Join us for a week of inspiration and creating in Guanajuato, Mexico!
Treat yourself to an exciting art adventure in the Spanish Colonial hill town of Guanajuato, considered to be the jewel of the Colonial cities of Mexico. A UNESCO world heritage site and old mining town, this European inspired city full of winding narrow streets and leafy garden plazas below which a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways serve as the thoroughfares of the city. By day, immerse yourself in an intensive art making workshop and take the evenings to enjoy the cantinas and cafes, strolling troubadours and string quartets in intimate settings. The numerous museums of art, history, churches and even the famous mummies all serve to make Guanajuato, still one of Mexico’s best-kept secrets, a fascinating destination for an art making getaway.
We will go on photography excursions around town to build an inspiration library of color, shape, texture, and form. Taking that experience back into the studio is a perfect stepping stone to creating work that has a sense of place and a personal vision.
Color
The color of this university town is bright, saturated and bathed in warm light. Everywhere you walk are opportunities to document and expand your experience of color combinations.
Composition
Guanajuato, Mexico is built on a hill with stacked housing, interesting architecture, churches and music everywhere. Weavings, ceramics and architectual details are filled with patterns, texture and compositional ideas to bring back in to the studio.
Light
Mexico enjoys 11 hours of sunlight even on the shortest day of the year. Guanajuato is a festive city with celebrations going on day and night with mariachis playing in the streets. At night, churches are lit up and shadows dance in the squares.
Pattern
Ceramic tiles, bricks, painted walls, cobblestones, textiles, all play to the sense of history and place. The gardens with flowers and stone walls are abundant for inspiration.
Texture
Peeling paint and worn surfaces are juxtaposed with organic plant life. All the senses are engaged with the smell and tastes of the local cuisine.
Shape
Obviously, the grid is apparent in windows and doors and surrounding architecture. Interesting vignettes of shapes can be found in alleys and on walks.
The program begins with a festive welcome dinner and orientation at Alma del Sol on Friday April 11th. The studio which is a 10 minute walk is well suited to serve all the creative needs of workshop attendees. Five days of instruction and includes a “day off” on Wednesday the 16th when participants can take the time to explore the City and Region.
The program culminates with an informal critique and discussion to serve as closure and celebration on the final day of class.
Our host, Hugo Anaya, promises wonderfully prepared lunches each of the instructional days. Hugo will also serve as assistant for the workshop and will provide all the necessary information to help make this a memorable visit to Guanajuato and a rewarding artistic adventure.
(breakfast at Alma del Sol)
Both instructors bring their experience with a variety of materials, processes, and conceptual ideas to share with the group and individually.
Options for Materials and Processes include:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Stitching
- Collage
- Pigment Sticks
- Acrylic paint and other water-based paints
- Variety of papers
- Pastels
- Ink
- Mixed media and found objects
Our gracious host Hugo Anaya creating in the studio during one of our workshops.
Important Information:
What is included:
- Welcome botanas (hors d'oeuvres) and drinks
- 5 days of instruction with both instructors
- 1 free day to explore or work in the studio
- An awesome studio
- 7 breakfasts (if you stay at Alma del Sol or Hotel del Color)
- 5 home cooked lunches
- Daily coffee, tea, and agua fresca (light fruit-flavored water)
- Daily hora feliz (happy hour) on the beautiful Alma del Sol rooftop
What is NOT included:
- Lodging
- Airfare and taxis to/from the airport
- Travel Insurance (recommended)
- Dinners
- Optional free day excursion costs to San Miguel to Allende or another preplanned day trip.
How much does it cost?
- $1995 USD - email [email protected] for registration form.
Accommodations:
- We suggest that you stay at Hugo Anaya's venues:
- Alma del Sol or Hotel del Color.
- Hugo Anaya runs Alma del Sol, www.almadelsol.com as well as Hotel de Color, a small hotel near the Jardin. These accommodations range from $70-$100 per night/ room, including breakfast. They are available on a first come basis. Once your workshop participation is confirmed, contact Hugo directly at [email protected] to make your arrangements. As another option, Hugo recommends Hotel Casa del Agua. You are also free to make your own arrangements for lodging.
- ONCE Hotel Clubcafe
- All lodging accommodations are a short cab ride or an invigorating walk to and from the studio.
Travel:
Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from Guanajuato. You will likely fly to Leon (BJX). Participants will be given instructions for transport to and from the airport to Guanajuato City.
I have more questions. How do I reach you?
- Email us at [email protected]
About Lisa & Sue
Instructors Sue Stover and Lisa Pressman have been teaching together online and in-person courses since 2020. The focus of their courses is to direct artists toward a more contemplative practice, exploring techniques, materials and concepts along with a strong foundation in art fundamentals. Destination workshops inspire the artist within unique cultural frameworks and capitalize on the extended time together. Our approach to teaching is flexible and welcoming, and we strive to meet participants wherever they are on their journey as artists.
Lisa Pressman
Lisa Pressman’s artistic career is marked by exploration: testing the boundaries of the expressive potential latent in a variety of mediums, among them oil, encaustic, cold wax, and mixed-media collage. Her work is abstract, conceptually based, and process-driven. Lisa’s artworks feature marks, forms, colors and patterns that are evocative rather than overt.
Lisa received her BA, Fine Art from Douglass College in 1979 from Rutgers University, with an emphasis in ceramics and sculpture. As a graduate student she changed her emphasis from sculpture to painting, receiving her MFA in Painting from Bard College in 1981. Since then she has exhibited regionally and nationally in solo and group exhibitions at spaces such as the Watchung Arts Center (Watchung, NJ,) The Holter Museum of Art (Helena, MT,) and Jack Meier Gallery (Houston, TX,) and her work is held in numerous private and public collections. Her work is represented by Susan Eley Fine Arts (New York, NY,) Addington Gallery (Chicago, IL) and Slate Gallery (Telluride, Colorado.) Recently, the artist has had two solo shows in New York City; at Susan Eley Fine Art in LES and at The Painting Center in Chelsea.
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Susan Stover
Susan Stover is a San Francisco Bay Area artist who creates paintings and sculptures that explore themes of cultural identity and mythology. Having studied many aesthetic traditions from around the world, she embraces ritual, tradition, and meditation inherent in repetitive processes.
Susan received a MFA from California College of Art in Oakland, California and a BFA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with both degrees concentrating in textiles ad painting. Her work is in many private and corporate collections. She is represented by Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, NY and Seager/Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, CA. Susan teaches workshops online from her northern California studio, in person at other locations in the U.S., and internationally.
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