Summer – Metal + Glass Studio Toronto

August Pate de Verre & Flame-working Workshops

July 14, 2018 nanotopianLeave a comment

As if August isn’t hot enough we’ve added some glass workshops to our Tuesday evenings! Pate de Verre (paste of glass) is a technique that allows for precise colour placement and painting or sifting glass into images using stencils. Flameworking off-mandrel: typography & nature teaches methods of sculpting glass under a torch. Heat control, using tools and gravity to shape and form molten glass.

Pate de Verre workshops – Participants learn how to fill a pre-made mould of a small bowl with glass paint, glass powder and fine glass -frit-, the moulds are then fired and participants return to the studio to divest and finish their bowls. $130/pp Materials included, no experience necessary! Next workshop Tuesday, August 28th 6:30-10pm

Students learn the basics of pâte de verre from start to finish while making a thin-walled, kiln formed bowl. Students have access to a broad palette of coloured frit (crushed glass) and samples to help predict and understand fired qualities. Demonstrations include various techniques of working with glass powders against the mold, working with color reactions, as well as how to back-fill a packed mold to support the walls of the piece during firing. No experience necessary. All materials provided.

Glass Flameworking- off mandrel typography, leaves & other forms. Tuesday evenings August 14/21 6:30-10pm, 3 student max $150/pp

Create letters, shapes, leaves and other 2D forms using a torch, tweezers and other glass working tools. No experience necessary. All materials provided.

Participants sculpt and form small glass pieces they can use to create jewellery, sculptural works, fused forms/tiles or just to keep as objects. Studio safety, how-to operate a bench mounted torch, basic flameworking tools and working with soft-medium hard glass is demonstrated. Annealing glass is thoroughly discussed along with how-to set up your flameworking space/studio at home.

Late Summer & early Fall Metal + Glass dates are up!

May 16, 2018 nanotopianLeave a comment

Learn how to form, fabricate, solder, set-stones in our
4 wk Metal + Glass course, etch, cast and more!

Metal + Glass 4-week course Starts up August 13th or September 10th • 8 evenings. Monday & Wednesday 6:30-9:30pm $285/pp (*after registering please email over your start date)

evening #1: First evening: working with copper: safety, drilling, sawing. Adding textures.evening #2: Making a ring band out of silver (stamp, hammer finish, roller print, etc.)

evening #3: Working with wax create pieces w/the lost wax technique- to be cast in Sterling silver or bronze.

evening #4: Finishing wax projects, invest models for casting in Glass and Metal (separately) Waxes for metal casting are weighed and calculated (sterling runs $2.50/grm unless lab fee has been purchased).

evening #5: Cast moulds in sterling silver or bronze! Remove glass pieces from moulds.

evening #6: Enameling copper projects, forming, how to make your own basic findings.

evening #7: Bezel settings cabochon stones or fossils or crystals, or an enamelled or Fused glass piece.

evening #8: Finish up projects

No experience necessary!

Copper, wax, glass, and some sterling silver are supplied*. A list of local suppliers is included. Questions concerning this course? Please see our FAQ’s

What’s included:
Approx 4×5” piece of copper sheet, 2’ copper wire, sterling silver for 1 ring band, fine silver bezel wire to set 1 cabochon cut stone. Glass is included for casting/flame-working (whatever method is covered), silver solder to complete class projects, wax, bronze/brass for lost wax casting (20grams) & powdered vitreous enamel, 1 doz saw blades, 1 1mm drill bit, 1 half face particulate respirator, nitrile gloves, refractory materials for casting moulds. Students are encouraged to supply their own cabochon cut stones, crystals, rocks, etc.

Additional materials not included: cabochon cut stone(s), sterling silver grain for lost wax castings, sterling silver sheet/plate for setting stones on/constructing other pieces. Sterling silver casting grain may be purchased at $2.50gram.

The lab fees offer tools and materials for students to continue projects at home and start setting-up their own studio. Lab fee 2 (kit) Option 2 Please see below class descriptions for what is included in this option.

