I am excited to announce that I will be giving a workshop about the Wild Flowers of El Charco in San Miguel de Allende! All the information about this workshop is below, and I will be very happy to meet you there in October.
"Cosmos and dahlia, abutilon and passiflora are among the several hundred wildflowers that can be found in early October, after the rainy season, on the grounds of El Charco del Ingenio. We will explore the unique and unspoiled El Charco landscape together with a specialist, learn about the native plants and find specimens to work with later on paper. Işık will demonstrate different techniques and approaches to achieve life-like paintings. Learn the skills to portray delicate petals, leaves and fine detail in watercolour. The class helps you to combine scientific accuracy with an aesthetic vision to create beautiful botanical paintings of El Charco's wild flowers."
Prerequisite: Botanical Illustration in Watercolour I, or intermediate watercolour skills.
Dates: Thursday–Saturday & Monday, 3–5 and 7 October 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: El Charco del Ingenio and Posada Corazón, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Instructor: Işık Güner
Registration: Online: mervihj@botanicgardens.org Inquiries and consultation: Please contact Mervi at 720-865-3653 for detailed information and payment.
Notes:
If a class does not reach the minimum number of registrations (6), it will be cancelled 7 days prior to the class date.
Supply lists are sent as an attachment with your registration confirmation. They are also available at botanicalillustration.blogspot.com or upon request.
Full Programme & Price 2019 October San Miguel de Allende Tour – So Much Art and Heritage 1–10 October 2019
Tuesday, 1 October Arrival at Posada Corazón, Aldama 9, San Miguel de Allende. Welcome dinner at Posada Corazón at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, 2 October Full-day guided tours of the Cañada de la Virgen archaeological site and the Museo de Astronomía Prehispánica, including a pre-Columbian meal prepared by Dr. Rossana Quiroz Ennisas (lunch included).
We will explore the massive temple and archaic ruins dating back to 1050 AD. This archaeological site is located just 35 km from San Miguel de Allende. It was first explored by Luis Felipe Nieto in 1985, and the official excavation project began in 2002, led by Gabriela Zepeda. The site opened to the public in 2011. We will learn about the landscape calendars of the place and their connection with the broader Mesoamerican calendric tradition, as well as how this location is connected to the birthplace of the Aztecs — the place of 7 caves or 7 ravines in northern Mexico (Chicomoztoc). We will walk 3 km (approximately 2 miles) along the pre-Hispanic ceremonial road used during the 500-year history of the site, visiting the north temple and the south temple, and ending our tour at the top of the main pyramid, the House of the 13 Heavens. Alberto Aveleyra, anthropologist and our guide, will share his research on the ancient cultures of Mexico and discuss discoveries made by archaeologists, including burials, offerings and ceremonial objects. The Pre-Hispanic Astronomical Museum presents a 10-year archaeoastronomical research project carried out at the Cañada de la Virgen site, explaining the importance of the lunar cycle and the use of the pyramid as a calendar device.
Thursday, 3 October 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. · Wildflowers of El Charco with Işık Güner — El Charco del Ingenio Guided tour of El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden with a specialist — transportation arranged. After the tour we will remain in El Charco for sketching and documenting our specimens.
2:00 – 7:00 p.m. · Market to Meal — Tour the Market and Cook a Mexican Meal with Alicia Wilson (dinner included). We begin with a stroll through the town's central food market to select ingredients, explore the variety of fresh and dried chillies, and sample roasted and seasoned Mexican delicacies typically prepared in the market. From there, we head to the quaint shop of a local winery at El Jardín to taste their selection and choose a wine for our meal. Back in the large, traditional wooden kitchen of Posada Corazón, we will prepare a festive meal whilst enjoying a cheese tasting of typical Mexican fresh varieties, making fresh and roasted salsas with different chillies, and preparing the main vegetable and meat guisos (stews) that showcase what is in season — all variations on traditional Mexican recipes. We finish with a grand meal, pitchers of margaritas (wine also included), and a digital cookbook with recipes and photographs.
Friday, 4 October 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. · Wildflowers of El Charco with Işık Güner — Posada Corazón terrace (lunch included) Afternoon: A unique guided tour of the Los Palomas Natural Protection Area — a 90-hectare (222-acre) forest reserve situated in the mountains at 2,600 metres elevation. We will hike into the canyons to discover more wildflowers and tropical plants. Pre-Columbian rock paintings can also be found in the area, mostly in the caves.
Saturday, 5 October 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. · Wildflowers of El Charco with Işık Güner — Posada Corazón terrace Afternoon free.
Sunday, 6 October Full-day guided tour to San Pedro de los Pozos. This historic mining town was established by Chichimeca nomadic tribes in pre-Columbian times. Gold and silver mining were the main economic drivers that shaped the city in the 16th century, making it an important stop on the Silver Route for centuries. Large haciendas were built by the wealthy, and modern shops and a railway brought commerce to the city. The Mexican Revolution of 1910 was devastating to both the population and mineral production of the town. Mineral de Pozos attempted to recover after the war, but falling mineral prices and flooded mine chambers led to the town being abandoned twice in the last century. Today, this little ghost town is coming back to life through festivals and its designation as a Pueblo Mágico (town of cultural significance) — said to resemble what San Miguel de Allende looked like in the 1950s.
Our guided tour includes:
Main plaza and museum
Historic churches
Venado Azul traditional musical instruments
Comida (traditional lunch)
Jesuit ovens
Monday, 7 October 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. · Wildflowers of El Charco with Işık Güner — Posada Corazón terrace (lunch included) 2:00 p.m. · Guided tour of the Sanctuary of Atotonilco (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008). The Sanctuary of Jesus of Nazareth — better known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas — is an 18th-century baroque temple renowned for its majestic works of art painted on its chapel walls and ceilings.
Tuesday, 8 October 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. · Plant Portraits with Siligraphy Technique — Rocío Ríos, Posada Corazón (lunch included) 3:00 p.m. · Guided tour of the historic centre of San Miguel de Allende. You will be introduced to the origins of the city, the history of the parish and its sacred images, the golden age of San Miguel in the 18th century, and the city's role in Mexican Independence. The tour also covers the recent history of San Miguel in the 20th century — the art schools and the challenges the city faces today. Sites visited include: El Jardín, the Parroquia, Centro Cultural El Nigromante (the former Escuela de Bellas Artes, with murals by students and David Alfaro Siqueiros), Instituto Allende (with Diego Rivera's mural), the Biblioteca Pública, and the Plaza de la Soledad. If you are in the mood, we can visit the Mercado to enjoy a glass of aguamiel or pulque — the agave nectar and its fermented counterpart.
Wednesday, 9 October 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. · Plant Portraits with Siligraphy Technique — Rocío Ríos, Posada Corazón Afternoon free.
Thursday, 10 October Return to the United States via León or Querétaro.
Fee: $2,300 with art classes included · $1,600 excluding art classes
The fee includes: airport shuttle transfers (airport is approximately 1.5 hours away), 9 nights' accommodation (double occupancy) with full organic breakfast, Wi-Fi, and all programme activities including the visiting instructor workshops listed above.
The fee does NOT include: international airfares, travel insurance, meals not listed in the itinerary, personal expenses such as beverages, laundry and communication charges, medical or evacuation fees (including but not limited to emergency transportation, additional lodging and transportation, extra guide or porter services, and medical treatment), or gratuities.
Payment: A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure your place. The remaining balance will be split into two payments:
$900 / $550 due by 15 July 2019
$900 / $550 due by 2 September 2019