Locations
Hot Pizza Studio is located at 134 Osler St. and, soon (!) at 1152 College St.
Our Junction Triangle location is fully accessible; there is free on-street parking at this location.
School-safe, nut-free snacks are welcome at Hot Pizza; both locations have gender-neutral restrooms and baby-changing tables.
We are currently Hot Pizza-ing our new College Street location and will be up-and-running in early May!
Gender-neutral restrooms are located on the lower-level at this location; there is on-street parking on College St. and Sheridan Ave., and a Green P lot behind our studio.
Meet our Practitioners
We bring a wide variety of skills to the studio, but we are united by a love of art, creativity, experimentation, and play.
Julia Dault
Founder/Director
A practicing artist for nearly twenty years, Julia (she/her) has had her work featured all over the world in solo and group exhibitions, biennials and triennials, and in art books and catalogues. Her art is in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the MCA Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami, among others. Her public art can be seen in Toronto and, soon, in Vancouver. She is represented by Galerie Bradley Ertaskiran, Montreal. She is a board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto and half of the apparel collaboration Signs Point to Yes. Follow her on Instagram @juliadault. Julia is Red Cross AED/CPR certified. Julia teaches Atelier Chaud, Office Hours, Studio Deluxe, and many of our weekend classes. You can listen to Julia discuss her art practice and Hot Pizza on CBC radio’s Q.
Mark Phillips a.k.a.
Cat Dirty, Faculty
Mark (he/him), known as CatDirty, is an illustrator and artist based in Toronto known for the eclecticism of his influences. Drawing inspiration from the counterculture aesthetics of skateboarding, classic cartoons, psychedelic music, and 1990s pop culture, his vibrant illustrations are portals into vivid, colorful worlds. While primarily working digitally, Mark always begins with pencil and paper. Learn more at his website or follow him on Instagram. Mark teaches Merch Mania, The Works, Analog and Digital Animation, Stop-Motion Animation, and United Imaginations.
Steve Bynoe
Faculty
Steve (he/him), a former teacher with twenty-two years in the classroom, draws inspiration from his experiences as an educator and his lifelong love of comic books. Through his company Boeboe Creative, Steve has self-published novels including Chronokari Alpha: Time Is Relative, which he is currently writing and drawing as a comic-book miniseries. In addition to self-publishing, Steve does storyboards for movies and NHL commercials and is the co-owner, editorial director, and a writer for the entertainment website Comix Asylum. Steve teaches Manga and Friends and our Character and Toy Prototyping Lab.
Josh LeClerc a.k.a. Toe Fish, Faculty
Josh (he/him) is a self-taught Métis artist, muralist, and woodworker working in an eclectic range of styles and mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, murals, woodworking, tattooing, and digital design. Josh often finds scrap wood, then adds characters in earth-toned acrylic paint and creates handmade wooden frames. Themes in his work include our human relationship to the natural world, sustainability, ancestry, and identity. He has presented his work in solo and group shows in Vancouver, Victoria, and Toronto. You can see Josh’s work on Instagram @toe.fish. Josh teaches our very popular Deep Dish
class.
Sarah Aranha
Faculty
Sarah (she/her) is an artist and maker who works with watercolour, gouache and textiles. Her work explores the still life genre, and draws from the patterns, interactions and routines of the everyday. A skilled arts facilitator, Sarah has taught block printing, still life drawing, watercolours and more with community groups and organizations such as The Bentway, FoodShare, East End Arts, Youth Rising Above, Northern Contemporary Gallery, and the Parkdale Free School. Sarah holds an MA in Adult Education and Community Development from the University of Toronto and a BFA Hons (Visual Arts) from York University. Follow her on Instagram @sarah.aranha. Sarah teaches our Mixed-media Watercolour class.
Madelaine Bell
Faculty
Madelaine (she/they) is a mixed-media artist and instructor with over 20 years of experience and a passion for material experimentation. They began in Toronto’s ’90s zine scene as the riot grrrl “Fred Spider,” later earning a BFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University while sustaining an active studio practice. Madelaine has exhibited in solo and group shows and completed residencies at Spark Box Studio, Graven Feather, and Alchemy in Prince Edward County. They also hold a postgraduate certificate in Arts Management from Centennial College. Follow them on Instagram @maddymadeandfound. Maddy teaches Zero-Waste Sewing, Printmaking, Pocket Palooza, and many of our weekend classes.
Paul Dotey
Faculty
Paul (he/him) is a Toronto illustrator, graphic designer, and printmaker. He has worked in the art departments at Scholastic, Penguin Random House, and in magazines. Among his illustration clients are Starbucks Canada, Kraft Foods, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Life, and the Wall Street Journal. He designs windows for Type Books and makes risograph comics about Toronto history. Focused on storytelling and often designing maps, he moves between two and three dimensions to tell stories and explore the psychogeography of places. Follow him on Instagram @pauldotey or visit his website. Paul teaches Adult Relief Printmaking and Side X Side Printmaking, as well as at our camps and PA days.
