ARTFUL ANNETTE

After nosying around the art fair in Loule, we stumbled upon a vibrant display of ceramics and Azuleijos, after seeing the brilliant work we had to visit Annette at her workshop and find out more about her!

What is your name?

Annette Kalle Baptista, you’ll find my work signed as “Annette”.

Where are you from? I was born in Germany

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 Morocco and stopped at the Camping in Monte Gordo and I haven’t left since. I loved the Serra do Caldeirão, the herbs, the 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, jewelry 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 cobalt blue.

How did you find your style of art?

Style is always a process and personally I like to change my style frequently, though when working with ceramics sticking to one style is much easier because trying anything new is a battle especialy when it comes to glazes,

This is the reason why most ceramic workers have one style they stick to their whole life. In my tile painting I often do portraits of birds and plants because that’s what I like the most or the classic style of Azuleijos, For my private work I lean more towards abstract and expressionist pieces.

What has your involvement in art brought you?

My involvement in art mainly brought me an income and an identity. It’s a lifestyle, sometimes a very solitary one, that’s why I also like to sell at fairs because that’s where we meet each other and exchange ideas.

What is the hardest part of your art making process?

The hardest part in ceramic work is to accept that around 30 percent of the time, something goes wrong in the firing. That means you can do something for hours and then it is ruined.(That’s why most stick to one process to diminish the loss.)

Where is your favourite place?

I love being in the Serra, near the Guadiana, or in the middle of my herbs!

What is your perfect day?

My perfect day is when I’m in perfect peace of mind! Or being with my friends in the countryside or on the beach or dancing

Finally, where can people find you?

Tel 960021377 Facebook Azulejoannette Shop of my handicraft association Asta, in Tavira in front of the Palacio da Galeria and I also do workshops in tile painting or clay modelling.