Carlos Manuel Godinho Martins lives in a fantasy world made up of flowers and animals in the attractive colours of the ceramic pieces he produces. Carlos Martins was born on 12 July 1950 in Caldas da Rainha. His first experience with clay was at Faianças Belo – influenced by Alberto Miguel – where he went to work at the age of 13. He stayed at this factory for 16 years, where he was joined by the well-known and respected workers: Alberto Miguel, Francisco José Malhoa, Rogério Chaves, Acelino de Carvalho (a labourer from the old and respected guard who worked directly with Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro), and Conceição, an exquisite oil painter, whose surname has become clouded over time. At the age of 30, he decided to take his life in a new direction and started working for himself. He bought a plot of land in Gaeiras and set up a factory (Faióbidos), where 22 employees worked. In 2005, he left the factory and set up a workshop in Rua Heróis da Grande Guerra, where he continues to produce his pieces that evoke the tradition of Caldeira ceramics, combined with a certain modernity in form and colour. He favours white clay, but does not leave out red or stoneware. He favours typical glazes such as caldas green, honey yellow, manganese brown and turquoise blue, which he uses in his naturalistic pieces. He hasn’t lost the tradition of making large diameter dishes decorated with flowers and branches, resembling little gardens of colour; if you use your imagination you can smell the flowers. Carlos Martins frequents the FIA (International Craft Fair, Lisbon) as well as Fatacil (International Tourism and Craft Fair in Lagoa, Algarve). He sells his pieces in local shops.