Eleni Vernadaki

A look at Heleni Vernadaki's ceramics shop on Valaoritou Street, one of my favourite places to go and browse and shop

a place full of delights

this is huge - it must be 2 foot high

the shelves are bursting with pots

plates, bowls, vases, spheres

and almost everything is on such a large scale

I find it hard to comprehend how a 79 year old woman can produce and handle such large ceramics

the two people who work with her in her studio have been with her for 50 years, so no spring chickens there

her favourite colours are black and white

in all kinds of variations

but red is used sometimes

as is blue.

Large black and white candlesticks

a teapot

bowls

She has been making these small spinning tops for years - they were my first Vernadaki purchase when I first discovered her shop

More black and white with a dash of red

Now we move downstairs where she keeps the really large pieces

Does Ken want to buy this, I wonder

The lady who was in the shop with us was going to buy two of these

and here's one on a plinth

and spheres

there are always spheres

of various sizes and colour.

Something completely new this time - huge, dramatic necklaces

this is just one necklace

the lady in the shop modelled one for us, but what she is wearing is not right for the necklace, so it is not shown to best effect

and here is another one.

Lastly one of the brooches from oxidised silver, also made by Vernadaki,  that are always to be found in the shop.