So many exciting plans!

Lynn Leahy's Libro de Ofrenda

We met today to go over final details for our upcoming retreat to San Miguel de Allende. And to take photos of our project for our 2013 Retreat in Santa Fe entitled  Colonial Santa Fe ~ A Mixed Media Artist's Quilt: Piecing together the Spirit of Old and New Mexico. Click on the link for the latest photos! 

 Laurie Mika , Helen Shafer Garcia,  Lynn Leahy, and Leslie Harris

and behind the camera, Jane LaFazio 

detail  Lynn Leahy's Libro de Ofrenda

Lynn Leahy's Libro de Ofrenda

Chimayo, near Santa Fe, New Mexico

As we start to work out details for our retreat in Santa Fe New Mexico in April 2013, we're considering a visit to Chimayo, 

Sugar Skulls

We'll see lots of wonderful calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls) created in all kinds of materials, and sizes in San Miguel de Allende in October!

good lattes in San Miguel de Allende

photo by Helen Shafer Garcia

La Mesa Grande is one of the nicest coffee houses we've stopped at in San Miguel de Allende. It is a lovely stop between Casa Luna and Casa Quebrada.

We stopped there frequently for yummy lattes, sandwiches and sugary treats every day on our retreat last year. Their menu also includes salads, pizzas and handmade breads.

Mark it in your travel journal ... there is even a map that you can print out on La Mesa Grande facebook page. 

Quebrada photo by Helen Shafer Garcia

rooftop detail at Casa Luna by Helen Shafer Garcia

Dia de los Muertos symbolism

Ensenada Altar by Jane LaFazio ~ 8x10 inches

Dia de los Muertos Altars are a big part of Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende, with each item on the altar, filled with significance. Here are a few of the symbols commonly used:

A photo of the deceased (the altar can have multiple pictures and represent more than one ancestor or if there are no photos on an altar it is understood that it is in honor of all your ancestors)

 detail of Ensenada Altar by Jane LaFazio

A bell to signal the location, so the spirits can find their way back to earth

 detail of Ensenada Altar by Jane LaFazio

Marigolds to scent the night (and remind us of the impermanence of life)

 detail of Ensenada Altar by Jane LaFazio

A ladder for the journey back to earth and candles to light the way.
Food for nourishment while on earth

 detail of Ensenada Altar by Jane LaFazio

Aztec dog to guard the altar and coins for spending money while on earth

 detail of Ensenada Altar by Jane LaFazio

Sugar skulls for decoration

and a few more:
Favorite items, hobbies, food or drink that the deceased enjoyed
Incense: it is customary to burn copal incense,which clears the space of any negative energy or bad spirits and helps the dead find their way.
Pan de muertos: a special Day of the Dead Bread
A glass of water: Water is the source of life and represents purity. It quenches the thirst of the spirits.

Mary Oliver writes on San Miguel de Allende

First Days in San Miguel de Allende

by Mary Oliver

The flagellated Christ
is being carried
to San Miguel de Allende.
He must be very heavy

yet the carriers persist
upon the sun flashed road
and the people follow

in the same way that people would seek
a river heard of but never yet found.
they are that thirsty...

2.

I have come, for the first time, to Mexico.
And what has happened
to that intense ambition

with which I always wake?
Soaked up
in the colors, stolen
by the blood Christs.

I am feeling something, incredibly,
like peace...

3.
the tops of the northbound trains are dangerous.
Still, they are heaped with hopefuls.

I understand their necessity.
Understanding, however, it not sharing.

Oh, let there be a wedding of the
mind and the heart, if not today
then soon.

Meanwhile, let me change my own life
into something better.

Meanwhile, on the streets of San Miguel de Allende
it is easy to smile.
"Hola," I say to the children.
"Hi," they say, as I pass

with my passport, and money, in my pocket.

Too much fun!

Libro de Ofrendas! 

We are having so much fun creating the project, Libro de Ofrendas, for our upcoming retreat in San Miguel de Allende. 


And, we're in discussions about our project for Santa Fe 2013 too! Registration for that retreat will open very soon. Colonial Santa Fe ~ A mixed media artist's quilt. Piecing together the spirit of Old and New Mexico.

