Oaxaca art retreat at Talismán Oaxaca in May 2024
In her own words – a review of a private art retreat
Corrie and Pedro’s Oaxaca art retreat at Talisman Oaxaca was an inspiring magical jump into art, and a fascinating introduction to Oaxacan culture. Studio time interspersed with meeting artists, going to workshops, galleries, trying new foods—Oaxaca’s claim as an art and food mecca is well deserved! The studio time with Corrie and Pedro was joyous: I tend to think of “what if” as a caution—what if my art is awful? Corrie and Pedro transformed “what if” into a magic carpet: what if you try THIS, let’s see where it flies. Corrie showed me many techniques for working in collage, how to start with a gestural background and methods to paint or glue something over and Keep Going. It became a flowing process, “drifting” ideas and seeing where they went. Pedro showed me a new watercolor technique, but also a way of coming up with my own evocative symbols. He was so kind about my uber-basic Spanish, and it really was a good incentive to learn the language better!
The field trips
The field trips were a wonderful introduction to Oaxacan culture. Having someone show you places you can’t easily find, being able to ask questions of someone living there was wonderful to gain a deeper insight. Instead of taking a large tour of the weaving town, I could get hands-on. We went to a family weaving studio, got to meet the weavers, watch them dye the yarn, how each wove differently—and got to try spindling and a different style of weaving than I do at home. We went to a paper making artist’s studio for a workshop—a charming, elfin man with the most poetic use of language. He, too, used “what if” as a springboard to try new techniques when we made paper.
It was the best art trip I have ever taken. I loved making art-making the center of my trip. I loved meeting so many fascinating artists, having time to listen and watch, seeing different ways of creating. I loved wandering thru a HUGE Sunday market, sipping tejate, walking around THE HUGEST diameter tree that exists, lunching in charming little restaurants that I wouldn’t have found on my own. But what really made the trip was Corrie and Pedro’s approach to art, their kindness, clear explanations, just the joy of sharing their studio space and painting alongside them, getting to watch their art progress as I tried my own. I came home feeling the joy of new friends, a wonderful kit of new techniques, and a sense of finding my art mojo.
Our thoughts about the private retreat
We had the pleasure of hosting Annie as our first private art retreat participant at Talismán Oaxaca. It brought us great joy to share the magic of Oaxaca with her and see what showed up on her pages in the art class…and witness how “what if” really worked in her creative process.
The itinerary included field trips to the Sunday market in Tlacolula, the archaeological ruins of Monte Albán and Mitla, an in-depth demo in the studio of a master weaver family in Teotitlán del Valle, a private papermaking class with a master paper artisan in San Agustín Etla, an art gallery walk in the centro and street art walk in Jalatlaco…and sampling rich, delicious traditional Oaxacan cuisine all along the way.
In the art studio over several days, we focused on mark making with India ink and handmade brushes, best practices for composition/design/value/colors, and favorite materials and processes for collage and art journaling. Then she had 2 days of working 1:1 with Pedro in watercolor, who added some natural pigments to the mix.
She was the perfect guest: flexible, found joy in the beauty of the culture, and came with an open and curious mind. We have done many group workshops here in Oaxaca, but this was a very special 1:1 adventure, and we’ll treasure the memories.
Want to experience a 1:1 private art retreat with us, too? Contact us and let’s talk about what your dream retreat might look like.