Lab fee 1 $125.00 (optional) what it includes:

adjustable jeweller’s bench pin, jeweller’s saw frame, 1 gross (144) jeweller’s saw blade assortment, 15 grams of sterling silver casting grain, 1 3×3” sterling silver plate

Metal + Glass Lab Fee 2: $357.00

Set contains:

Jeweller’s Saw
Third Hand
Half Round Medium Cut File
Burnisher
1 dozen Cut 0 Saw Blades
1 gross (144) Saw blade assortment
AA Fine Tweezers
Shears
1 set half-round Sanding Sticks
Ring Mandrel
Butane Torch
Dividers 4
Ring Clamp
Polishing Cloth
Needle File Handle
Locking Tweezers
Pin Vise
Soldering Board
Ball Pein Hammer
Round Nose Pliers
Scribe
Wood Dapping Block & Punches
Sidecutters 5
Silver Solder
3×3” sterling silver plate
15 grams of sterling silver casting grain
12″x12″ sheet of 24 Gauge Copper
6pc File Set
Chain Nose Pliers
Bench Knife

All items come with a plastic tool box.

SciArt Summer camp!

March 25, 2018 nanotopianLeave a comment

Nanopod studio’s super special SciArt Summer
camps are back this August 2018!

Nanopod: Hybrid Studio camps are about enjoying and nurturing young artists and crafters, making all kinds of science inspired art and building skills together. Kids will be in the studio and Bickford Park this summer creating and exploring new art/craft techniques and mediums through individual and group multi-media projects. Every Artist will take home amazing artwork, a Foldscope, learn how-to prepare and spread an insect, design a glass tile, work with copper, design images to go on T-shirts, create a personal journal for recording, planning and drawing throughout the week and more!

Ages 8 – 12, Monday – Friday 10 AM – 3PM $425.00 + HST per child / 5 days, all inclusive. You are also welcome to sign-up for individual days. Please email the studio for this option. $100/day

August 13th to 17th or 20th – 24th

Monday: Microcosmic world! Fold your own microscope and discover the wonders of the microscopic world! For this workshop we will be working with Foldscopes, portable origami-based microscopes made simply of paper and a lens. With its 140X magnification power, a Foldscope can be used to observe anything biological or non-biological that you can stick on a slide.

assemble a Foldscope
prepare microscope slides
use Foldscope in “camera lucida” configuration, project the image you are viewing onto paper, and draw and paint what you see! Students will construct their own sketchbook/journal where they can record their findings.

Tuesday: Story tiles: Draw a picture/transfer it onto glass. Students will start this day by drawing pictures, a self-portrait, or whatever they imagine! Images are then replicated in glass. Working with pre-cut pieces of glass sheet, thin rods, and frit everyone makes a 6″x6″ tile. Tiles are fired over night.

Wednesday: Entomology 101. Working with moths or butterflies students learn how to make a simple spreading board, a hydration chamber, and how-to spread their specimen. Once dry students can then place their specimen in the supplied display case/frame. Look at insects with your Foldscope!

Thursday: Learn how to work with copper adding textures, stamping designs- make an insect pendant out of copper! Students learn how to work with jewellery hammers, files, stamping tools, and the jeweller’s saw. Cleaning and polishing their pieces is also covered. Everyone leaves with an awesome pendant!

Friday: Images on T-shirts, Sun images, and more! Today is full of art creation! T-shirts are provided, or bring your own! Students work with non-toxic dyes that react with the sun. Paint directly onto the fabric, or make a stencil. Create sun prints. Make a copper and macrame bracelet. Lunch is provided this afternoon.

Guest artist – teachers will be visiting Nanopod studio and sharing their special talents and knowledge. Kids will explore different materials and methods throughout the week. Working with paper, clay, metal, glass, BioArt, SciArt and upcycling materials!

We’ll have a great time and learn a lot!

On Friday we celebrate our week’s end with a healthy (gf, vegan) pizza lunch*

Every day will include fun creative time, outdoor time, games and a walk.

