Ελληνικά

Two Ceramic Workshops are coming up in January 2022.

1. COLOURFUL JARS WITH LIDS

• For organizing small things with a personal touch. A jar to put your jewellery, a jar to put cookies, chocolates or to present nuts or olives on a table.

23/1/2022 Sunday,   10:00-17:00 with break for lunch which I will provide.
29/1/2022 Saturday,   9:30-12:30 painting our pieces before they get fired and glazed.

There are many possibilities of different shapes and colours to design your own unique jar. I will show and explain step by step an easy way for beginners and also more advanced ways. On Sunday we build and form the jars and the lids and on the following Saturday we give our pieces a colourful coating with engobes which have to be put on before the first firing. After the firing I will glaze them with shiny or matt transparent glaze, whatever you decided for each of your pieces, and then fire them a second time.

Get an idea from the photo gallery here.

2. MODELLING FACES

• A half day workshop!

30/1/2022 Sunday,   10:00-14:00 

The subject of this workshop will be the human face. All levels are welcome. It is amazing how a lump of clay turns step by step into something almost alive….and it doesn’t matter how realistic nose, mouth, eyes are formed. They get their own life and expression anyway and turn into something very personal and unique.

We will use the local red clay and leave the fired pieces in terracotta colour.

Here you can see pieces from past Modelling Faces Workshops.

• All the necessary materials (clay, engobes, glazes etc) as well as the firing are provided.
• No previous knowledge in pottery is necessary.
• As soon as your objects are ready I will contact you so you can come and pick them up from my atelier.
• For any questions or registration call me at: 697 422 11 51 or write an email to schnyder.barbara@gmail.com.

Ελληνικά

Very soon we enter the new year. Looking back at the old one, I’m filled with so much gratitude. Finding this little ruined house in Stylos was a big gift to me and renovating and putting it up as my new atelier a whole spring project. It kept me busy for quite a while and I put it in operation by making a 100 Mosquito Coil Holders.

I also invited people to an Open Door Day to celebrate my new place. I was overwhelmed by all the kindness and good wishes I received! Thank you so much.

After a busy season as a walking guide, the first ceramic workshops finally took place in November and December. The last workshops I held were two years before, and I almost forgot how much joy they bring. They made my atelier even more alive, and it was wonderful to see all these different new creations coming into life. Once again I realized what a satisfying activity making pottery is. Some participants were even touching clay for their first time. I find this always something very special. In the gallery you can see pictures of the Workshops and the Autumn Pottery Class.

In between the ceramic workshops I had time for my latest little project: Lamps which shine bright and colourful. More about them you can find in the Shop section.

And what will the new year bring?

I’m certain 2022 offers us opportunities to expand our creativity.
I’m full of ideas and projects that I would love to share with you. A new program is on the way. I will share it as soon as the dates are set.

Meanwhile, I wish you a wonderful jump into 2022. Shall it bring you the most amazing surprises, breakthroughs, turns and rides. And always light and love.

Barbara

Ελληνικά

Summer has gone – the tourist season is almost finished – and I’m back in my atelier!

I’m looking forward to starting a new sequence of four workshops – each one with a different subject – on the 14th of November.

1. PLANT POTS WITH ENGOBE

We build step by step cylindrical, square or oval shaped pots and add feet or handles following our preferences. We let them dry to a leather hard consistency and meet again to coat the pots with colourful engobe to create our own unique patterns and designs. After the firing I will glaze them with shiny or matt transparent glaze, whatever you decided for each of your pieces, and then fire them a second time.

Date:

14/11/2021 Sunday,  10:00-17:00    with a break for lunch which I will provide.
21/11/2021 Sunday,  10:00-13:00    decorating with colourful engobe.

2. MOBILES

… or any kind of art decor that you can hang from the ceiling, on a wall, in a tree or on your balcony.

On the first day we build decorative pieces of different shapes and sizes out of clay and after the drying and firing process we meet again on a morning to decorate the pieces with acrylic paints and assemble them with strings to create a mobile.

We can also combine them with pieces of different materials such as wooden sticks, beads, pendants, amulets or whatever you find suitable.

Date:

28/11/2021 Sunday,  10:00-17:00     with a break for lunch which I will provide.
12/12/2021 Sunday,  10:00-13:00     painting and putting together the mobile.

3. PLANT POTS WITH STAMPS

Before we put the parts (bottom, sides, feet etc.) together we make decorative imprints with stamps or whatever can be used as stamps such as flowers, leaves, textiles, buttons, pen lids, just anything you can think of.

These pots will stay in the terracotta colour of the fired clay and for a more contrasty effect I will treat them after the first firing either with a white or a dark colour (as you prefer) before firing them the second time with transparent glaze on the inside if you wish.

Date:

5/12/2021 Sunday,     10:00-17:00     with a break for lunch which I will provide.

4. MODELLING FACES

The subject of this workshop will be the human face. All levels are welcome. It is amazing how a lump of clay turns step by step into something almost alive….and it doesn’t matter how realistic nose, mouth, eyes are formed. They get their own life and expression and turn into something very personal and unique.