Libro de Ofrendas

Libro de Ofrendas by Laurie Mika

This is the project we'll be creating at our retreat in San Miguel de Allende in October, Laurie's version. Gorgeous, huh? 
We're busy finalizing details for our 2013 retreat in Santa Fe. Stay tuned!

Sugar Skulls for Dia dia de los Muertos

Our retreat in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico will take place during Dia de los Muertos. There's a fantastical variety of sugar skull decoration to inspire us and maybe create our own...

art and margaritas

Laurie Mika was in Mexico recently, doing 'research' for our retreat.

Reverse Glass Painting

Lynn Leahy, Leslie Harris, Laurie Mika and Helen Shafer Garcia

We are having so much fun! We've been meeting at each other's homes and teaching each part of our wonderful Libro de Ofrendas for our upcoming retreat. This time, we met at Lynn Leahy's and she taught us reverse glass painting. So fun, so engrossing that in 6 hours I took only these 4 photos!

Helen Shafer Garcia's glass painting

Laurie Mika's glass painting

Jane LaFazio's glass painting

Fabulous book covers!

Jane LaFazio's first ever polymer tiles! 

We four teachers have been meeting and making our project for our upcoming mixed media art retreat this year in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. And we are loving this project! Here are some of the results from when we met at Laurie Mika's last month, and she taught us how to make these tiles.

Jane's work in progress

Laura Mika's

Jane LaFazio's

Leslie Harris' (our retreat coordinator)

Jane's tiles

I'll photo Helen Shafer Garcia's and Lynn Leahy's and show you those too!

Mini workshop at Helen Shafer Garcia's

Helen Shafer Garcia demonstrating book binding, in her studio.

We love our 2012 Dia de los Muertos Libre de Ofrenda retreat project so much, we're meeting at each other's houses for mini workshops to create the project ourselves!

This time, Helen Shafer Garcia hosted us in her backyard, for paste papers and book binding.

Laurie Mika painting papers

paste papers

Our book papers drying in the sun

Our San Miguel de Allende workshop for 2012 is full, and we're planning our next art retreat for  Santa Fe, New Mexico,  April 21-28, 2013.

mini workshop with Jane LaFazio

Laurie Mika's watercolors

Helen Shafer Garcia's watercolors

We are continuing to host mini- workshops for each other, doing our fabulous project for Libro de Ofrenda's workshop. Jane LaFazio hosted the artists are her house, and they spend a lovely afternoon painting watercolors.

Mini workshop with Laurie Mika

Helen Shafer Garcia, Leslie Harris, Jane LaFazio and Laurie Mika
(Lynn Leahy couldn't attend) 

We met yesterday at Laurie Mika's for a mini workshop. Laurie taught us how she makes her gorgeous polymer mixed media mosaics. She is the master of this technique and you can tell we had fun!

Laurie Mika, about to bake our polymer tiles

Our October 2012 San Miguel art retreat is full! Wait list only. We're thrilled at the response for this retreat. Thank you!


Our plans are shaping up for a mixed media art retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico in late April/early June of 2013 (email to be put on the interest list) and another retreat to beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in 2014.

Planning sessions!

 (l ro r) Helen Shafer Garcia, Leslie Harris, Lynn Leahy and Laurie Mika.
Not pictured Jane LaFazio, who was taking the photo.

Lots of planning goes into an art retreat, especially a destination retreat like our upcoming Libro de Ofrendas in San Miguel de Allende. True, it's not until October 27, but we are hard at work on the details! By the way, it's nearly sold out! Only about 3 spots left.

La Calavera Catrina

by Helen Shafer Garcia

by Lynn Leahy

It's never too early or too late to create Day of the Dead themed artwork... Only a few spots left for our art retreat to San Miguel de Allende

Beautiful and Safe

San Miguel de Allende (photo from Gadling)

San Miguel de Allende was again, named one of Mexico's 10 safest destinations. But we knew that...The retreat is nearly filled..

skeletons and corazon

Jane LaFazio here. We won't be working with cloth on our mixed media art retreat to San Miguel de Allende, but I thought this might get you in the mood for Dia de los Muertos! By the way, I think there are only 10 spaces left!