*Allergies are taken into consideration and discussed with parents in advance.

Young Multidisciplinary Artist Metal + Glass camps Toronto

February 17, 2017 nanotopianLeave a comment

Nanopod studio’s super special Multidisciplinary Metal + Glass art camps are back this July and August 2017.

Metal + Glass Camps are about enjoying and nurturing young artists and crafters, making all kinds of art and building skills together. Kids will be in the studio and Bickford Park this summer creating and exploring new art techniques and mediums through individual and group multi-media projects. Every Artist will take home amazing artwork and create a personal sketchbook for recording, planning and drawing throughout the week.

Each Metal + Glass camp week is different with unique projects and experiences. Guest teachers will be visiting Nanopod studio and sharing their special talents and knowledge. Kids will explore different materials and methods throughout each week. Working with paper, clay, metal, glass and upcycling materials!

We’ll have a great time and learn a lot!

Every Friday we celebrate our week’s end with a healthy pizza lunch*.

Every day will include fun creative time, outdoor time, games and a walk.

Multidisciplinary Metal + Glass art camps

Ages 7 – 12, Monday – Friday 10 AM – 3PM $290.00 + HST per child / 5 days

JULY 10 – 14

•Making Sketchbooks, Colour Theory, Class Mosaic (different theme each week)

•Story tiles: Draw a picture/transfer it into glass

•Learn how to work with copper adding textures, stamping designs- make a butterfly or bee pendant

•Butterflies & Bees! Paint a butterfly & Bee mural on glass!

JULY 17 – 21

•Making Sketchbooks, Colour Theory, Class Mosaic (different theme each week)

•Making seed bombs of love. Tracing leaves and printing on glass

•Dragonflies! Make a copper dragonfly pendant or charm

•Dragonfly themed glass panels: fusing glass

AUGUST 7 – 11

•Making Sketchbooks, Colour Theory, Class Mosaic (different theme each week)

•Selfies in glass: Fuse glass tiles with a portrait of yourself!

•Make a glass terrarium and painting on stones

•Cicadas! Make a Cicada out of copper

AUGUST 14 – 18

•Making our Sketchbooks, Colour Theory, Class Mosaic (different theme each week)

•Make insect charms out of wire

•Fireflies! Make a firefly themed paper lantern

•Leaf Prints on glass

•Glow in the dark glass! Make a window charm that will glow at night!

All materials included! No experience necessary!

Please bring a packed lunch & snack along with a water bottle each day except Friday. Fridays include a healthy pizza lunch (pizza will be gf, veggie with vegan option). Parents will receive Consent & Safety forms to read over with their child, sign and bring with them the first day of camp!

The Buy Ticket Button will take you to our SquareUp payment page where you can choose which camp to enroll in, sign up for all 4 and receive 25% off!*

Questions? Please email us at: nanotopia@me.com

Early Fall end of Summer workshops at nanopod studio!

August 21, 2016August 22, 2016 nanotopianLeave a comment

Ring band, Bezel & Prong setting classes

Available dates/times:
Tuesday, August 30th 6:30-9:30/10pm & Thursday, Sept 1st 6:30-9:30/10pm or
Saturday, Sept 3rd afternoon intensive 12pm-6pm
or Winter classes:
Saturday, January 28th afternoon intensive 12pm-6pm
Saturday, February 4th afternoon intensive 12pm-6pm
$285 per person

Workshop includes:
fine silver bezel wire
wire for prong-like settings, bails
solder
saw blades
3”x3” 18ga sterling silver sheet

Students supply their own cabochon cut stones, crystals, rocks, etc.

Learn how to measure, fabricate and form ring bands, bezel/prong set cabochon stones, saw, and solder. Texture your metal designs using hammers, stamping tools, roller print (using lace, paper cut-outs, leaf skeletons, hole punched paper, etc), annealing and work hardening your metal. Students leave with beautiful, handmade creations and the knowledge/skills to build more work!

Resource list of suppliers is included. Reserve your seat(s) soon!

