Vintage Circus Wagon NEW! In-Store Class Nov 12

Vintage Circus Wagon NEW! In-Store Class
Sunday, November 12, 1-4:30pm
Instructor: Sylvie Abecassis
Limit: 7 students. All participants must be 15 years or older.

Class Details:

It’s a parade! These charming little wagons are one of the newest projects from Sylvie Abecassis, a multimedia artist with an affinity for the whimsical. The wagons evoke small town America at a time when a Great Parade on Main Street, complete with exotic animals, announced the arrival of the Circus. 

Sylvie says, “I can never have too much circus fun”, and she proves it with these small dioramas. They’re made from craft boxes decorated with old-timey circus images and embellished with gold fabric trim, glittery stars, shiny “jewels”, Dresden flags, and an optional laughing clown. Some fun buttons serve as the wheels. The star attraction, though, is a performing elephant that’s molded from resin. Make your own in class under Sylvie’s direction or use one that she’s cast ahead of time. A bit of paint, a few accessories, and the star’s ready to perform.

To get you in a circus mood, Sylvie has lots of inspiration to share. Check out #welcometomytinycircus, which is her #100dayproject from 2022. This miniature circus world has over 50 teeney pieces of art. Whatever you’ve seen at a circus, Sylvie’s made it – lion tamers, a carousel, a seal act, the human cannon ball, ticket booths, stages, a knife thrower, elephants, bareback riders, a popcorn cart, a calliope, and so on. Sylvie definitely knows how to have some circus fun. Come to her class and have a little of your own!

On Friday, September 29th from 2-5pm, Two Hands Paperie presents an exclusive appearance from Sylvie's tiny circus for an awe-inspiring spectacle that's not to be missed!

COVID Safety
Due to the limited size of the classroom, social distancing will not be possible. Attendees of the class are welcome to wear masks. Help keep community members and our staff safe, please do not attend the class if you are feeling sick. Please contact twohandsclasses@gmail.com ahead of time if you have specific questions regarding class covid safety.

Class Materials

Please bring the following materials:

• X-acto or other craft knife with sharp blades and refills
• Optional: favorite pair of scissors for small cutting
• Optional: embellishments and ephemera you’d like to add. Keep in mind that the box is 2-½” tall x 3-½” long x 1-½” deep inches.
• Optional: novelty or vintage buttons for the wheels. Buttons that are ¾” in diameter work best.

Class Materials Include:

• Craft box form
• Acrylic paints and brushes, water containers, paper towels, etc
• Resin and elephant molds
• Button wheels, circus theme paper, fabric trim, jewels, paper details, felt ball, wooden stand, etc
• Scissors, adhesives, tools etc

Class Refund/Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made up to 14 days prior to the first class meeting will be refunded or, at the participant's option, used to pay for another class. Two Hands Paperie will retain a $10 processing fee for EACH class cancelled by a participant. After 14 days, there is no refund or credit. In addition, the fee for a class cancelled within this 14-day timeframe by a participant cannot be transferred to pay for another class. These policies are to ensure that teachers are compensated for their investment in materials and in time spent preparing for the class. We reserve the right to cancel a class if fewer than 3 students enroll 48 hours prior to the scheduled class time. If for any reason Two Hands Paperie cancels a class, students will be called at the phone number on file and refunded the FULL class fee.

Instructor Bio

Sylvie Abecassis is a Denver-based designer/illustrator and mixed media artist with an affinity for paper and clay and a love of tiny dioramas. To see just how tiny and wonderfully imaginative her work is, check out her recent 100 Day Project #welcometomytinycircus. She created an old-time circus out of small paper ceramic pieces. They capture the magic of a traveling show from the late 1800s/early 1900s. The attention to detail is beyond belief!

Sylvie has worked as an art director, graphic designer, and illustrator for many years, and still freelances. Her love for clay and mixed media began in 2008. Because her graphic design work was digital and presented in printed form, she found she really enjoyed working in 3D for her fine art. She loves experimenting with multiple media.

Dioramas and miniatures particularly fascinate Sylvie. To create a diorama effect for each of her hand-built pieces, she uses layers of clay pieces. Each is fired twice, cold glazed, and then hand painted before she assembles them together into a complex and meaningful piece of art. Her love of color and illustration is evident in everything she does. She calls her work ceramic illustration because it combines both ceramics and illustration.