CAT TAROT. Two-Day Garden Sculpture Workshop
Jun 19
3 min read
Updated: Aug 19
October 24–25
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Join us for an unusual and playful two-day creative workshop where each participant will create their own Cat Tarot sculpture — a feline character inspired by a Tarot card.
Please register here
We’ll begin by choosing the idea and personality of your cat, making sketches, and building the sculpture’s structure from wire and aluminum foil. Then we’ll work with Pal Tiya, a strong, weather-resistant sculpting material suitable for outdoor sculpture. You’ll create the body, face, clothing, Tarot symbols, textures, and all the details that bring your character to life.
At the end of the workshop, you’ll take your cat sculpture home. It can live in your garden, on your porch or terrace, or become a unique piece of art for your home.
And the project will continue beyond the workshop: we plan to photograph the sculptures created by the participants and use them to create a real Cat Tarot deck. Your cat may become one of the cards in our collective deck.
Location
The workshop will take place at Dragon Nest Retreat Center in New Paltz, NY. https://www.terrapia.org/single-post/dragonnest
Cost
$545 — through October 10
$595 — after October 10
The price includes the two-day workshop, all materials, and lunch.
You are welcome to stay at Dragon Nest during the workshop:
$85 — shared double room, including breakfast
$160 — private room, including breakfast
Registration
WhatsApp: 973-896-9320
Payment via Venmo or Zelle: 973-896-9320
No previous sculpture experience is necessary. We’ll guide you through the entire process, from the first idea to your finished Cat Tarot sculpture.
Workshop Facilitator — Sveta Yuzhelevsky
Sveta Yuzhelevsky is a Boston-based artist and sculptor working with painting, sculpture, masks, puppetry, and art installations. She has been an artist for many years, exploring a wide range of media and creating installations for festivals and other creative events. Her work brings together nature, mythology, imagination, and unusual characters with their own personalities and stories.
In her workshops, Sveta helps participants bring their own ideas to life — even if they have never sculpted before.
What Cat Is Hiding Inside You?
Mysterious, independent, playful, elegant, wild, magical — or maybe just a little crazy?
During this two-day creative workshop, we’ll create our own Tarot Cats — sculptural characters inspired by the archetypes and imagery of Tarot cards. The Empress? The Magician? The Fool? The Moon? The High Priestess?
Or perhaps you’ll invent an entirely new Tarot card and a character of your own. Each participant will choose a card, explore its imagery, symbolism, and mood, and transform it into a unique feline character.
Day 1 — Character & Structure
We’ll begin with the idea: Who is your cat? What is its personality? Its pose, expression, clothing, and attributes? We’ll make several sketches 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 body, pose, and personality.
Day 2 — Sculpture & Personality
On the second day, we’ll cover the structure with Pal Tiya, a durable mineral-based sculpting material designed for both indoor and outdoor sculpture. We’ll sculpt the body, face, paws, clothing, Tarot symbols, textures, and all the small details that make each character unique.
We’ll pay special attention to the face — the eyes, ears, expression, and subtle details that transform a simple form into a creature with a personality of its own. Your finished sculpture can live in your garden, on your porch, or inside your home — or become a very special handmade gift.
No Experience Necessary
This workshop is designed for beginners as well as people with previous art or sculpture experience.
Every stage will be demonstrated step by step, from the first sketch and construction of the armature to sculpting with Pal Tiya and adding the final details. The group will be small, so everyone will have the opportunity to receive individual guidance.
What’s Included
— Two full days of hands-on instruction and creative work
— All materials: Pal Tiya, wire, foil, and armature materials
— Use of sculpting tools throughout the workshop
— Step-by-step demonstrations and individual guidance
— Your own 12–18 inch (30–45 cm) sculpture to take home
— Instructions for caring for, painting, and protecting your sculpture
By the end of the weekend, our studio will be filled with an entire cast of extraordinary Tarot Cats. No two will be alike: wise and ridiculous, regal and wild, funny, mysterious, strange, and completely magical.
Come discover which Tarot Cat is hiding inside you.
Please register here
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