HWHG Skill Fair
Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 10:00am – 5:00pm
Homer Watson House and Gallery is hosting our first annual Skill Fair! Register for workshops ahead of time and bring a craft or skill of your own to practice alongside others!
Workshops include Dragonfly Weaving with Natural Materials, Wand Carving, Creating Maps and more! Instructors will be demonstrating their skills outside of their workshops, and the Crafting Circle will be running all day long with folks ready to share their skills.
Come find craft community on the beautiful grounds of Homer Watson House & Gallery!
Stay tuned to our website for further details!
Creating maps for events, festivals, or fantasy worlds!
Have you ever needed to create a map and didn’t know where to start? Whether it is a festival map, market vendor map, or even a map for your fantasy city or world building. I can help you get started so your maps are clear and easy to follow.
No skills required. We will be working with basic pen/pencil and paper but discuss all the different ways you can create map and turn it into a work of art! I will have examples of hand drawn, painted, and digitally created maps on hand.
(Supplies included)
About the Instructor:
Ralf Wall is a graphic designer and role-playing game developer. He has created maps for Homer Watson House & Gallery (gallery maps, vendor maps), Robin-in-the-Hood Medieval Festival (festival maps), and a plethora of fantasy maps for cities and kingdoms.
Dragonfly Weaving with Natural Materials
Learn to weave a whimsical natural sculpture from bulrush and corn husks. Participants will create a lovely pair of dragonflies that can add a touch of whimsy to a flower planter or can be used indoors as a hanging mobile or wall art. Working with natural materials is a deeply grounding experience, you’ll leave with both a handcrafted treasure and a sense of well-being. Open to ages 12+.
About the Instructor:
Agnes Niewiadomski is a local artist who has been working with willow and other foraged fibres since 2021. Alongside her weaving practice, she runs Mindful Makers — a hands-on arts program offering maker skills workshops and summer camp for children ages 5–16. Learn more about her classes and summer camp at mindfulmakers.ca, and follow her weaving adventures on Instagram at @agnesmakes.
Wand Carving
Learn how to carve wood. This class will help you learn how to hold a knife properly and help you understand the different cuts used in wood carving. You should be able to finish carving your wand so that it’s ready for Painting. This project is best suited for adults but will teach Children over 13 with Parental supervision.
About the Instructor:
John Lemay is President of the Ontario Wood Carvers Association (OWCA). OWCA is an organization that promotes woodcarving throughout Ontario. John has been wood carving for approximately 35 years and has won numerous competitions across Canada and the USA. John and his wife Claire love sharing their skills with others.