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This course is designed for anyone who has always dreamed of creating their own jewelry.
Your teacher Vanesa, will guide you into the fascinating world of lost-wax casting: an ancient technique where pieces are first sculpted in wax before being cast in metal. Still at the heart of contemporary jewelry, it allows for limitless creativity and detail.
Wax is the starting point of artistic jewelry: malleable, noble, and full of possibilities. With it, students discover how to transform an idea into a precious object that carries their personal signature.
This course is designed for a wide range of participants: complete beginners, those with prior jewelry-making experience, and anyone with a creative background (visual arts, design, sculpture, ceramics, glass, or crafts). Beginners will be guided step by step through the process, while more experienced students can delve deeper, expanding their creative language and refining their skills. The class provides a supportive environment where everyone can explore the lost-wax technique and bring their ideas to life.
During the course, you will explore different methods to sculpt wax of different hardness: cutting and sculpting hard wax, “dripping” with injection wax, modelling softer wax and wax sheets. You will also learn how to embed stones in the lost-wax process, and you will get a chance to make small porcelain details to be included in your pieces. The course will also include theoretical presentations, to give you insights into the evolution of this technique and it use through history.
In the course, students will focus exclusively on the wax process. Casting and finishing are not done in class; instead, Vanesa will take care of this after the course (service included in the course fee). At the end of the course, each student will be able to choose which wax models are cast, the type of metal (brass, silver, 9K gold), and the finish they prefer. The completed pieces will then be shipped to them.
The course fee includes the casting of up to two small pieces in brass and up to two small pieces in sterling silver. Any additional pieces or casting in more precious metals, such as gold, can be arranged for an additional fee.
By participating in this course, you will:
At the conclusion of the retreat, you will:
The pieces will be cast after the course and then shipped to you.
Vanesa Lamadrid is an Argentinian jewellery maker based in Barcelona. Passionate about art and manual creation, she has built her career at the intersection of design, contemporary jewelry, and teaching. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Textile and Fashion Design from UADE (Buenos Aires) and trained in jewelry through various international workshops and at the Municipal School of Jewelry in Buenos Aires, later complementing her education with a Postgraduate Degree in Applied Arts at Escola Massana (Barcelona). After years of experience in the textile field and in university teaching, she decided to reorient her career towards jewelry, first offering classes in her studio in Buenos Aires and later in Barcelona. She currently combines the creation of unique pieces with the teaching of jewelry techniques in metal and lost-wax casting, both in her own workshop and as a guest lecturer at specialized schools.
Vanesa is deeply motivated by the opportunity to guide students in their creative process, encouraging technical experimentation and supporting them in the search for a personal voice that expresses their artistic identity.
This course is right for you if:
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We ask that you plan your arrival for Sunday. We have an included pick-up from either Palermo Centre (in front of Hotel Politeama) at 1100 or Palermo Airport at 1200. On Sunday afternoon (circa 1630, subject to change), you will be welcomed to Salemi by one of our team members, who will take you on an orientation walk of the historical centre. This will be followed by a welcome apericena (light dinner) with a Salemi Spritz at one of our favourite local restaurants.
We will bid you farewell at the end of your time in Salemi with an included transfer to either Palermo Airport or Palermo Centre (Piazza Politeama), departing Salemi at 0700 on Saturday morning.
**For pick-ups and drop-offs outside of these times and locations, please contact us for a transfer quote.
This is an intensive learning week! Teaching is primarily group-based with moments of individual feedback built in. Please note this is not one-on-one tuition.
You will be in the studio from Monday at 0900 through to approximately 1700 on Friday afternoon. Studio time is a combination of teaching and non-teaching time. You can expect a typical day to look like this:
0800 - Yoga in the courtyard (optional)
0900 - 1300 - Studio (teaching with a coffee/tea break at 1030 in the courtyard)
1300 - Shared lunch in the courtyard
1400 - 1630 - Free Studio Time - Afternoon studio hours are primarily self-directed practice, with your teacher available in the studio for guidance
1900 - Dinners are a combination of eating at local restaurants, home restaurants, and in-house at the studio
Please note
Our program is carefully designed to balance teaching, practice, meals, and cultural experiences, and we do our best to follow the planned schedule. However, all times and activities are indicative and may shift with the season, the weather, or the needs of the group. Studio sessions, meals, and excursions may be adjusted, rescheduled, or substituted at our discretion. Flexibility is part of the Salemi Ceramics experience, and we believe these small changes often add to the richness of your time with us.
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We want to make Salemi a recognised centre for contemporary ceramic art. Come and be part of it!
