About me and the story of the studio

# About me and the story of the studio My name is Barbora and Atelier Hlina is my own studio, not a brand with a team. Everything you buy here I threw or shaped with my own hands, glazed myself, and fired myself. When a mug reaches you, it still carries the trace of my fingers. I came to clay by a roundabout way, after years of desk work where I missed something I could hold in my hands and something that would last. My first mug was crooked and heavy as a brick. I kept it, and it still sits in my studio today so I can see where all this began. ## How a piece comes to life It starts with a lump of clay on the wheel. Centering it is half the work and half the evenings before it finally clicks. Once thrown, the piece dries, I trim the base, add a handle, and let it dry slowly. The first firing turns the clay into bisque, and only then come the glaze and the second firing at almost twelve hundred degrees. I mix my glazes myself, and they are half the joy for me. It took me two years to find the celadon for the Morning Mist line, until it had exactly that cool grey-green tone of fog over the river. With raku firing the color is made by fire and smoke, so no two pieces ever come out the same, and that is exactly what I love about it. ## Why small batches I fire in batches, as much as fits in the kiln, which means some pieces sell out for a while before I fire more. I see that as a strength, not a drawback. I would rather make less and make it properly than keep a warehouse full of pieces I feel nothing for. When something is gone, leave me your email and I will write to you as soon as the next batch is out of the kiln. Every piece is signed on the bottom. It is not marketing, it is the signature of the person who made it and stands behind it. If anything ever breaks or does not feel right, write to me at [email protected] and we will sort it out together.