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Edmonton Things To Do: 4Cats Arts Studio Clay Party (Summerside Location)

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The entrance to 4Cats Arts Studio Summerside.

This is a quick shout out to 4Cats Arts Studio in Edmonton’s Summerside area. Run by Michelle, this is one of the few locations that is still independent of head office. Although it probably caters mostly to camps for children and kids events, workshops can be booked for adults, too. They offer painting (acrylic or splatter), pouring, and clay parties (and sometimes clay wheel classes) for the older lot.

My bachelorette clay party!

Since I’ve never been much of a bar goer, for my bachelorette, my bridesmaids planned an afternoon at 4Cats Arts Studio where we were to create sloth mugs/planters molded out of clay. Eight of us attended at a cost of $25 per person. The large group table was laid out with settings for each of us. Once we’d all taken our seats, Michelle led us through the process from start to finish while her assistant handed out extra supplies.

Stations laid out with supplies for our project.
Ready to mold my block of clay.

The project was one that anyone could do. We didn’t have to master the use of a clay wheel. All we needed was clay, templates, a rolling pin, water, a brush, a pointed tool, our hands, and some paint.

Tips:

  1. Roll out the clay by putting your body weight on the middle of the rolling pin and not by using the handles. It’s a lot easier. Make sure the clay stays about half a centimeter thick, and don’t manipulate it with your hands too much, otherwise it’ll dry out and crack.
  2. To join pieces, use the scratch and slip method. Take the pointed tool and scratch X marks on both of the pieces at the points where they need to come together. Apply a little bit of water to each side and they should stick. Use your fingers to gently meld the pieces by “erasing” the joints. For hard to reach spots, take a bit of water and a brush to close up the crevices.
  3. If you want an interesting texture, roll the clay out over the canvas and use the canvas side as the outer part of the cup. You can keep a more rustic feel by leaving the clay unpainted, so it stays rough and textured as opposed to smooth and glossy when it’s coated with paint.
  4. The grey colour of the clay will actually turn to an off-white colour after it’s burned in the kiln. If you like the white, you don’t have to paint it to cover it up.
I opted to keep texture from the canvas on the outside of my cup.
I left everything unpainted except the nose and the eyes.

While we had selected the sloth pattern for our workshop, Michelle was nice enough to show us a number of other possibilities. Most of my friends still stuck with the sloth (every single one looked unique), but a couple of them ventured out and made a bunny or a dog instead. Because of the nature of clay and the fact that our cups still had to be fired in the kiln, we weren’t able to take our creations home right away; I’m definitely looking forward to seeing all of the finished products when they’re ready though.

My friend Michelle was so quick and hers was so perfect!
Ashley made a bunny since it’s her favourite animal.
Lisa made a dog like her puppy Melvin. Alexis’ sloth was super cute, too.
Lilla made an adorable girl sloth.
Kirsta decided to give her sloth a tan coat.
Amanda’s made her sloth a bit bigger.

Ultimately, it was a really relaxing activity for about two hours. Admittedly, each person was kind of in their own world at times, yet the ambiance is perfect to gather a larger group for a catch up while crafting. We were warned that the clay could get messy. But, with the provided aprons, we all managed to keep our clothes clean. Our hands were the only things that got a bit dirty (don’t wear your jewelry while manipulating the clay); however, a quick rinse with water was enough to remove any residue.

Gathering inspiration from the others and just concentrating on our pieces.
Fully invested in our own pieces.

I’m not sure if 4Cats Arts Studio is still pre-scheduling many adult workshops into their calendar. Nevertheless, if you’re interested in setting something up for an event or just a fun meetup for your friends and family, it’s an excellent and creative option. Michelle is a wonderful host who provides great instruction and keeps things spirited throughout.

Edmonton Things To Do: 4Cats Arts Studio

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Me with my finished piece.

Recently, my friend and I wanted to get together to do something crafty. But, we didn’t know what. A number of events we’d found — everything from cross stitching to terrarium building — were just a bit too pricey. So, I did some digging. Eventually, I came across 4Cats Arts Studios.

