Maple and Bass Classroom - Join Us
Third Annual Open House and Fall Kickoff
Bird Carving - Downy Woodpecker on a Tree Trunk
Carve a Starfish
Carve a Miniature Bison Skull
Clay Sculpting with Polymer Clay
Woodburning a Bear
Return of Friday Morning Drop-in sessions!
SWAA Third Annual Impressions of Nature Art Show November 7 & 8
Join Us - September 25 & 26 For Our
Third Annual Open House and Fall Kickoff
Friday 10am-7pm and Saturday 10am-3pm
To kick off the fall carving season we're hosting our Third Annual Open House Friday September 26 10am-7pm and Saturday September 27 10am-3pm. Drop in and see our gallery, check out the classroom and see what we'll be doing this fall and winter!
- In-store and clearance specials Friday and Saturday only
- Used and reconditioned items for sale while they last
- Door-prize draws and giveaways
- See the projects for this year's classes
- Introducing new products (some with introductory pricing)
Maple and Bass
301b-9th Street North, Martensville
Regular hours are Monday-Friday 9am-4:30pm
(closed Fridays June-September).
Carve, Texture and Paint a Life-size Downy Woodpecker on a Tree Trunk
In-Person Class
Instructors - Cam Merkle
Tuesday Mornings October 6- January 12 9am-12:30pm
Cost: $485.00 (plus taxes) includes all materials and tool use.
Over the course of 12 weeks, dedicating 3.5 hours class time each week for a total of 42 hours, you will learn in-depth carving, texturing and painting techniques for a Life-size Downy Woodpecker on a carved tree trunk base. All of Cam's live demonstrations are recorded and made available to all students in the class assure a concise and easy to follow class experience. In order to get the most from this project you will need to be prepared to do additional work between each weekly session (this is where the weekly YouTube class demo videos will be most appreciated).
Need more information? Call or email Cam at 306-384-2277
(Mon-Thur 9am-4:30pm) or hello@mapleandbass.com.
Limit 8 students.
Downy Woodpecker - Register or Get More Information
Carve, Texture and Paint a Life-size Downy Woodpecker on a Tree Trunk
Online via Zoom Class
Instructors - Cam Merkle
Tuesday Mornings October 6- January 12 9am-12:30pm
Cost: $485.00 (plus applicable taxes)
includes materials package and shipping.
Join us live over Zoom each week as we carve this rewarding project! Online students can join in live every Tuesday morning and participate in the class in much the same way as in-house students do. Watch Cam's live demonstrations, ask questions and listen to other student's questions, comments and interactions. You'll have the ability to interact with Cam through audio and video so he can offer advice and direction as needed. Last winter we had two students interact this way - it was so well received that we have made more room for online students. At the end of each class day Cam posts that day's demonstrations to a private YouTube link that all students in this class will have ongoing access to.
After you enroll you will receive a recommended tool list and we will prepare a "care" package for you consisting of a tupelo Downy woodpecker blank and pattern, a piece of basswood or a bandsawn basswood blank for the tree trunk (can be either a free-standing or wall mount base - you choose), glass eyes, cast pewter toes, brass to mount the bird to the tree trunk, and Cam's Downy Woodpecker photo reference book. All of these materials as well as mailing costs are included in the class fee. If you wish to add anything to the "care" package you may do so without paying further shipping costs. Please note - if you are outside of Canada or the USA we may need to charge additional shipping fees to get your "care" package sent to you. Please contact us if you're not sure.
Need more information? Call or email Cam at 306-384-2277
(Mon-Thur 9am-4:30pm) or hello@mapleandbass.com.
Limit 8 students.
Downy Woodpecker - Register or Get More Information
Carve a Starfish from Butternut
Suitable for carvers of any skill level - especially beginners!
Instructor - Cam Merkle
Thursday October 29 6:30-9:30pm (3 hours)
Cost: $40.00 (plus taxes) includes all materials and tool use.
Learn basic carving skills with rotary carving tools while carving this beautiful starfish in butternut wood. Topics covered include tool and material selection, safe tool and cutter use, carving, sanding and finishing to complete your starfish.
Questions? Need more information? Call or email Cam at 306-384-2277
(Mon-Thur 9am-4:30pm) or hello@mapleandbass.com.
Limit 8 students.
Carve a Starfish - Register or Get More Information
Woodburning - Black Bear on a Log
Suitable for any skill level - especially beginners!
Instructors - Cam and Lori Merkle
Saturday Dec. 5 9am-5pm (7.5 hours)
Cost: $100.00 (plus taxes) includes all materials and tool use.
