Courses on sculpting with clay available for travellers
IAN STALKER
Hernan Paez and Leidy Villamil are inviting tourists to play with clay.
And those who accept the Colombian couple’s invitation can gain pointers on sculpting clay flower pots, candle holders and other items, work Paez and Villamil says is enjoyable but not likely to pay large financial dividends.
Paez and Villamil run a pottery firm in the Andean community of Raquira, with their-long-running business seeing staff carefully shape clay items, which are then baked in an oven before being displayed for sale.
The couple call their products Marvels of Boyaca, with Boyaca being the Colombian jurisdiction Raquira is in.
The clay is gathered from local sites and clay items are commonly seen in local stores.
Paez and Villamil can offer those wanting to try their hand at producing clay products courses that run from one to several hours, donning aprons that read Live a Day Like An Artisan to keep their clothes clean while doing so.
“Since he was in the belly of his mother he was in the workshop,” tour guide Awad Neme says of Paez, who reports he needs to make a large number of items a day to earn a profit.
Paez says that he likes his work but concedes it’s not overly lucrative, with Villamil doubling as a Raquira tour guide to bolster her earnings.
Paez and Villamil say hosting tourists eager to gain insights on producing clay items by hand provides welcome added income, adding for him and his partner to support themselves by sculpting clay items for sale alone could be challenging.
But he adds he’s happy to produce clay items, even if it isn’t likely to be financially rewarding.
“I love it,” he states.
More information is available at [email protected].
