Session 3
Elevated Beads: Jewelry and Alternative Kilns
June 29, 2025 - July 12, 2025
No experience with clay is necessary.
Whether you have never worked with clay before or wish to add ceramic jewelry to your established practice, this intensive course is perfect for you. With an intimate class size of just six people, you will receive personalized attention from the instructor as well as from the technicians assisting with the course.
Atelier Retiro and our community welcome you!
We are excited to share this residency with you, enjoy lunches, stories, and create lasting friendships, in addition to ceramic pieces!
These two weeks will be dedicated to exploring the world of contemporary ceramic bead creation and all the small and charming creations that these beads can inspire. This includes experimenting with a variety of techniques in shaping, decorating, firing, and design.
You will create your own kiln supports for bead firing, explore textures, slips, and monoprinting in your bead creation, and try various alternative firing techniques, including small-scale raku firing and barrel firing.
You will also learn basic soldering techniques, metalworking skills, and jewelry design, which will enable you to combine metal and clay to elevate your work and create unique pieces of jewelry that are ready to wear or sell.
Finally, your experience ends in a group exhibition at Nº6 Ceramics Gallery, where you have the opportunity to showcase your finished pieces and connect with other creators and art enthusiasts.
You will leave with a bag full, not only of completed pieces, but also of techniques, skills, and tools to incorporate into your artistic practice at home, even if you have limited space and budget.
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The instruction may be given in English, Portuguese, Dutch and French.
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It is important that all participants have a spirit of adventure, a willingness to learn, and short, well-groomed nails.
The nails should be short to work at the pottery wheel, allowing the tips of the fingers to be used without scratching or puncturing the clay.
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Participants should wear clothing and footwear that they do not mind getting dirty.
Additionally, it is important to note that Atelier Retiro does not have air conditioning. It is an old granite building, typically cool, but clothing should be suitable for the season: light in summer and warm in winter.
Atelier Retiro has a washing machine available for residents to wash their muddy clothes.
€2800 per resident - VAT included
All residences based on the curriculum include materials (unless otherwise indicated), lunch, and two snacks, which are included in the residency cost.
All dietary requirements of the residents must be communicated prior to their arrival. All menus will be prepared to be accessible for all residents. It is possible to choose not to partake in the provided meals. Any food and beverages purchased outside of Atelier Retiro are the responsibility of the resident.
€2300 per resident (Without food) - VAT included
All residences, donations or services sold at Atelier Retiro are subject to a tax of +23% in Portugal. We recommend that you consult your local accountant if you wish to obtain information about applicable tax benefits or exemptions in your region. You will receive a formal invoice, receipt, and any necessary documentation upon request.
Classes and residences do not count towards school accreditation.
Larissa Stutterheim
Larissa Stutterheim
“I have been working with clay, metal, and stones for decades, but it was about seven years ago – when I received a soldering starter kit as a birthday gift and bought my first microwave kiln – that I began to intentionally pursue my interest in creating multimedia jewelry that combines clay, metal, glass, and stone.
I experimented with decorating techniques, glazing, and ceramic firing, and I took a variety of jewelry-making courses, all to more easily bring to life the many ideas that inhabit my mind.
I did all this for several years as a side project and passion, but a little over two years ago, I left my career as an English teacher at a secondary school in the Netherlands and moved to Portugal, where I now devote all my time and energy to my artistic adventures.
I am eager to share with you everything I have discovered throughout my years of learning and experimentation.”
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Beginning Pottery: zero to 1 kilo
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Portuguese Tiles: Past, Present, and Future
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Nº6 | Ceramics Gallery
Art | Events | Ceramics | Exhibitions
