Atelier Porte d’Azur was opened in 2007 and is situated in the upper hills of Grandvaux.  It has a panoramic view of Lake Leman aka Lake Geneva.  The view inspired me to name the studio by playing with the name Côte d’Azur.  It’s an art studio where children and adults can take printmaking classes and ceramic classes.  The ceramic classes are in fact modelling classes where everything is made by hand with no electronic tools used so there are no potter wheels in the studio.  If you see some symmetry in the bowels of this site, for example, they were constructed using a technique that the American Indians and the Mexican people have been using for centuries.  I also teach my students how to make reusable paper moulds using old news papers; these are used to construct objects like ceramic lamps.  

For the printmaking classes, a fully equipped intaglio studio is available for the students’ use where they can learn ten distinct printmaking techniques.  Having an education in art history which covers Antiquity up to Post-modern art, students receive contextual concepts in parallel to the practical work they will be learning.  The studio is also a 50% non toxic one, which means that instead of using toxic acids to etch the metals, salts and small quantities of resin are used for aquatints.  In fact the studio is in the process of transitioning into becoming a 100% non toxic atelier.  As the oil based inks run out they are being replaced by water based ones which means no more harsh solvents will eventually be needed for cleaning up.