The company, founded in Victoria, British Columbia, has been around since 2005. Within six years, they had franchised out their name and business structure to locations across Canada, the United States, and Australia. In the Edmonton area, there are now three studios. One is in St. Albert, the second is in the north of the city, and the third sits in the southeastern neighbourhood of Summerside (this is the one we went to).

They hold a variety of workshops for kids and adults where patrons can paint canvases, decorate mugs or bowls, create clay planters, or mould figurines. Prices are $25 per participant, but they offer two spots for $35 when registering together. Currently, it looks like a variety of sessions are available through to the end of June. Then, in the summer months of July to August, 4Cats will strictly be running summer camps.

The front of the studio/shop.
Big tables for kids to work on their projects.
Brushes galore!
Bottles of tempera paint can be purchased.
Clay figurine kits are one of their specialties.

The two of us ended up enrolling in a painting workshop called ‘I Dream In Gold.’ It took place on a Friday evening at 6:30pm. We bused it there from Century Park, which was quite convenient as transport stops right on the block of the storefront. Arriving a little early, we used the time to snap photos of the studio space. It’s bright and colourful, likely drawing the attention of the kids who come in for classes. There were rolled and stretched canvases tucked everywhere, too, probably awaiting pick up. 4Cats even has a number of branded products for sale, including tempera paints (regular and glitter), gold foil sheets, note books, figurine kits, etc.

Check out this fun room!

As the start time drew closer, we were taken to the back room. The three open walls (artfully splattered in paint) had been stapled with about a dozen square-shaped black canvas sheets. There were no chairs. This was standing only. If one isn’t too keen on putting their personal belongings out of sight in the adjoining area, I suggest wearing pants with pockets to hold phones and cards/cash (keep it light) as there isn’t really space to keep things nearby. Tucking items underneath the benches may be possible, but I didn’t try that. I decided to turn my jacket inside out and wrap it around my purse, letting those items sit on the bench below my canvas. It kind of worked for me. Still, there’s a chance of getting stuff dirty that way, so make a judgement call.

Other participants working on their pieces. They all turned out so differently!

Similar to Paint Nite, there is a host/instructor who will take everyone through the process of completing the piece step-by-step. She worked through faster and, when needed, she asked the participants to pause as she showed the next stage. This allowed us to go at our own pace while still seeing what was ahead. They actually had a number of  paint jars opened with a bunch of different colours available for use. Also, rather than brushes at 4Cats, for this workshop, we mostly used sponges to apply the colours. As a result, our hands were a total mess afterwards. To clean up, they had a washing station that consisted of a bucket of soapy water and a communal hand towel. I opted to use the sink in their washroom instead.

Our tray of glue and brushes to start with the foil.
The foil applied to my piece.
A close-up of the metallic gold.
My hands covered in paint and foil.

Once we were satisfied with our paint application, we grabbed some brushes, glue, and gold foil to decorate our canvases. I only used one metallic sheet, but several people opted to add more. The foil itself is super delicate, tending to break apart very easily as it’s manipulated. If there’s anything sticky on one’s hands, the gold will also stay there rather than adhering to the canvas. I do love how it brings dimension to the art though, and I’d be happy to try this medium again.

I think the whole workshop took a total of an hour and a half from beginning to end. Since the paints dry quickly, the art can be taken home on the same night. However, the canvas won’t be mounted or framed. Having it stretched on a wooden frame costs an additional $25 when the service is purchased the day of or $35 should one choose to return later. Leaving it behind for stretching means another trip back when it’s ready (my friend was told it could be about two to three weeks). I, on the other hand, chose to carry my canvas as is. I’ll figure out what to do with it on my own.

Considering the cost per person, 4Cats Arts Studio is quite affordable for a creative night out with friends or with the kiddos, especially if extra services aren’t required of 4Cats after the fact. It’s not really going to break the bank compared to many other crafty options in Edmonton, and it’ll get the artistic juices flowing all the same.