San Miguel de allende

Final dinner in Catrina makeup, Dia de Los Muertes

Day of the Dead 2019

Just a month after the intensive sketching retreat here in San Miguel. Thirteen attendees from Canada and the USA gathered for a week of tutorials and on location sketching. I joined forces with Christina Merkeley, a Canadian process professional and Graphic Recorder/Facilitator. Here are just a few sketches and memorable moments.

Joseph Toon Tour, San Miguel de Allende
Joseph Toon Tour

 

First dinner for Day of the Dead Sketching Retreat
First dinner for Day of the Dead Sketching Retreat in San Miguel de Allende

 

Los Milagros Fast & Loose dinner
Los Milagros Fast & Loose dinner

 

Dia de Los Muertos cemetery
Dia de Los Muertos cemetery

 

Day of the Dead cemetery, #2
Day of the Dead cemetery, #2

 

Final dinner in Catrina makeup, Dia de Los Muertes
Final dinner in Catrina makeup, Dia de Los Muertes

Day of the Dead 2018

The students who joined me for my third annual Day of the Dead sketching workshop in SanMiguel de Allende came from as far away as California, British Columbia and New Zealand!

Our visit to the Mask Museum in San Miguel provided a fascinating look at about 600 authentic masks used in indigenous festivals and rituals.

We had opportunities to sketch people preparing themselves for the costume parties and parades, as well as the collection of folk art at Galeria Atotonilco. 

My sketch of the colorful scene in El Jardin on the night of November 1st features a fat mariachi horn player, and just a few of the many costumed revelers, with the illuminated Parroquia church as a backdrop.

On the following day we went to a large cemetery, where we could respectfully observe the tributes to dead relatives prepared by families. Flowers and snacks were arranged around graves and monuments. I improvised a sketch using elements plucked from the scene.

A glorious climax to the day was a performance of Mozart’s Requieum inside the Parroquia. I arrived almost 2 hours early to be sure of a seat. This is music I know intimately, as a choral singer. I was able to capture an impression of the audience during this sublime event.

 

Sketching class in Fabrica La Aurora

Six of us had a lively sketching session at Fabrica la Aurora, a complex of galleries, studios and shops which used to be a textile factory. It was a Thursday, so the topic was THINGS: still life or objects such as potted plants, tall space heaters, ornate lamps. Here are the sketchbooks we “throw down”at the end of the class.

Sketchbooks with work by students and me

San Miguel de Allende sketches

So busy preparing to actually MOVE to San Miguel in a few weeks, I have neglected to post sketches from the November Day of the Dead workshop. Well, here, at last, are some of my favorites;

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