Samira Abubaker Ali
Faculty
Samira (she/her) is a registered early child educator with a passion for art. She has been teaching for over ten years and has worked with children of all ages. Her goal is to ensure each child is a star, and to support and enhance their creativity through skill-building. She is also an artist who can creatively turn nothing into something; she specialize in resin and loves doing DIY projects. She’s a huge fan of art, loves trying new things, is an avid rollerblader, and enjoys exploring the great outdoors. Follow her on Instagram. Samira teaches our Slimes and Potions class, as well as many of our weekend parties and classes.
Maddy Mathews
Faculty
Maddy (she/her) is a visual artist and educator based in Toronto, currently completing her Master of Teaching at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Working primarily in drawing, painting, and sculpture, she takes typically silly or light-hearted ideas very, very seriously and pushes them to iterative conclusions. Maddy has exhibited across Canada and the UK, designed a t-shirt for Kathleen Hanna’s Tees4Togo charity, and created a public-access TV show called Sword Stuff. She has taught art to learners of all ages, from young children to undergraduates, and loves helping budding artists find joy and confidence through art-making. Learn more about Maddy’s work at www.maddymathews.com. Maddy teachers our kids’ Drawing and Painting studio course, as well as many of our weekend classes.
Sandra Moretti
Faculty
Sandra (she/her) is a creative problem-solving expert and fiber artist who views knitting as a form of active meditation and creative resilience. A former advertising executive, Sandra founded Knitti Knitti to offer a remedy to digital burnout and the perfectionism paralysis of modern life. Her practice focuses on the mind-hand connection, using the tactile rhythm of textile art to lower cortisol and induce flow states. Sandra's teaching philosophy is centered on the belief that error is the curriculum; she specializes in helping students navigate the friction of learning a new skill. Her goal is to humanize the learning process and help others find the relief of letting go. Follow her on Instagram @knittiknitti. Sandra teaches our knitting workshops.
Kelly Rose Adams
Faculty
Kelly (she/her) earned a BFA in Drawing and Painting from OCAD University. She currently uses oil painting as a selective visual diary. Kelly is interested in how noticing then documenting everyday sights, objects, and encounters can reveal the beauty in ordinary or unexpected places. Her paintings have been exhibited at N/A Gallery in Guelph and Northern Contemporary, Blitz Gallery, and Leslie Grove Gallery in Toronto. Follower her on Instagram @kellyroseadams or visit her website. Kelly teachers our Adult Oil Painting course.
Ibi Kaslik
Faculty
Ibi (she/they) is an internationally published novelist, freelance writer, editor and teacher. Her first novel, Skinny, was a New York Times bestseller. Skinny has also been published in numerous countries. A native of Toronto, Ibi teaches creative writing at The University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies and works as an arts educator. Ibi’s third novel is forthcoming. Ibi heads up Hot Pizza’s new literary arts offerings.
James Braithwaite
Faculty
James (he/him) is an Oscar-nominated illustrator, animator, and writer based in Toronto. Recognition for James's animation work includes an Emmy, a Best Animation Short award from the American Film Institute, and presentation at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. His delightfully strange animation and art direction can be seen in an eclectic range of recent projects - from hit animations for PBS, to a Smithsonian commission about the insanity of Thanksgiving, to a series of crazy little music videos for the John Lennon/Yoko Ono family. His editorial illustration has appeared in the New York Times, McSweeney's, The Believer, VICE, Financial Times and The Globe and Mail, among others. Commercial clients include Google, Ford, Microsoft and ESPN. James is currently loving the world of kids’ books, and has two on the way with Tundra Books. Follow him on Instagram @thebathwater or visit his website. James teaches our Saturday Comics classes.
Salina Ladha
Faculty
Salina (she/her) is a visual artist and educator with over fifteen years of experience in the arts. She holds a BFA with a major in ceramics and a minor in painting. Her work has been exhibited across Canada and she has been a guest lecturer at Concordia University, presenting on hand-building and ceramic practices. Salina has been featured in print publications and she has collaborated with musicians on album, record, and merch designs. She brings a thoughtful, hands-on approach to both her practice and instruction. Follow her on Instagram @salinagram. Salina teaches our Adult drawing and painting class Get Lost in the Sauce as well as our ceramics classes.
Mike Ellis
Faculty
Mike (he/him) is an illustrator, designer, and comic book writer/artist from Toronto. Releasing a steady stream of webcomic content for over two decades, he has given talks about characters, world building, and the chaotic fun you can have with a pen at conventions across North America. You can find his non-comic work in places of outreach and education, like the Ontario Science Center and the Luminato Festival. You can read his graphic novel series at Pieces of Eights. As a side note, he’s dyslexic, so while written words let him down growing up, through art he not only found an escape, but a way to tell his tales. Mike teaches our kids’ Comics and XL Comics courses.
Shaunna Thatcher
Faculty
Shaunna (she /her) is an educator, artist, and creator of things who holds a BFA from Concordia University and a Masters in Teaching from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Shaunna loves painting, drawing, and textile work and has over twenty years’ experience working with children, with a focus on neurodivergence; she specializes in supporting childrens’ social and emotional development through art, creativity, and literacy. Shaunna’s passions are community, equity, art, and social justice, and she has lived, worked, and been a parent in the Junction community for over fifteen years. Shaunna teaches in our PA Days, camps, and many of our weekend classes.