We will use the local red clay and leave the fired pieces in terracotta colour.

Date:

19/12/2021 Sunday,     10:00-17:00     with a break for lunch which I will provide.

For all four workshops:

• All the necessary materials (clay, coatings, glazes, acrylic paints and strings in different colours) as well as the firing and lunch are provided. For the Mobile Workshop you can also bring supplementary pieces of wooden sticks, beads, yarn, string etc.
• No previous knowledge in pottery is necessary.
• As soon as your objects are ready I will contact you so you can come and pick them up from my atelier.
• For any questions or registration call me at: 697 422 11 51 or write an email to schnyder.barbara@gmail.com.

Finally!

I found a new place for my atelier!

It was perfect timing. During the lockdown we couldn’t have done any workshops anyway. Instead I was very busy turning an almost ruined little house into a usable workshop space. Various works went on like putting electricity, installing water, putting up a ceiling, scraping the walls, even breaking down a wall, fixing windows and finally moving my whole atelier to Stylos.

Having a new workshop space but still not being able to give workshops because of the lockdown I started to do more of my own work. I created a Mosquito Coil Holder which you can see and read all about in the Shop section.

Meanwhile the lockdown has lifted and at the same time the tourist season has started. I will be busy most of the time until the end of October and unfortunately I won’t be able to offer any workshops. Having said that I also know that making plans has become a tricky undertaking, so things can change quite quickly. If there is any chance I can offer a workshop earlier, I will let you know. I’m looking forward to it very much!

If you would like to stay informed about the Ceramic Workshops subscribe here!

Ελληνικά

We had lots of rain this winter, especially during February. Whereas it was miserable outside we spent a fabulous time in the atelier making pottery. During the three workshops we created beautiful plant pots with different techniques and dived into the world of face modelling. People connecting, talking and laughing, touching clay, concentration and lots of creative energy – all was there and we had a great time.

I took some pictures during the workshops. You can see them here.

And have a look at what turned out. You can see all our finished pieces here:

« ‹ of 61 › »

If you are interested in participating in one of the next workshops please note that there won’t be any before October / November because I’m busy during the tourist season. As soon as new workshops are planned I will announce them on this site. If you would like to get a message you can subscribe here.

Thank you all and have a wonderful summer!

Barbara

Ελληνικά

Let’s prepare for spring with new flower pots for your balcony, terrace or kitchen window ledge. In two of the three upcoming February workshops you will have the chance to make your very own unique pots.

In the past two years I offered several workshops where we made beautifully decorated plant pots out of clay. We decorated them with all kinds of stamps, even grass or flowers which would give a nice structure and motif to the surface. You never tire of finding new ideas.
In the PLANT POT WORKSHOP WITH STAMPS we will use this technique. You can find many examples in the gallery under Plant Pots.

In the PLANT POT WORKSHOP WITH ENGOBE AND SCRATCHING we will use a different technique for decorating. We will paint a layer of engobe on the surface of the pots and scratch a design we like into it. Afterwards the pots get dried, fired, glazed with a transparent glaze and fired a second time (if you wish to have them glazed).

The subject of the third WORKSHOP will be the HUMAN FACE. All levels are welcome. It is amazing how a lump of clay turns step by step into something almost alive….and it doesn’t matter how realistic nose, mouth, eyes are formed. They get their own life and expression anyway and turn into something very personal and unique.

We will use the local red clay and leave the fired pieces in terracotta colour.

Here are the dates for all three workshops:

PLANT POT WORKSHOP WITH ENGOBE AND SCRATCHING

10/2/2019 Sunday,     10:00-17:00     with a break for lunch which I will provide.
16/2/2019 Saturday,  10:00-13:00     painting with engobe and scratching the design.

PLANT POT WORKSHOP WITH STAMPS

17/2/2019 Sunday,     10:00-17:00     with a break for lunch which I will provide.

MODELLING FACES WORKSHOP

24/2/2019 Sunday,     10:00-17:00     with a break for lunch which I will provide.

• All the necessary materials (clay, engobe, glaze, stamps…) as well as the firing and lunch are provided. For the second Plant Pot Workshop you can also bring supplementary stamps or things you want to use as stamps.
• My atelier in Modi is about 20 minutes drive from Chania. If you don’t have a car, there is a bus from Chania to Gerani from where I can also pick you up.
• For any questions or registration call me under: 697 422 11 51 or write an email to schnyder.barbara@gmail.com.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you in my Atelier!

Ελληνικά

We finished the last sequence of ceramic workshops of the year. It’s so nice to see people with a happy smile on their face when they are going home with their new unique handmade creations. It seemed that all had a great time touching clay – I definitely had a great time holding these courses and I will do so again  in 2019 starting a new series in February.

If you want to be informed as soon as dates and details are out, subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet.

And if you want to see some pictures of moments I caught with my camera during the workshops, click here.

I also added pictures of the finished pieces on the gallery page. You’ll find them under reliefs and mobiles in the gallery of our pottery work.

Thank you all for being a part of it. I wish you all the best and good health, enough time and of course lots of motivation for being creative in the new and fresh year ahead!

Barbara