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Sylph Baier Ceramics

Sylph Baier Ceramics

Sylph Baier runs residential pottery courses and has a holiday let (gite) in the Dordogne, France

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With Sylph Baier

Intensive throwing courses with Sylph Baier at Le Moulin, in the Dordogne, France

  • The workshop
  • Sylph throwing
  • Throwing on the kick wheel
  • Attaching a handle
  • Traditional kick wheel
  • Making a teapot
  • Throwing on the electric wheel
  • 'Al fresco' throwing on electric wheel
  • Workshop's courtyard
  • Students' work. Photo: Michelle Lool
  • Students' work. Photo: Rachel Austin

Weekly residential pottery courses with one-to-one tuition.

Spend a week in a 17th century mill, in the Dordogne countryside and improve your skills in, throwing, glazing, decorating and firing stoneware and porcelain. Courses tutored by Sylph Baier, a professional potter with more than three decades’ experience, in a creative and fun environment. 

The mill is in an area which is accredited as a bird sanctuary and is situated in a valley with extensive woodland walks.

Included with the Courses

  • Bergerac airport or Mussidan train station transfers by arrangement
  • Full board and lodging.  Continental buffet breakfast (students make their own breakfast in their own quarters with the food provided at a time of their own convenience; that lessons start at 9am), a 3 course French lunch at the local inn and a light buffet supper at the Moulin at 6pm, wine included. Note: vegans and vegetarians can be catered for.
  • Up to 5kg of finished and fired work in Limoges porcelain or 10kg of stoneware clay. (Additional work can be made and is charged separately at Euro 12 per fired and glazed kg of Limoges porcelain and Euro 6 for stoneware and can be shipped at cost price)

Tuition

Tuition will be 20 hours per week mainly in the mornings from Monday to Friday starting at 9am. It is mainly throwing based and would suit students with some throwing experience but other techniques can also be covered as well as glazing and firing in electric and gas reduction kiln.

There will be tea/coffee breaks at 11am and 4pm.

The workshop is available to students unsupervised until 9pm. There is also a program of films available in the evening and the library is open until 9pm.

Some recent feedback from visitors/students

  • October 2019. The setting is magical - a 17th century mill in the Dordogne, sheep, streams, forests and plenty of hikes.

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The setting is magical- a 17th century mill in the Dordogne, sheep, streams, forests and plenty of hikes. The gite is huge and comfortably and tastefully furnished, the board is generous and well prepared, interspersed with visits to local restaurants. The studio space is professional and ideal for 2-3 students working. Sylph is a hard working, experienced and committed potter who devotes much energy and thought to the development of her students. She is an excellent teacher, balancing carefully humour, gentleness and strong guidance. Highly recommended
Bern and Jaap
London

  • October 2019. I went to Sylph to improve my throwing skills as I was off to study for an MA in creative practice.

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I went to Sylph to improve my throwing skills as I was off to study for an MA in creative practice this autumn. She was brilliant, a born teacher. She was very good at finding out what I needed to learn and explain it. I came away so much better prepared for college.

Then there was the fun – she has a good sense of humour. Oh, the food! It was lovely and she was coping with both a celiac and an allergy to dairy so that was amazing feat. The accommodation was beautiful and peaceful. Altogether a holiday that was both useful to my life and good for the soul.

Helen

  • September 2019. My friend and I, both complete novices regarding pottery, spent a wonderful week with Sylph in her lovely home.

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My friend and I, both complete novices regarding pottery, spent a wonderful week with Sylph in her lovely home. We found her to be knowledgeable; informative; passionate about her subject; encouraging; patient with us; and we were amazed at our results at the end of a week. We both took home some lovely, and useful, pieces in both clay and porcelain – and our friends and families are really surprised at what we have achieved! (as are we!!). She showed us interesting, and relevant films, each evening after dinner.

Our separate accommodation, next door to the main house, was superb and very comfortable. Our personal kitchen was well stocked with equipment, should we wish to cook. She ensured we had fresh bread, eggs, butter, milk etc. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble.

The bedrooms were tastefully and comfortably decorated. The comfy beds had clean, crisp bedlinen and the towels were a good size and lovely and fluffy!

Whilst we were engrossed in pottery classes all day, she ensured that she took us out each lunchtime to local restaurants, thereby giving us a real “taste” of the area in which she lives. Each evening she cooked a lovely meal, complete with local wine, and she was very attentive to our dietary requirements. I don’t know where she gets her energy from – she seems to work non-stop!

We would recommend her beautiful accommodation if you are looking for a great base from which to explore the surrounding area. If you are so interested, her pottery course for beginners was both absorbing and challenging and we had a fantastic week. Just what we both needed!

