Hands covered in clay shaping pottery on a wheel in a workshop.
Person shaping a small clay sculpture with their hands, with a blurred background of greenery and pottery.

This November, we are offering two ceramics retreats for you to connect with clay, land, culture, and creativity.

Lanquin, Guatemala

Group of people working together to carve a large, hollowed-out wooden structure outdoors.
Close-up of three brown ceramic pots on a wooden surface. The pots have a rustic, textured appearance, with one showing a slight blueish mark.
Hands building a wood-fired ceramic kiln with fire and wooden logs visible.

Building a Natural Kiln

November 12-15, 2026

An intensive two-day workshop focused on the theory and hands-on construction of a direct draft ceramic kiln using natural materials, site-based mixtures, and traditional building techniques.

Participants will learn the complete process, from identifying local resources and understanding kiln design principles to building the full structure and gaining foundational knowledge of firing processes and kiln operation.

A person working with clay outdoors, with a background of a blurred natural environment, preparing to build a kiln as part of an experiential project.
Two women constructing a brick and soil oven outdoors, one kneeling and one standing, surrounded by construction supplies, with greenery in the background.
A person working on a kiln, with a list of topics related to kiln construction and maintenance overlaid on the image.
Sign with green landscape, green trees, and a thatched-roof structure, about a regenerative center in Lanquín, Guatemala.
A waterfall flowing over a rocky ledge surrounded by greenery, with promotional text overlayed about an ecological or cultural experience.

PROGRAM

Day 1 — Design and Structural Construction
Working load: 8 hours

Block 1 — Introduction and System Understanding (1.5 hours)

  • Introduction to direct draft kilns

  • Core firing principles and heat flow

  • Structural analysis and kiln references

  • Natural resources available in the environment

Block 2 — Design and Planning (1.5 hours)

  • General kiln design

  • Dimensions and proportions

  • Fire circulation and heat movement

  • Site selection and orientation

Block 3 — Tools, Materials, and Mixture Formulation (2 hours)

  • Essential tools and materials

  • Material selection and preparation

  • Structural mixture formulation

  • Insulating mixture preparation

Block 4 — Arch Construction (1 hour)

  • Building the main arch

  • Temporary support systems

  • Stability and closing techniques

Block 5 — Vault and Upper Structure Construction (2 hours)

  • Building the kiln vault

  • Chamber integration and airflow

  • Exterior structural construction

Day 2 — Consolidation, Finishing, and Kiln Function
Working load: 7 hours

Block 1 — Structural Adjustments and Reinforcement (2 hours)

  • Structural corrections and refinements

  • Joint consolidation

  • Airflow and stability review

Block 2 — Plastering and Insulation (2 hours)

  • Application of protective plaster layers

  • Exterior insulation techniques

  • Surface finishing and protection

Block 3 — Drying and Thermal Behavior (1.5 hours)

  • Drying principles

  • Moisture management

  • Thermal stress and crack prevention

Block 4 — Kiln Operation and Safety (1.5 hours)

  • Stages of ceramic firing

  • Fire management fundamentals

  • Kiln care, maintenance, and safety practices

Day 3 - Land, Culture & Cacao Immersion

  • 3-hour cacao tour to learn regenerative agriculture practices, artisanal cacao processing and make your own chocolates

  • Visit to the beloved Semuc Champey natural pools

An aerial view of a green soccer field with a white goalpost on the right side.

Details:

Cost of Retreat (with shared room): $550 USD

Cost of retreat (with private room): $590 USD

Reserve your spot with a 15% deposit (refundable deposit until October 14)

We will help with advising on transportation logistics once you book!

Retreat will be hosted in both Spanish and English

For more information and to reserve your spot, email elbarrovuelve@gmail.com or write to Ana on WhatsApp at +506-8395-1654

A close-up view of a green-colored gun with a digital scope attached to it.

Hand-Building Ceramics Retreat

November 19-22, 2026

An Immersive Four-Day Experience in Hand-Built Ceramics

This retreat is designed as a complete introduction to the ceramic process, guiding participants through every stage of making — from understanding the material and building ceramic forms by hand to decorating, wood firing, and waterproofing finished pieces.

Working with clay, participants will develop a deeper understanding of ceramic materials while learning practical techniques that can be applied in their own studio practice. Through demonstrations, guided exercises, and individual feedback, each participant will complete a series of functional or sculptural pieces and experience the transformation that occurs through fire.

The retreat is intentionally limited to a small group, allowing for close instruction and an immersive learning environment.

Close-up of a person's hands working with clay on a pottery wheel, with the event title 'Ceramics Retreat: A Dialogue with Clay' and details about the dates and location in Guatemala.
Aerial view of lush green landscape with a river, a road, and several buildings at Awanima, a regenerative center in Lanquín, Guatemala.
Ceramic bowls, clay, and a bundle of dried clay or root fibers on a table, with overlaying text about exploring the ceramic process.
Text overlay on a photo of hands shaping clay, describing a creative process involving clay, handbuilding, form, proportion, surface, decoration, and firing.
Hands shaping clay on a pottery wheel in a workshop setting, with pottery tools and completed ceramics on the table, promoting a ceramic craft workshop.
Children harvesting cacao pods in a tropical forest, with text overlay about ceramic classes and community gatherings
A pink and purple abstract image with soft shapes and textures.

