Open days at the Chat des artistes | Paper bloom

The artisans of Chat des artistes, a creative venue in the Centre-Sud district of Montreal, are opening the doors of their workshops to the public this Saturday. Paintings on canvas, ceramics, clothing and jewelry are among the finds that can be made there. Some invited exhibitors also join the event, including Eva Gorszczyk, who makes paper decorations with dexterity and meticulousness. Encounter.

On the large wooden table where Eva Gorszczyk gives creative workshops sits a bouquet of paper poppies. “It reminds me of my childhood,” says the owner of Cykl Essentia. The Polish-born artist was born and raised in France before moving to Quebec in 2019.

“Where I grew up there were lots of poppy fields. I was fascinated by these flowers, because when you pick them, they wilt after five minutes. […] I find it sad that it is so fleeting. »

She admits that it was perhaps in an attempt to preserve this fleeting beauty that she began creating paper flowers and foliage.

“I loved having flowers in my house all the time so much that I thought the budget for them was starting to get a little intense,” she adds with a laugh.

In 2020, she took an online training course to create paper flowers. Two years later, she launched Cykl Essentia, a company that specializes in paper interior decorations. Because, in addition to bouquets, Eva Gorszczyk also makes origami wall decorations.

“I love everything that has to do with paper,” she emphasizes several times during the interview.

Choice of paper

What type of paper does she use? She likes the handmade ones from the Montreal boutique Au Papier Japone. “Handmade papers are so beautiful and so durable. They are pretty amazing! And the colors are very special,” enthuses the designer. Kraft paper is also one of his favorite materials. “Personally, I like it, mixing paper types and textures. »

She also emphasizes that paper flowers are a more ecological option than plastic ones, perhaps even more than real flowers, which are often imported from Europe.

So fragile?

But isn’t a paper flower fragile? Eva Gorszczyk is not surprised that the question is asked. “There is always the fear that it will be fragile. […] “It’s less so than you might think,” she replies. The quality of the paper, the way it is folded and the metal rods used in making the bouquets improve their lifespan, which can last for months or even years. Origami decorations are even more resistant.

They don’t like direct sunlight, but “water is their enemy”!

The bathroom is therefore not the room to display the artist’s creations, the creation of which often takes more than three hours, we joke. “That could change,” replies Eva Gorszczyk. She would eventually like to create paper decorations in frames to protect them from humidity.

Among these other projects, she is also thinking of developing larger bouquets for weddings. “It could be so good [pour les mariés] to be able to keep the bouquet. It would be nice », says with enthusiasm the artist who also does watercolor.

Eva Gorszczyk also notices a growing interest in her creative workshops during which she teaches participants to create flowers. The next ones, June 20 and July 6, will focus on the peony, one of his favorite flowers.

This Saturday, at the Chat des artistes, she will be offering smaller products to visitors: origami wall decorations, eucalyptus leaves and roses wrapped under a bell, a bit like in the film The beauty and the Beast.

On the event’s Facebook page, the organizers also encourage visitors to stop by a few steps away, at the Groover workshops, which also open their doors this Saturday.

Open days at Chat des artistes, at 2205, rue Parthenais, in Montreal

Visit the event Facebook page

Visit the Cykl Essentia website