Are you ready to dive into a hands-on, creative experience that combines art, design, and craft? Join our Mosaic Workshop and discover the ancient art form of mosaics, re-imagined for the modern world. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner looking for a new creative outlet, this workshop is designed to inspire and empower you to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind works of art!
This hands-on workshop will guide you through the fascinating world of mosaics, where colour, texture, and creativity come together in beautiful, timeless designs.
Step-by-Step Guidance: From beginners to advanced, the facilitator will walk you through the entire mosaic process, helping you design, cut, and assemble your own mosaic masterpiece.
Create a Custom Design: Choose your colours, materials, and design elements to make something truly personal. We'll teach you how to turn your vision into a finished piece of art!
Master Mosaic Techniques: Learn everything from basic cutting and gluing techniques to advanced design and grouting methods, so you can confidently create mosaic art in any style.
Work with Beautiful Materials: Explore a wide array of materials, including glass, ceramics, and stones. You’ll have plenty of options to play with texture, shape, and colour to create a vibrant and one-of-a-kind design.
Take Home a Piece of Art: At the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with a completed mosaic that you crafted yourself—perfect for display in your home or as a thoughtful gift.
Join us for a delightful weekend mosaic workshop at Wintergreen Studios, where creativity flourishes amidst the serene and picturesque surroundings of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere. Participants will engage in hands-on sessions, learning various techniques to create stunning mosaic art using a wide range of materials. Guided by an experienced and passionate instructor, attendees will explore the entire artistic process from initial design to the final completion of their projects, allowing for personal expression while connecting with fellow enthusiasts in a collaborative atmosphere. This immersive experience not only nurtures and enhances artistic skills but also provides a peaceful retreat to unwind and find inspiration in the beauty of nature. Whether you are a novice just starting your artistic journey or a seasoned artist looking to refine your skills, the mosaic workshop weekend promises to be an enriching and thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved.
What is pique assiette? Pique assiette is a style of mosaic that incorporates ceramic shards, broken dishes and other found objects into a design. While traditional mosaics used small cubes that were relatively uniformly shaped, pique assiette tends to use nonuniform pieces. The term pique assiette has a French origin and various sources say it means “stolen plate” or “broken plate.” It also refers to someone who is a “scrounger,” which of course fits because most pique assiette art is created with recycled or “scrounged” materials.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Friday: Building Community & Learning the Basics
We will get to know each other and the basics of mosaics through a community art project—yet to be determined! A sign for Wintergreen? A tabletop? A bird house? Through the process of beginning to contribute to the community project, participants will learn the basics for their individual projects. After a demonstration on materials, tools, design, and technique, you will be invited to “chip away” on the project on Friday night as you engage in conversation and start developing your skills.
Saturday: Drawing & Designing, Smashing & Assembling
Work on individual projects will begin on Saturday morning. You are invited to bring your own item to tile, (such as a small table) or to choose from an item provided such as a house number plaque or a wooden birdhouse. Tiles and plates will be provided, but participants may wish to bring broken mementos from home or go shopping for these items at thrift stores beforehand to select the colours/patterns that inspire them.
On Saturday, you will begin by drawing out your designs. You will learn how to use a smash-bag and tile nippers to break the plates and tiles down in size. The tiles will be applied and given the night to set up and dry.
Sunday: Grouting & Finishing
On Sunday we will grout our projects. Depending on the size of the item this could take from one to three hours. Any additional time could be used to continue to work on the community art piece. We will end the weekend with a display of everything that has been created with a photo of artifacts and artists.
FACILITATOR
MEG LESLIE is a mosaic artist, ceramic artist, and an arts educator based in Ramara, ON. She studied Interior Design at Georgian College in Barrie and worked in the design industry in Vancouver and Toronto, but it was in 2010 that she discovered her passion for mosaic tiling at a workshop in south Philadelphia and hasn’t stopped tiling ever since! She began with the pique assiette style of mosaics using broken plates and tiles but eventually bought her own kiln and began making her own tiles in 2015. In 2020, she moved back to the Orillia area and opened her business Atherley Arts, where she specializes in making and installing handmade porcelain mosaic tiles for use on custom backsplashes and fireplaces. She is currently the art teacher at the Barrie Montessori School where she teaches children the fundamentals of creativity, art, and design. She has also worked extensively with adults, leading workshops in mosaics and ceramics and creating large-scale mosaic installations.
COST & REGISTRATION
This event is limited to 12 participants.
Pricing + HST includes workshop instruction, materials (e.g., tools, tiles, adhesives, grout, etc.), facilities, accommodation (2 nights), and meals (6), beginning with dinner on Friday and ending with lunch on Sunday.
OFFSITE
Workshop instruction, materials, facilities, and meals, but no overnight accommodation – $375
WINTERGREEN STUDIOS*
Meadow Suite (room in the Lodge with 1 king bed; private ensuite bathroom; ground level) – $550 private SOLD OUT
Garden Room (room in the Lodge with 1 double bed; ground level) – $525 private SOLD OUT
North Room (room in the Lodge with 1 double bed; ground level) – $525 private SOLD OUT
Maple Room or Courtyard Room (rooms in the Lodge with 2 twin beds; ground level) – $525 private/$485 shared ONLY MAPLE ROOM AVAILABLE
Spanish Room (accessible room in the Lodge with 1 queen bed; ground level) – $525 private SOLD OUT
Porch Room (room in the Lodge with 1 double bed; ground level) - $525 private SOLD OUT
Green Roof Room or Sauna View Room (rooms in the Lodge with 1 twin bed; upper level with stair access only) – $525 private
Forest House (woodland cabin near the Lodge with double bed; loft/upper level with ladder stair access only) – $525 private SOLD OUT
Phoenix House (woodland cabin near the Lodge with double bed) — $525 private SOLD OUT
*If your preferred accommodation choice is no longer available when you register, please email us to be put on the waiting list for a shared or private room.
If registering for more than one person, please enter the number of tickets as the “Quantity” and you will be charged accordingly.
HST is included in the checkout price.