What You Will Learn

  • Understanding clay and material preparation

  • Handbuilding techniques and structural principles

  • Design, proportion, and functional form

  • Surface decoration through pastillaje and sgraffito

  • Stone burnishing techniques

  • Loading and operating a direct draft wood-fired kiln

  • Traditional sealing and waterproofing methods

Program:

Day 1 — Arrival & Orientation

Participant Arrival

  • Check-in and accommodation

  • Welcome refreshments

  • Site orientation

Introduction

  • Program overview

  • Workshop methodology

  • Materials, tools and firing process

  • Studio guidelines

Day 2 — Clay, Handbuilding & Structural Principles

Block 1 — Understanding the Material

  • Local clay properties

  • Clay preparation

  • Plasticity and moisture control

Block 2 — Handbuilding Techniques

  • Pinch

  • Coil

  • Slab construction

  • Joining methods

Block 3 — Structure & Form

  • Building stable ceramic forms

  • Wall thickness

  • Compression

  • Structural integrity

Day 3 — Design, Surface & Decoration

Block 1 — Design Principles

  • Balance

  • Proportion

  • Harmony

  • Functional and sculptural forms

Block 2 — Surface Decoration

  • Pastillaje

  • Sgraffito

  • Surface composition

Block 3 — Stone Burnishing

  • Surface compression

  • Burnishing techniques

  • Preparing pieces for firing

Day 4 — Wood Firing, Semuc Champey & Closing

Block 1 — Loading the Direct Draft Kiln

  • Preparing the kiln

  • Stacking strategies

  • Airflow and placement

Block 2 — Wood Firing

  • Stages of the firing

  • Fire management

  • Temperature development

Block 3 — Sealing, Waterproofing & Closing

  • Traditional beeswax finish

  • Waterproofing techniques

  • Final review

  • Questions and farewell

Close-up view of mechanical gears in a machine.

Details:

Cost of Retreat (with shared room): $530 USD

Cost of retreat (with private room): $570 USD

Reserve your spot with a 15% deposit (refundable deposit until October 14)

We will help with advising on transportation logistics once you book!

Retreat will be hosted in both Spanish and English

For more information and to reserve your spot, email elbarrovuelve@gmail.com or write to Ana on WhatsApp at +506-8395-1654

If you’d like to register for both retreats, you will receive a 15% discount on the workshops and accommodations extension between the retreats.

The Hosts

A woman with long, dark hair, and a tattooed arm is sitting on the ground outdoors holding a large rock in her hands.

Her work focuses on utilitarian and sculptural ceramics inspired by traditional handbuilding and firing techniques, using locally sourced clay and handcrafted kilns. Through her practice, she explores the relationship between ceramic processes, territory, material knowledge, and cultural regeneration through craft traditions.

Panamanian ceramic artist based in the Southern Caribbean region of Costa Rica, and founder of El Barro Vuelve.

Ana

A smiling woman wearing glasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and layered necklaces outdoors.

An architect of deep empathy and sensitivity toward the natural environment, a skilled designer passionate about creating and discovering different ways of inhabiting space, perceptive and dedicated to detail.

Responsible for conceptualizing and maintaining the aesthetic-spatial coherence of our projects, bringing a continuous creative interest to resolving the space that supports our clients' way of living.

She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Costa Rica in 2014.

Right after graduating, she co-founded the architecture and construction firm Hábitat Humano Arquitectura Viva SRL with a partner.

The company carries out the entire project realization process — from lot selection, if the client requests it, to project design, construction blueprints, permitting, consulting, project management, technical direction, and construction.

She now has 12 years of experience creating and executing projects.

She completed the Diploma in Earth as Sustenance and Shelter, where she studied and explored earthen construction techniques, which she has since implemented in her projects.

Estefanía

A smiling woman with long wavy hair sitting on a striped tablecloth, wearing a green dress and an orange scarf, with a decorative owl-shaped cup on the table.

Mackenzie is a social entrepreneur and land steward guided by a deep sensitivity to the natural world and a curiosity for regenerative ways of living, creating, and inhabiting Place.

She is the founder and creator of Casa Awänímä, a regenerative sanctuary on Lake Atitlán exploring natural building, ecological living, and our relationship with the land, and a steward of AWANIMA Cacao, working alongside farming communities to cultivate a more reciprocal relationship between people, food, and Earth.

Her work weaves together land, community, traditional practices, and natural materials, creating spaces and experiences that invite deeper connection to place, to one another, and to the living world.

Founder, AWANIMA

Mackenzie