A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit Green's Island in Penobscot bay.
Lance Lee, founder of the Atlantic Challenge International program and the Apprenticeshop in Rockland, Maine, owns property on the north end of the island. He and his friends have been building structures there, mostly from salvaged driftwood, since the 1970's.
I joined some friends for a work party in which we added shingles and benches to the most recent structure, a sauna.
The buildings and the process of making them is very much about the builders and the materials at hand. Buildings are changed and added to based upon what is found along the shores. All the buildings exuded a spirit of improvisation, they are creativity and playfulness manifest. Lance is all about encouragement, he really pushes the initiative to DO something. It didn't matter if he had all the right materials, people and tools - he would start anyway.
As we sailed back into Rockland harbor after the weekend, Lance told me about starting the first Apprenticeshop in his house in 1972. It sounded to me like another example of starting something with what IS rather than waiting until everything is just right to begin. I was impressed with his ability to jump into things without allowing those inevitable fears of the unknown to trip him up.
Thus this quote comes to mind:
“Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.”
-John Henry Newman
Lance Lee, founder of the Atlantic Challenge International program and the Apprenticeshop in Rockland, Maine, owns property on the north end of the island. He and his friends have been building structures there, mostly from salvaged driftwood, since the 1970's.
I joined some friends for a work party in which we added shingles and benches to the most recent structure, a sauna.
The buildings and the process of making them is very much about the builders and the materials at hand. Buildings are changed and added to based upon what is found along the shores. All the buildings exuded a spirit of improvisation, they are creativity and playfulness manifest. Lance is all about encouragement, he really pushes the initiative to DO something. It didn't matter if he had all the right materials, people and tools - he would start anyway.
As we sailed back into Rockland harbor after the weekend, Lance told me about starting the first Apprenticeshop in his house in 1972. It sounded to me like another example of starting something with what IS rather than waiting until everything is just right to begin. I was impressed with his ability to jump into things without allowing those inevitable fears of the unknown to trip him up.
Thus this quote comes to mind:
“Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.”
-John Henry Newman
An interior view of the main structure on Green's it is called the Powder Hole.
The main kitchen in the Powder Hole.
a natural knee in the Powder Hole.
A salvaged keel used as a ridge board in the Powder Hole.
The exterior view of the Powder Hole.
The outdoor kitchen of the Powder Hole. Notice the lean of the structure, due to foundation shifting.
The well on Green's. Funnel on top is for filling water jugs.
A yurt collaboration between Bill Coperthwaite and Lance Lee with help from the Apprenticeshop,
built 15 or so years ago.
The walls are built from sheets of plywood.
built 15 or so years ago.
The walls are built from sheets of plywood.
A view of plywood walls and plexiglass windows.
Here I'm trimming the sub roof on the new sauna.
High water dock made from driftwood on Green's.