MAKER Festival Guest Artist Workshops

May 30, 2016May 31, 2016 nanotopianLeave a comment

The Studio is holding special guest artist workshops and
an 8 day Young Artist Metal + Glass Camp during Maker Fest!
June 15 thru July 17

Young Artist Metal + Glass 8 day Camp! June 20th to June 29th Summer art/craft camp! This intensive workshop teaches students how to work with hand tools, design concepts, subtractive and additive sculpting, kiln-forming glass, painting with glass, etching metal .. have fun learning new skills. Further details here:
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Young Artist Day Camp: Ring Bands, June 21st noon-3pm $85pp
Learn how to properly measure for your finger, handsaw, anneal Sterling silver, add texture with hammers, steel stamps, or Rolling mill. Form, solder and finish to matte or high polish and leave this workshop with a beautiful sterling silver ring band!
All materials included: Sterling for 1 ring band. No experience necessary! Recommended for anyone over the age of eight, and all skill levels

Young Artist Day Camp: Glass Fusing, June 22nd noon-3pm $70pp
Small field trip to the near-by Bickford park to collect blades of grass, twigs, leaves,etc. Back at the studio observe your specimen under a microscope and replicate your findings in glass! Or make a Robot portrait or a Selfie, in glass! Students will learn kiln forming/carving and make 5″x7″ window pieces and 2 pendants. Recommended for anyone over the age of eight, and all skill levels

Sleepy Clay Creatures, Saturday June 25th 1:00pm-2:00pm, $15pp
In this hour long workshop with maker Wei (aka Honey Thistle) you will learn the basics of working with polymer clay, and sculpt a sleepy pal to jazz up that ol’ keyring. This workshop will walk through all the steps necessary in producing a small clay creature, and share tips and tricks that will help you create other polymer clay thingamabobs in the future. Recommended for anyone over the age of eight, and all skill levels.

Lino block printing with colour changing thermochromic ink, Saturday June 25th 3:00-6:00pm – $85pp

In this 3 hour workshop with printmaker (and scientist) Ele Willoughby, you’ll learn how to carve your own Lino block print, how thermochromic pigments work and make your own temperature-sensitive prints. We provide the necessary tools/equipment; carving tools, ink rollers (brayers), plates, ink, paper and fabric to print on, and two small linoleum blocks.
If you have a special image you would like to use – please bring it to the workshop. You are welcome to bring any additional specialty papers you would like to print on. Recommended for anyone over the age of ten, and all skill levels.

Lino block printing with colour changing thermochromic ink, Sunday June 26th noon-3:00pm – $85pp
In this 3 hour workshop with printmaker (and scientist) Ele Willoughby, you’ll learn how to carve your own Lino block print, how thermochromic pigments work and make your own temperature-sensitive prints. We provide the necessary tools/equipment; carving tools, ink rollers (brayers), plates, ink, paper and fabric to print on, and two small linoleum blocks.
If you have a special image you would like to use – please bring it to the workshop. You are welcome to bring any additional specialty papers you would like to print on. Recommended for anyone over the age of eight, and all skill levels.

Young Artist Metal + Glass 8 day Camp! July 4th to July 13th Summer art/craft camp! This intensive workshop teaches students how to work with hand tools, design concepts, subtractive and additive sculpting, kiln-forming glass, painting with glass, etching metal .. have fun learning new skills. Further details here:

Casual Taxidermy- Anthropomorphic Rats, 2 dates to choose from, Saturday July 16 or Sunday July 17th, noon to 5pm $200pp An intensive hands-on lesson where participants transform a deceased rat into a unique and enduring art object. Guest artist instructor Teta Kixa leads people through the basic techniques of properly skinning, and preserving a rat. Limited seating, reserve your seat today!

Please email the studio with any questions you may have concerning these workshops!

Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Bat Skeleton Articulation Workshops

May 9, 2016June 22, 2016 nanotopianLeave a comment

Nanopod: Hybrid Studio is excited to announce
Wilder Duncan’s Bat Skeleton Articulation workshops!
This special workshop includes all materials; a beautiful, museum quality display dome for each student, along with their bat skeletons and other supplies listed below.

