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At 6 rue de Lorraine, behind the shop window, you can hear the sound of a lathe whirring away, and make out the soft light of a workshop lamp. L’Magnolia workshop is one of those places that exists purely for its craftsmanship: people come here to shape, paint and decorate, and incidentally to buy a piece with a story behind it. Labelled «Artisan du Tourisme» by the Chambre des Métiers, the site is a combination workshop, production site and small sales gallery.
Three art professions under one roof
The heart is the ceramics These include an introduction to the potter's wheel in a one-to-one class for adults, a parent/child workshop on Wednesdays for 4-16 year-olds, and a “shaping” gift card that covers the complete cycle (shaping, sanding, glazing) in several sessions. Visit porcelain decoration, The more specialised courses are run in small groups of up to eight people, on a project basis. And the’watercolour offers adult classes of 2? hours, by the session or by subscription.
A non-academic atmosphere
The bias is deliberately towards the’individualised support. The numbers are deliberately kept small - a maximum of five people for the gift card, eight for the porcelain - so that everyone can ask questions, start a piece again, and take the time to watch how the instructor handles the clay. It's exactly what you'd expect from an art studio: the opposite of a production line.
For those who come to Fontainebleau too
The «Artisan du Tourisme» label says it all: the workshop welcomes visitors, not just regulars. Half a day turning your first piece in a little street in Fontainebleau is a much more lasting memory than a photo taken in front of the château. And the object ends up in a bag, waiting to be fired.
Practice
Reservations on atelierdumagnolia.com or by telephone on 06 70 11 31 30. Watercolour sessions are sometimes suspended - call to confirm. Nominative gift card, valid for one year, exchangeable for works exhibited at the gallery if the desire to practice never arises. Detailed price list on the official website.
