September 26-28 | Starting at $499CAT TAROT — Garden Sculpture Workshop
What to ExpectThis two-day sculpture workshop is about bringing out your inner feline — mysterious, independent, playful, elegant, wild, magical, or maybe a little mischievous.Our theme will be Cat Tarot. Each participant will choose a Tarot card as inspiration and create their own cat character based on its symbolism and energy. The Empress Cat? The Magician Cat? The Fool? The Moon? The High Priestess? Or maybe you will invent a Tarot card of your own.We will create our sculptures using Pal Tiya, a strong, weather-resistant sculpting medium designed for outdoor use. The finished sculpture will be solid and durable enough to live in your garden, decorate your porch or home, or become a very special handmade gift.❋ Day 1 - Design & BuildWe will start by developing the idea for your Cat Tarot character. We will draw and sketch our designs and then build the structure of the sculpture using wire and aluminum foil. By the end of the first day, your cat will already have its pose, personality, and basic form.
❋ Day 2 - Sculpt with Pal TiaOn the second day, we will transform our foil structures into finished sculptures using Pal Tiya. We will sculpt the body, face, paws, clothing, Tarot symbols, textures, and all the little details that make each cat unique.
❋ Expert FacilitationNo previous sculpture experience is necessary. I will guide you through the entire process, from the first sketch to the finished sculpture.
Come and discover which cat is hiding inside you.
❋ CreativityNo two cats will be alike. Some may be wise, some playful, some mysterious, some strange, and some completely magical.
From an earlier Workshop
The Followers
Before the cats, there were rats. In an earlier workshop, a group of artists and community members built their characters exactly the way you will: wire and foil first, then Pal Tiya over the top. Simple skeletons became rats with faces, opinions and wardrobes.
Together they formed one collective sculpture — The Followers — about the relationship between modern people and artificial intelligence. Every rat was made by a different pair of hands, and most of those hands were new to sculpture.
How the studio days run
From wire to creature
The order matters here, so the weekend runs as a sequence. Day one is structure. Day two is character. You're guided through both, whether you've sculpted for twenty years or this is your first time holding the tools.
Day One
Concept & frame
Imagine your cat and sketch out who it is — posture, attitude, the tilt of the head. Then learn to build its skeleton: wire, foil, and the construction principles that keep a sculpture strong, balanced and light enough to carry.
Day Two
Skin, face & personality
Apply Pal Tiya over the frame, build the body, then spend the afternoon on the part everyone loves most: the face. Eyes, ears, whiskers, the exact curve of a tail. Small decisions turn a shape into a character with an expression that is unmistakably yours.
What your place includes
What's included
Two full days of hands-on instruction in a small group
All Pal Tiya, wire, foil and framing materials for one sculpture
Use of all sculpting tools throughout the weekend
Step-by-step demonstrations plus one-to-one help at your table
Your finished sculpture to take home
Aftercare and repair notes by email
Questions people ask
Before you book
Questions people ask
This would be my first time sculpting. Will I keep up?
Yes. The weekend is designed around first-timers, and most people in the room will be one. Every stage is demonstrated before you try it, and the group stays small enough that help is always at your elbow.
What exactly is Pal Tiya?
A stone-based sculpting medium applied over a wire-and-foil skeleton. It cures hard in the open air and stands up to weather for years, indoors or out, which makes it a favourite for garden sculpture.
How big is the sculpture, and how do I get it home?
It will be between 12–18 inches. Bring a box and a couple of old towels and it travels home safely in an ordinary car.
Will it be finished by the end of the weekend?
Your sculpture is fully formed and ready to take home. It carries on curing over the following days, and you'll leave knowing exactly how to look after it — and how to seal or paint it later if you want to.
What should I wear and bring?
Clothes you can get material on, and short nails if you can bear it. Tools, materials, and aprons are provided.
Do I have to make a cat?
The tarot cat is the shared brief for the weekend, and it's what gives the room its energy. Yours can be as strange, elegant, grumpy or otherworldly as you like.
What if I need to cancel?
The $100 deposit is transferable to a future workshop up to two weeks before the retreat. Within two weeks, we can pass your place to someone on the waiting list.