Bat Skeleton Articulation Workshops

Date: Thursday, August 25th
Time: 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Cost: $270
Seating is limited, reserve your spot today.

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.

Reserve your seat soon.

Metal + Glass jewelry course, Toronto

June 1, 2014July 28, 2014 nanotopianLeave a comment

flame-working torch, glass working tools, metal forming tools

The next Metal + Glass course starts up Monday, August 18th! Share this post on Twitter (link and tag @nanopodstudio), then register to receive 15% off!
Form • Fabricate • Flamework • Fuse

Learn basic Goldsmithing + Flameworking techniques

6:30-9:30pm, 8 weeks, 1 evening per week Monday or Wednesday evenings

$280 per person, 6 people max, 3 people min. $100 deposit necessary to hold space.

evening #1: First evening: working with copper-safety, drilling, sawing, fold-forming.

evening #2: Making a band ring out of silver (stamp, hammer finish, roller print, etc.)

evening #3: working with wax create pieces w/the lost wax technique- to be cast in Sterling, Brass or Gold.

evening #4: Finishing wax projects, cleaning up castings> cuttlebone casting (finish up models)

evening #5: bezel settings and/or tube settings, alternative settings for found objects, clean-up castings

evening #6: Flameworking- intro to mandrel wound molten glass

evening #7: Enameling copper projects, forming, how to make your own findings.

evening #8: finish up projects

No experience necessary! Copper, wax, glass, and some sterling silver are supplied. A list of local suppliers is included. Questions concerning this course? Please see our FAQ’s check out some past student work!
Monday, July 14th Metal + Glass register by June 10th and receive 15% off!:

Share this post on Twitter (link and tag @nanopodstudio), then register by June 10 to receive 15% off nanopod’s Metal 2, 12 week course!

Lost wax cast Sterling silver + Glass Coy-Wolf jaw

metal 2
Form • Fabricate • Electroform • Etching • Fuse

6:30-10pm, 1 evening per week, Thursday evenings October 9th, 12 weeks- 3 student minimum, 5 max. $180pp + $250 lab & materials fee**

Demonstrations in fold forming, etching (copper & silver), and hollow forms (making silhouette dies), electroplating, Lost Wax casting and fusing glass small scale items & Sterling settings. This course gives students hands on experience manipulating metal, electroforming, and embellishing metal, while sharpening soldering and fabrication skills working on personal projects. Students will work together and independently on their projects.
Starting out with an introduction on techniques covered, expectations, design considerations, and ends with students finishing off fold formed samples/pieces, an etched hollow form, electroforming organic/inorganic objects, setting up & casting for lost wax, fusing a small glass colour bar*, and unusual settings with Sterling silver.

Fast paced, students need to show up ready for action! Materials fee includes: a 3″x 3″ piece of 16 gauge Sterling silver plate, 16 gauge 12″x 6″ copper, 2 ounces of Sterling silver casting grain, 1 gross of 3/0, 1/0, & 1 doz spiral saw blades. 3″x4″ plexiglass, Silver solder, flux, wax and expendables necessary for (copper) electroforming, casting and glass for fusing. Use of tools and equipment. Beginners welcome!

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Learn how to form, fabricate, solder, set-stones in our 4 wk Metal + Glass course, etch, cast and more!

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Nanopod: Hybrid Studio is excited to announce Wilder Duncan’s Bat Skeleton Articulation workshops! This special workshop includes all materials; a beautiful, museum quality display dome for each student, along with their bat skeletons and other supplies listed below.

Bat Skeleton Articulation Workshops

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Learn how to form, fabricate, solder, set-stones in our
4 wk Metal + Glass course, etch, cast and more!

Nanopod: Hybrid Studio is excited to announce
Wilder Duncan’s Bat Skeleton Articulation workshops!
This special workshop includes all materials; a beautiful, museum quality display dome for each student, along with their bat skeletons and other supplies listed below.