Join Cam and Lori Merkle for this one-day workshop on woodburning a black bear and log on 6"x9" basswood. Learn about pyrography techniques and tools and open up new possibilities with this amazing art form. Topics covered include tool and material selection, pros and cons of various types of woodburning tools, safety, as well as hands-on exercises making sample panels to practice various techniques. You will bring it all together in a beautiful project to complete the class. Finishing and colouring may also be covered as time permits.
Questions? Need more information? Call or email Cam at 306-384-2277
(Mon-Thur 9am-4:30pm) or hello@mapleandbass.com.
Limit 8 students.
Woodburning - Black Bear - Register or Get More Information
Miniature Bison Skull
Suitable for any skill level - especially beginners!
Instructor - Cam Merkle
4 Thursdays Nov. 12 - Dec. 3 6:30-9:30pm (12 hours)
Cost: $135.00 (plus taxes) includes all materials and tool use.
In this 4 week course you will learn basic carving techniques using a rotary carving tool to carve and texture a small bison skull. This workshop is perfect for carvers of any skill level, including beginner carvers. You'll start with a bandsawn basswood blank and Cam will guide you through each step to complete your project. Most of the skills you'll learn and practice will be useful for many other carving projects.
You will learn how to use a micromotor rotary tool and the various bits and cutters available for them. Carving, sanding and texturing techniques with the micromotor as well as a small amount of woodburning for details will be covered.
Questions? Need more information? Call or email Cam at 306-384-2277
(Mon-Thur 9am-4:30pm) or hello@mapleandbass.com.
Limit 8 students.
Miniature Bison Skull - Register or Get More Information
Tips an Tricks for Sculpting in Polymer Clay
Suitable for anyone of any skill level interested in sculpting.
Instructor - Cam Merkle
Friday Nov. 20 7-9pm and Saturday Nov. 21 9am-5pm (9 hours)
Cost: $120.00 (plus taxes) includes all materials and tool use.
Learn to put together articulated models in polymer clay with wood and wire armatures and open up a whole new world of creative possibilities. Ever thought about sculpting your creation in clay before carving it in wood? Perhaps you've read or heard about carvers who sculpt first and thought to yourself "I have no idea how to do that".
In this class you'll learn the techniques Cam uses to design and create his masterpieces for competition. Cam has developed his unique approach over the past 20 years to make the process straightforward and very manageable. Best of all, it's impossible to mess up a clay sculpture using Cam's approach. Students can work on a 2/3 size American Avocet or the project of their choice. If you wish to work on your own project please contact Cam as soon as possible so he can help you make sure you'll have suitable reference for a successful project. In past classes students have worked on a variety of birds, cartoon characters, a small horse, and even an octopus. Your choice is only limited by your imagination!
Questions? Need more information? Call or email Cam at 306-384-2277
(Mon-Thur 9am-4:30pm) or hello@mapleandbass.com.
Limit 8 students.
Sculpting with Polymer Clay - Register or Get More Information
Drop-in Carving and Woodburning at the Maple and Bass Classroom
Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon.
Join us at the Maple and Bass Classroom for drop-in sessions on Friday mornings beginning January 9, 2026. Bring a carving or woodburning project or two to work on. You can use the tools in the classroom or bring your own. Come as often or as little as your schedule allows. Enjoy a time of warm fellowship with others interested in carving, woodburning or other small wood projects. The coffee and tea pots are always on. A fee of $6.00 per session covers use of the space and tools as well as coffee or tea and applicable taxes. While no formal instruction is provided during these sessions, Cam will generally be available to offer advice - or there may be someone present who can help figure things out - or you may be able to help someone else. We can share knowledge and encourage each other. This is a great way to get together with like-minded people for fun, sharing of knowledge and fellowship. You will also have access to try many of the nifty tools and toys that Maple and Bass carries. So bring your favorite coffee mug and a project or two to work on - we look forward to seeing you
No advance registration required. Payment can be made onsite by cash (preferred), credit or debit card, or by e-transfer to hello@mapleandbass.com Sessions will continue into May - dates will be displayed on Eventbrite (link below). No sessions on any statutory holidays Questions? Need more information? Call Maple and Bass at 306-384-2277 or email hello@mapleandbass.com
More Information on Eventbrite
About the Maple and Bass Classroom
Located behind Maple and Bass's extensive carving and art supply showroom, the Maple and Bass classroom is a fully-equipped facility where each workstation has all the top-quality tools and equipment you will need to complete your project. Even if you have tools of your own, you won't need to bring them. With a selection of workshops year-round the Maple and Bass Classroom offers everyone the opportunity to discover carving and pyrography.
You can follow past and present workshop progress on our
Maple and Bass Classroom Facebook page.
Come visit the Maple and Bass Table at the Impressions of Nature Show and Sale
November 7 & 8
We'll be demonstrating a variety of our products and providing an opportunity to create a wood burned "Make & Take".