Paint the Town in Watercolor
A 7-day plein air painting retreat
with artist, Susan Singer
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
October 8-15, 2022
Above paintings by Jocelyn Micharud, March 2022 retreat.
Come revive all of your senses, Mexican style, at this retreat designed to inspire your most vivid self.
During your seven days in San Miguel de Allende you will:
* Learn the basics of watercolor and drawing.
* Have daily opportunities to draw and paint outdoors.
* Visit a winery, markets, thermal spa, and lush city park.
* Have time to relax, explore and wander Mexico's
"Most Enchanting Destination".
(Drawing/painting experience is helpful, but not required. Classes will be planned according to the experience level of the participants.)
Accommodations
We will be staying at the old-world style hotel, Hacienda de las Flores, situated in centro close to everything you will need. There are 3 different price points according to the room you choose.
Included in retreat price:
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Workshop (30 hours of instruction)
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Seven nights accommodations including taxes
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Daily breakfast
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Garden swimming pool
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Arrival tapas including margaritas and piña coladas (at hotel)
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Farewell dinner at El Pavo Real, a countryside winery
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All transportation to excursions
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Excursion to Nirvana Spa
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Water, coffee and jamaica (hibiscus) water with cookies in the garden on studio days there.
Cost
$2515 Standard
$2720 Jr. Suite
$2820 Suite
Rooms may be shared.
Seven Day Schedule
Painting by Ruth Van Davelaar, March, 2022 retreat
Note: Slight schedule changes may occur according to circumstances. Please click here for a more detailed itineray.
Day 1 - Saturday
Arrival
6 – Welcome dinner with cocktails at the hotel.
Introductions, getting to know each other
Day 2 - Sunday
9 – breakfast
10 – 1 Introduction to watercolor
1-3 lunch together at The Restaurant (not included)
3-6 watercolor class-color and drawing architecture
Dinner on your own
Day 3 - Monday
9 – breakfast
10 –1 Drawing plein air in SMA: cathedral
1:30-4;30 Excursion to Nirvana Spa for thermal pool, massage and lunch
Dinner on your own
Day 4 - Tuesday
9 – Breakfast
10-1 Composition: Drawing/painting flowers
1-3 lunch on your own
3-6 Painting in Parque Juarez
Dinner on your own
Day 5 – Wednesday
Day on your own to explore the town and surroundings
Optional excursions:
Horseback riding
Hot air balloon ride
Cooking class
Shopping
Day 6 – Thursday
9 - breakfast
10-1 Painting a wider vista. Trip to countryside to paint.
1-2:30 lunch at The Fabrica Aurrora (not included)
2:30-5:00 Visit galleries and paint in La Fabrica
Dinner on your own
Day 7 - Friday
9- Breakfast
9:30 meet at Rosewood for COVID test
10-1 Painting plein air : streets, doors, walls, and windows.
1-3 Lunch
3-6 Painting from photograph of town (at hotel)
7 – Farewell wine tasting and tapas together at El Pavo Real
Day 8 – Saturday
8-9 Breakfast
Departure
Supplies
Susan has created a shopping list here for your convenience. There are also a couple of art supply stores in San Miguel should you need something. In addition, Susan will provide a couple of extra goodies for each student.
Reserve Your Room
Click here to reserve your spot, please choose your room, fill out the registration form and send a $500 non-refundable deposit to lindalaino@gmail.com through Zelle or Paypal. All final payments due August 1, 2022. We are offering an early bird discount of $100 if you register by May 10th.
Note: If you pay through Paypal, a 3% service charge will be applied to your final payment. If you have an account, please send through "friends and family" to avoid the fee. When reserving your room, please make a note on the reservation form with your name, type of room and number. (Georgia O'Keefe, Jr. Suite #2).
Travel
The retreat price does not include your travel costs to San Miguel. We suggest you make your reservation to arrive at BJX (Leon) or QRO (Queretaro) which are 1 to1 1/2 hours from San Miguel. If for other reasons, you prefer to fly into Mexico City,please know it is another 4 hours by car or bus. As this retreat needs a minimum to run, please wait to hear from us before you make your flight arrangements. When you do, we strongly suggest that you purchase travel insurance. Super easy and reliable airport shuttle information will be shared with registered participants. If you have any other specific concerns about traveling to Mexico, please email Linda and she will be happy to assist!
Cancellation Policy Please Review
We understand that it is sometimes difficult to plan ahead for a trip such as this and these uncertain times have created a bit more challenge. We thank you for your understanding the need for these policies on our end.
The $500 deposit is NON-refundable. That means, if you pay the deposit and before you pay your balance, you decide to cancel, there is no refund. Once you pay your balance, there is no refund. An exception is made if there is someone waiting to fill your spot. All balances are due August 1, 2022.
If we decide to cancel the retreat for any reason, then all money will be returned, including deposit (minus any paypal or credit card fees).
