talking and creating, our three hour workshop was finished in the blink of an eye. I gathered the pieces I had made, put on my coat, and said my good-byes until the next time. As we stood in the front garden just inside the gate, we embraced as new friends. As we hugged, Helen raised her head to the sky and shouted, "THANK YOU, JANE!" ~
I second that!
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