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AMAZING GLAZING
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We meet local ceramic artist Annette Kalle Baptisa and find out more about her and her amazing work
uring the local crafts fair held last winter in Cacela Velha a sparkle caught our eye. We were lured to a stand full of beautiful, skillfully painted and handcrafted ceramics. We spoke with German born Annette Kalle Baptista about her passion for crafting and ceramics. What made you come to Portugal and more specifically, The Algarve? I have come to hate that question, I feel like I’ve been asked that question every day for the last 38 years! To be honest, It was by accident. I came from Marroko and stopped at the Camping in Monte Gordo and I haven’t left since. I loved the Serra de Caldeirão, the herbs, the
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simplicity etc... I bought a piece of land and started to live here. I also appreciated how people treated handicrafters, they have much more respect for it, plus I wanted children and here people love children. How long have you been producing your art? I’ve been crafting all my life, working with different materials such as making marionettes, jewellery using silver, producing cloth and more. In 1999, I started a course in tile painting and got hooked on it and bought a kiln, but I also like to work with clay, it's more physical whereas tile painting needs an incredible amount of concentration, especially because you don’t see the colours while you are painting as they change when they are fired. For example, in the photo where I am painting, the painting looks violet but after firing, it will be
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