If it becomes impossible to travel due to a government mandate or border restrictions, in this case, we will not refund any money but attempt to reschedule the retreat. Note: Mexico never closed its borders to travelers during the pandemic. Mask and tracing mandates, as well as sanitary precautions are still taking place as a rule here in San Miguel.
About Susan Singer
Testimonials
Susan Singer is a professional artist from Richmond, Virginia, who spends her time creating, teaching, and feeling delighted by life. A practicing artist for over 20 years and with a Master's in Interdisciplinary studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, she works in pastel, oil, watercolor, or any medium that helps to convey her message. Often working in a series, much of her work centers around the body including, Twelve Naked Men, Beyond Barbie, Scar Series, Birth Affirmations, and The Eyes Project.
Singer is equally passionate about teaching and has taught at The Visual Arts Center in Richmond since 2006, overseas in Austria, Iceland, and on an international cruise ship for "Semester at Sea" as their resident artist. Encouraging students to find their own unique gifts, and her love of sharing knowledge are part of her strengths and joy as a teacher.
She has shown her paintings extensively in the Richmond Metropolitan area, in Washington, DC, in Iceland at the Akureyri Art Museum, and in Austria. Her work can be found in private and corporate collections nationwide and internationally.
She loves to combine art and travel as she believes that drawing something is the best way to keep it in our memories forever.
"San Miguel was a beautiful city to learn watercolor from Susan. Hacienda de Las Floras was the perfect location for class, followed by plein air painting in various locations, including El Pavo Real winery. The week’s itinerary was a lovely blend of instruction, culture and fun. Thank you so much for the opportunity!" ~Ruth van Davelaar (March, 2022)
"Susan’s expert instruction helped me to grasp watercolor painting skills quickly, and we were out painting in the beautiful San Miguel scenery very soon after our arrival. The variety of locations and subjects to paint was simply marvelous. The excursions were well thought out, and every single meal was better than the last. I am going home with memories and paintings that I will cherish for a lifetime". ~ Jocelyn Michaud (March, 2022)
"Linda, thank you so much for everything. You helped make this trip very special. I appreciated your knowledge, friendliness and attention to detail. Your choices were exquisite!" ~ Irene Zigler (March, 2022)
"Susan Singer is a fantastic leader! It was great to have time to sketch, paint and just be in the landscape. Thank you very much for hosting a great retreat." ~ Carol Meese (Iceland retreat)
"You did an amazing job of organizing this experience for the group and doing everything you could to accommodate everyone's needs. Thank you again for such a beautiful trip." ~ Chelsea Wilkinson (Iceland Retreat)
About San Miguel
Mexico is a huge country that offers its visitors an amazing amount of diversity. San Miguel de Allende is located in the geographical center of the country and is said to be built upon a bed of crystal quartz. Many people believe this legend aids in the “magical” quality so often associated with this town. San Miguel is a peaceful, safe environment, full of friendly people, sophistication and charm to spare. It is small, but far from sleepy. The streets are always full of visitors and locals in a lively and festive atmosphere.
There is more than plenty to see and do on off hours during the retreat. The weather in early October is temperate: breezy and cool. Most days you can count on cool mornings, warm to hot sunny afternoons, and slightly cooler evenings. Think layers and bring a light sweater. There is virtually no humidity. San Miguel is quite hilly in parts, and the streets are cobbled. You will most likely be doing a lot of walking (the best way to see the town!), so we suggest to bring good shoes. We are at 6000 feet and if you have not been in high altitudes, you may feel a bit tired the first day or two. Luckily, there are numerous cafes, parks and plazas for rest and refreshments all over town.
There are also ample and inexpensive cabs available should you need a break from the walking. The cab drivers, incidentally are some of the best locals to practice your Spanish with!
The web is full of articles and videos about San Miguel. Here are two to whet your appetite:
"San Miguel de Allende Travel Guide"
About Linda Laino
Linda is an artist, writer and teacher who received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. She has lived in San Miguel de Allende for almost ten years where she formally taught English Language Arts and continues to paint and write. She has organized writing and painting retreats of her own in San Miguel and is recently sharing her love and knowledge of this charming and colorful town with other artists and teachers. Her many pleasures in San Miguel include terrace cocktails with friends, hiking in the countryside and feeding the hummingbirds. Her painting and writing can be accessed here:
Photo: Regula Franz
Waiver
All participants are asked to download, sign and return this waiver to Susan Singer before the retreat. Please email to: susansingerart@msn.com.
More details to come after registering for the retreat.
For any questions about the workshop, please refer to Susan: susansingerart@msn.com. For any questions about San Miguel, Linda is happy to help: lalainoart@yahoo.com.
We hope you will join us in San Miguel in 2022!
Painting by Jocelyn Michaud, March, 2022 retreat.