Bareket
Faculty
Bareket (they/she) is a muralist and community-engaged artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans facilitation, cultural production, poetry, collage, mentorship, yoga instruction, and mental health advocacy. Guided by kindness, compassion, and gratitude, their work features vibrant colour, dynamic pattern, graphic illustration, and bold typography to cultivate belonging and joy. Centered on radical self-love and self-acceptance as foundations for mental health, Bareket’s art acts as a catalyst for collective healing. Inspired by gardening and the wisdom of the natural world, they create participatory experiences that foster creativity and nurture inclusive, connected communities. Visit their website or follow @bkez on Instagram. Bareket teaches our adult collage classes.
Jes Bonnie
Faculty
Jes (they/she) is a Toronto-based emerging multidisciplinary artist whose work has been exhibited throughout Toronto, as well as in Mexico City and Ireland. They currently study Sculpture & Installation at OCAD University and have a keen interest in utilizing found objects and experimenting with non-traditional materials. Jes recognizes the importance of teaching artistic expression to younger generations and loves sharing their inspirations with everyone! They are passionate about fostering a culture of creativity and pushing the traditional boundaries or art. One of Jes’s main goals is to inspire others to embrace the transformative power of art and challenge conventional thinking. Jes is Red Cross AED/CPR certified. Jes teaches Studio Supreme, as well as assisting in our after-school courses.
Mariana Espinosa
Assistant Faculty
Mariana (she/her) is an emerging artist who specializes in illustration and visual development. She studied animation at MTM College of Animation, Art, and Design and has worked on several projects in her hometown, Mexico City. Her art is influenced by her culture, upbringing, and personal experience, and she works in a variety of media. Follow her on Instagram @artemimii. She assists our Manga and Friends course.
Donia Shami
Assistant Faculty
Donia (she/her) is an emerging mixed media artist and illustrator, currently studying Illustration at OCAD University. She is extremely passionate about colour and shape as tools that can speak across time, culture, and age. Her art focuses on themes of imagination, dreams, and surrealism. Much of Donia’s work is influenced by her process: open to any and all traditional mediums, unconventional mixes, and all the happy mistakes she makes along the way. She celebrates the profound power of art and believes that early, creative curiosity must be nurtured for the betterment of all. Follow Donia on Instagram. Donia teaches our zine-making classes, as well as our PA Days and camps.
Lou Rose
Assistant Faculty
Lou (she/her) is an artist who explores emotional expression through material play. Creating both ceramic sculptures and performances, she embraces experimentation and spontaneity. With over ten years of experience working with children, Lou brings curiosity and creative exploration into artistic spaces, encouraging others to express themselves through making. A graduate of OCAD University’s Integrated Media program, she continues to explore form, texture, and storytelling through material transformations. Lou assists many of our after-school courses.
Robb Mirsky
Assistant Faculty
Robb (he/him) is a Toronto-based illustrator and cartoonist with over 20 years of experience in self-publishing. He co-runs My Moving Parts, a screenprinting company, where he designs offbeat apparel and imagery. Robb is the author of the graphic novel Sludgy and has contributed to Exclaim!, Taddle Creek, Spread Love Comix, and Plunder Shock, to name a few. Whether he is doodling in a sketchbook or folding paper for a new mini-comic, Robb is constantly in motion. While he works primarily with digital tools (iPad and Procreate), he remains an analog enthusiast, frequently experimenting with traditional mediums to achieve unique, tactile results. Find him online at mymovingparts.com or on Instagram @mirsktoons. Robb assists Merch Mania and in our animation classes.
Lillian Howard Ferris
Assistant
Lillian Howard Ferris (she/her) has been crocheting and learning all forms of needlework since she was 10 years old, and will never say no to an opportunity to try out something new and crafty. She has years of experience working with kids, whom she approaches with enthusiasm and curiosity. When she’s not sat down with a ball of yarn, you can find her at the thrift store or reading a good book. Lillian is also an honours student who loves Latin and music. Lilly assist in many of our PA Days and summer camps; she teaches our crocheting unit in our sewing classes.
Zara Tindale
Assistant
Zara Tindale (she/her) grew up around art, approaches kids with curiosity, and works to build safe spaces so kids can test the boundaries of their own ideas and creativity. Zara practices painting, photography, and many other arts and crafts. She is also a musician, reader, athlete, and honours student. Check out her artwork at zaratindale.com —a website she started creating at age eight. Zara assists our camps and weekend parties.
Brian Sholis
Operations/Husband
If you’re registering for a class, inquiring about a party, or otherwise writing in, you’ll likely be talking with Brian (he/him). Outside HP, he is the cofounder of Valise, a fast, simple inventory system for artists, and a writer and editor who works with arts institutions and technology companies like Notion, the Clark Art Institute, A24 Films, Art21, MOCA Toronto, and others. He chairs the board of Art Metropole. You can find out more about him here.