Pottery Retreat

with Wyn Matthews

“The world sees the objects we create. It doesn’t see the inner process of discovery, play, frustration, and failure we traverse. Working with clay is a mirror. It receives our thoughts and emotions without any reaction or response.”

- Wyn Matthews

Wyn Matthews is coming to Cerdeira to remind us that working with clay is like a mirror - it receives our thoughts and emotions without any reaction or response. It also asks us to surrender our mental and emotional knots into the sensory world of the process.

In this pottery mindfulness retreat, we will explore and nurture the process of creation, surrender, and opening offered by the potter’s wheel. One of the ways to nurture this process is mindfulness meditation. Under the guidance of Wyn Matthews, this approach will become a tool to help you develop your skills on the potter's wheel, starting with lids and vessels. 

You’ll explore four basic types of lids historically used on vessels for storage in this course. You’ll make variations on the theme in various sizes and shapes, technically focusing on the size and fit of the lid and aesthetically focusing on the harmony of the lid/vessel form.

Each day will begin with a meditation to be aware of our thoughts and emotions and realize their impact on our work with clay. Cerdeira is the perfect place to have this ceramic retreat experience, as you can enjoy the bucolic setting, where you can concentrate and be inspired.

To join us in this pottery retreat, you should be able to reliably center and raise an even cylindrical wall with a minimum of 2 pounds of clay. 

POTTERY Retreat details

RETREAT PROGRAM:

• Presentation and introduction;

• Intensive training (one wheel per student);

• Daily meditation;

• Explore and work in construction vessels;

• Explore and work on four basic types of lids (Ginger Jar style lids, Flanged lids, Domed lids, and Recessed Lids);

• Explore variations, choosing 1 or 2 lid options;

• Glazing and Firing.

SCHEDULE:

• Day 6: 4 pm-6 pm

• Day 7-12: 10 am - 6 pm (with a two-hour lunch break)

CONDITIONS

• Enrollments up to 2 months before the course start date.

• Special discount for our community members.

THE POTTERY RETREAT FEE INCLUDES:

• Integration in a small workgroup (6 participants);

• Training 6 hours a day, spoken in Portuguese and English;

• Studio open 12 hours a day;

• Welcome dinner (first day);

• Lunch on course days;

• All the materials needed for the course and Firings;

• Free accommodation in our hostel during the course (upon availability). The hostel is equipped with a dormitory, kitchen, shared bathrooms, washing machine, towels, bed linen, and wi-fi;

• 10% discount on the base rate when booking an individual house (minimum of 2 nights). The base rate refers to a stay of 2 people and includes breakfast, equipped kitchen, towels, bed linen, and wi-fi.

ENROLLMENTS AND MORE INFO:

artsandcrafts@cerdeirahomeforcreativity.com

+351 913 989 281*

*(call to national mobile network)

CANCELLATION POLICY FOR COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

You may withdraw within 14 days of registration, paying the correspondent transfer fees. Following the EU consumer protection legislation, payments are not refunded past 14 days of registration. The payment will be fully reimbursed if the training cannot be held because of insufficient students.

Suppose the training is canceled by Cerdeira - Home For Creativity for reasons of significant force such as a pandemic, civil disorder, a natural catastrophe, medical or family issues of the teacher, and others beyond our control. In that case, Cerdeira will offer a voucher for a different workshop of your choice. The voucher is valid for two years.

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