Some of our workshops are offered annually! So, if you are interested in learning something entirely new,

now just might be the time. (scroll down for more!)

Bat Skeleton Articulation workshops 

Workshops are taking place at the T.E.S.T gallery space 906 Queen st West • Toronto 

Reserve your seats with a deposit of $135 (class fee $270)  

In this class, students will learn how to create an osteological preparation of a bat in the fashion of 19th century zoological displays. A cleaned bat skeleton (Pipistrellus abramus), a glass dome, branches, glue, tools, and all necessary materials will be provided for each student, but one should feel welcome to bring small feathers, stones, dried flowers, dead insects, natural elements, or any other materials s/he might wish to include in his/her composition. Students will leave the class with a visually striking, fully articulated, “lifelike” bat skeleton posed in a 10″ tall glass dome. The class will focus on teaching ancient methods of specimen preparation that link science with art: students will create compositions involving natural elements and, according to their taste, will compose a traditional Victorian environment or a modern display.

Thursday evening, Oct 12th start time 6:30pm

Saturday Afternoon, Oct 14th start time 12pm 

Sunday Afternoon, Oct 15th start time 12pm

Dia De Los Muertos Sugar Skull Making Workshops!

October 28 & 29th come and decorate sugar skulls for Halloween and our                      Day of the Dead ofrenda!  $20pp 13yrs on up! $10 per child 12 – 5yrs*

Everyone is welcome to join the fun! Learn how to make and decorate Mexican sugar skulls. Learn about Dia de los Muertos festivities and the Ofrenda. How to construct sugar skulls and animals will be demonstrated. Adding foils, paper flowers & icing flowers will be demonstrated. Participants will then decorate their sugar skulls using Royal icing, metallic foils and more!  Fun for the whole family!  Workshops start at 12pm Saturday and Sunday. Green chile/corn tamales, tacos, chips & various salsas, churros, horchata and more (so, don’t eat lunch beforehand!) * children 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult.

Everyone can participate and put something either traditional or symbolic on the altar. The altar is where people can express their feelings for those loved ones being honoured. Americans (and non-Catholics) are beginning to adopt this tradition and now altars are becoming popular in private homes as well as in public places.  In Mexico, the traditional family altar explodes with colour during Day of the Dead when many special items are set out as offerings to the returning spirits. The entire family will work together in the decoration; similar to families who decorate their Christmas tree together. Many families spend up to two month’s earnings on the food & decorations for their ofrendas.

Halloween may be on Oct. 31, but there’s another spooky date on the calendar directly after: “Dia de los Muertos.”  -from ibtimes.com

Now celebrated in countries around the world, Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” is a two-day holiday which originated in Mexico to remember deceased loved ones. It’s a Mexican national holiday and the country’s largest celebration of the year, but Dia de los Muertos extends well beyond to Guatemala, Brazil, Spain and Mexican-American communities in the United States.

The observance is Nov. 1 and 2, coinciding with the Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Typically, the two-day celebration is divided into separate days to honor deceased youth, Dia de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) or Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) on Nov. 1, and adults for Dia de los Muertos on Nov. 2. In some beliefs, it is a three-day holiday beginning on Oct. 31, All Hallows Eve, when some believe the souls of young children arise at midnight.

Not to be confused with Halloween, this holiday has a rich history and involves more than dressing up in costumes or trick-or-treating.

On Dia de los Muertos, families gather to celebrate those who have died as well as build altars in their homes, schools or other public places to pay homage to the deceased. Many honor the dead with gifts of sugar skulls, chocolate, marigolds (the Mexican flower of death), sweetbreads and trinkets. Families also typically visit graves to deliver the ofrendas, or “offerings,” and hold vigils with candles and photos.

Dia de los Muertos can be traced back to the Aztecs who celebrated with a festival for the goddess of the underworld, Mictecacihuatl, and the Catholic Spanish conquistadors’ All Saints’ and All Souls’ days. Scholars have noted the indigenous cultures of Mexico honor the Lady of the Dead, the modern La Catrina, which many recognize today as a skeleton woman wearing a fancy hat.

Glass Kiln forming workshop  Nov 3, 4 & 5, 11th  or Monday afternoons noon-5pm Oct 16th-Nov 6th & November 13-Dec 4th $300pp+(optional) lab fee  This intensive class introduces fundamental concepts of creating glass objects in the kiln either through lost wax casting, Pate de Verre or a combination of the two. 1st Friday evening overview demonstrates the Vitrigraph kiln/flameworking cane/murrine.  Students will learn kiln forming towards making window pieces, bowls/plates, sculptural, wearable items and more! Students work with Bullseye glass, frit/powder, rod and stringer OR have the option (casting only) with gorgeous Gaffer crystal.

No experience with glass is required for this course.

Friday evening 6:30-9:30pm: Introduction/demonstration of vitrigraph kiln and flame working cane/murrini for use in kiln forming glass.

Saturday afternoon (noon to 6pm): Students have the opportunity of hand pulling cane/murrini at the torch. Students build models from clay, wax patterns, moulds using alginate and more, set-up the kiln for kiln forming/casting/pate de verre.
Sunday afternoon  (noon-5pm): Students learn how to work with refractory materials to hand-build moulds, mother moulds, weigh for glass. Models are steamed out of moulds and set-up in the kiln(s).

Saturday afternoon (noon to 5pm): Students return to de-invest their models, cold work their glass by hand.

Lab fee (optional): $100 covers Gaffer crystal colours*, metals, & expendables

Students are emailed concerning glass colour choice, otherwise everyone works with clear glass.

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Flame ON!, Next workshop starts Tuesday evenings Nov  14th 6:30-9:30pm  $130pp includes materials- Class runs 3 evenings.
This workshop introduces students to the basics of mandrel-wound (soft) glass beadmaking by the process of flameworking (lampworking) shaping glass at a bench-mounted, surface-mix oxygen/propane torch. Safety is discussed, tools, terminology of glass, and process. Each student will have access to a torch and will melt and form glass using a variety of hand tools.This is the chance to experience working molten glass! While not a “product-oriented” workshop, there will be plenty of time for students to make a small, but satisfying batch of colourful beads, which are annealed overnight after each workshop, and cleaned before the start of the next class.  Class fee includes all materials
No experience necessary! Ages 12 on up are welcome!