TRAVELOGUE - Love Letter to Morocco

Morocco - land of medinas, souks, camels, Berbers and Tuaregs. It conjures up cool images of Bogie in Casablanca, luscious textiles, mint tea, spicy tagines. And it has been on my longed-for list for decades now.  

My camel straddling the setting sun by the sea in Essaouira, Morocco. ©Amy Guion Clay

From time to time, there is a place that is so lodged in our collective mythology, a romanticized destination that transcends time and space. When I talk about mythical travel, Morocco is that.

Morocco embodies my longing for OTHER. While it has become a bustling tourist mecca, it seems to still maintain it’s unique personality, culture, texture, spice. I skimmed along the surface in a dizzying rush of visuals - Marrakesh, the windy seaside of Essaouira, and the high peaks of the Atlas Mountains.

Our Tuareg camel guide, Mustapha, by the beach in Essaouira. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

This being my first time in Morocco, I allowed myself to be taken over, to be guided by my dear friend and fellow artist, Caroline Douglas (see my interview with her here), who has been teaching ceramic workshops in Morocco for 13+ years. This time however, it was just the 2 of us meeting with the intention of creating a collaborative exhibition sometime in 2021. I could not have had a better guide and friend to give me the full immersive experience!

What follows is a self indulgent scrapbook of some of the highlights I experienced in the rich and magical country of Morocco. The full bank of images will undoubtedly inspire many paintings to come for the future exhibition.

Yes, this is a thing. Goats eating the nuts of the Argan trees on the road to Essaouira. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Spices galore. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Lantern shop in Essaouira, Morocco ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Alleys and more alleys - the richly colored and textured medina in Marrakesh. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Medina alley with arch. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Inside the souks, Marrakesh. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

More souks, Marrakesh. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Riding donkeys from the village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Umm, yes, I bought this Tuareg camel bag from this beautiful gentlemen! So sue me :-) ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

One of many rooftop restaurants overlooking Marrakesh. Our last night in Morocco, bittersweet. ©Amy Guion Clay 2020

Riding camels by the sea in Essaouira, Morocco with my good friend and fellow artist, Caroline Douglas. We traveled to Morocco to be inspired for a collaborative show we will create for 2021.