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- Gaby Alcerreca
Gaby Alcerreca
"Today, looking at a piece of pottery is like being at home."
“Hi, I'm Gaby Alcerreca! Since I was a child I visited the handicraft markets. I really liked everything I could see,... the magic of the colors that adorn a piece and the endless number of objects that wonderful hands can create. Today, looking at a piece of pottery is like being at home.
“I remember with great pleasure that moment in which, together with our children, we made wooden houses for birds to nest. They were so excited; they went to look for pencils and sheets of paper, and each one chose a role for our summer activity. Years later, it would take shape and become our source of income.
“Two extraordinary women who make ceramics with love taught me this wonderful work. It required a lot of study, research, work, effort, and above all, trial and error. Our beautiful pieces not only decorate and beautify a space, but rather serve as a utilitarian object with a specific purpose: to help urban birds in the wild to obtain a nesting site, a refuge and to provide them with food and water. We even worked with specialists in wild bird behavior. Working together has been the key to this project.
“We use plaster for the molds, and high temperature ceramics and clay to make the pieces, they are painted by hand and fired at different temperatures. I like the nobility of the clay.
“All this is a combination of a lot of work and an emotional investment. However, the real challenge is in the sale and distribution. It has been complicated because capital is needed; the money is never enough for all the needs of the project. And the market has changed; we all live in a hurry and people have a hard time understanding that artisan work, handwork, takes time--it cannot be rushed or forced; each piece is unique and there are many factors at play.
“Achieving this has meant working as a family, together with my husband and my children. Each one of us bears a responsibility, in seeking to create beautiful pieces that bring joy to the environment, and benefit the conservation of wild birds in urban areas to provide nesting and food sites.”
“I remember with great pleasure that moment in which, together with our children, we made wooden houses for birds to nest. They were so excited; they went to look for pencils and sheets of paper, and each one chose a role for our summer activity. Years later, it would take shape and become our source of income.
“Two extraordinary women who make ceramics with love taught me this wonderful work. It required a lot of study, research, work, effort, and above all, trial and error. Our beautiful pieces not only decorate and beautify a space, but rather serve as a utilitarian object with a specific purpose: to help urban birds in the wild to obtain a nesting site, a refuge and to provide them with food and water. We even worked with specialists in wild bird behavior. Working together has been the key to this project.
“We use plaster for the molds, and high temperature ceramics and clay to make the pieces, they are painted by hand and fired at different temperatures. I like the nobility of the clay.
“All this is a combination of a lot of work and an emotional investment. However, the real challenge is in the sale and distribution. It has been complicated because capital is needed; the money is never enough for all the needs of the project. And the market has changed; we all live in a hurry and people have a hard time understanding that artisan work, handwork, takes time--it cannot be rushed or forced; each piece is unique and there are many factors at play.
“Achieving this has meant working as a family, together with my husband and my children. Each one of us bears a responsibility, in seeking to create beautiful pieces that bring joy to the environment, and benefit the conservation of wild birds in urban areas to provide nesting and food sites.”