Thank you Sylph!

Kathryn Hanks and Debbie Smith

  • June 2019. I spent a memorable week with Sylph at her beautiful mill in the Dordogne.

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I spent a memorable week with Sylph at her beautiful mill in the Dordogne. She is a brilliant teacher and I felt very fortunate to be able to draw on her huge knowledge and experience of ceramics. But just as important is the passion she has for her craft, which infused her teaching and was thoroughly infectious. I returned home feeling inspired and itching to put my greatly improved throwing skills into practice.

Sylph is a wonderful host and, on top of the tuition, I enjoyed trying the different menus at local restaurants, playing backgammon in the evening and getting to know her dog, cats … and sheep. Le Moulin is in an idyllic spot and I enjoyed running in the beautiful countryside after a hard day’s throwing. The accommodation for guests is charming, comfortable and clean.

I recommend the course to anyone looking to take a big step forward with their pottery far away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Tom.

  • May 2019. My husband and I have just returned from a wonderful week with Sylph at Le Moulin...

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My husband and I have just returned from a wonderful week with Sylph at Le Moulin. I did the intensive throwing course and my husband, on a full board basis, spent the week painting in the beautiful surrounds of the gite.

Sylph is an excellent teacher. I have some basic throwing ability but as a result of the course my throwing has moved onto another level. During the week I threw 3 jugs of different sizes and 8 tea bowls in porcelain(which I hadn’t used before) and they were glazed and fired. I also threw some stoneware to double the size I had been able to hitherto.

Sylph explains things very clearly and patiently, she is very generous with her knowledge and I now feel much more confident and am looking forward to throwing at home with my new skill level.

We ate very well. Sylph prepared a breakfast hamper for us with lovely bread etc. She took us to lunch at a number of local restaurants and cooked a delicious dinner for us in the evening.

The accommodation was excellent and very comfortable. We slept so well. We appreciated the large living/dining area with a fully equipped kitchen, as well as the lovely private courtyard area and beautiful grounds.

In our spare time we were able to experience the glorious countryside. I can highly recommend the course and hope to return to further improve my skills in this wonderful setting.

Thank you Sylph!

Ali and John

Click here for more feedback...

Accommodation & Prices

  • Blue room (en-suite shower & toilet)
  • Ensuite shower
  • Red room (en-suite shower & toilet)
  • Library
  • Shared kitchen/dining room
  • Shade on the verandah
  • Workshop courtyard
  • The stream in the grounds
  • Moulin's sheep!

Double (the Blue Room) with en-suite shower and toilet: € 1250 per student (course fee and full board and lodging). 

Double (the Red Room) with en-suite shower and toilet: € 1250 per student (course fee and full board and lodging). 

Partners are welcome for a holiday only at € 625 each for full board and lodging without the tuition fees.

If you wish to book, a deposit of 20% secures your booking and is non refundable should you wish to cancel.

The balance is due one month prior to your arrival.

We ask guests to use only environmentally friendly products.

Please note 1: The staircases in the mill leading to the first floor bedrooms are steep and unsuitable for people with walking difficulties and small children and toddlers. We also have uneven flagstones on the entrance of the property which date from the 17th century and access to all parts of the property is at visitors own risk.

Please note 2: We follow permaculture principles and try to live sustainably by conserving water and electricity, growing our own food, and recycling as much as we can. We ask you to support us in this endeavour.

Other Information

Transfers are included from and to Bergerac airport which has flights coming in from Stansted and Southampton. I will need to know your flight number, details and time of arrival and departure, so I can be there to collect you.

You will need to book your flight well in advance arriving on the Sunday and departing on the Saturday.

We stock a good selection of local wines, mainly from the Bergerac and Bordeaux region. 

You will need to let me know if you have any special dietary requirements.

There is WiFi but in this rural location it has to be via satellite which can be intermittent.

Please get in touch if you have any additional questions or if you fancy a chat. I can ring you on a landline after 8pm English time.

Further information or if you wish to book, please contact Sylph Baier at info@sylphbaierceramics.com

Teaching

Due to the current Covid situation, I am only teaching one-to-one sessions for a week at the time.  Arrivals on Sunday and departure the following Saturday afternoons.

Price is € 1350 for one week's one-to-one tuition inclusive of meals taken at the mill, accommodation and transfers to Bergerac airport or 24400 Mussidan train station for arrivals via Bordeaux.

Monday to Friday
9.00h - 12.00h and 14.00 - 17.00h
With morning and afternoon tea/coffee breaks.

Dates to be discussed on application (info@sylphbaierceramics.com)

Stay safe
With kind regards

Sylph

 

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