Basically it’s a diary of your experiences, but with a few drawings and other visual elements to enrich it. A travel journal is more than just a diary though, it’s a record of the in-the-moment impressions which occur so vividly when we travel. Think you can’t draw or paint? This is a lie that was told to you, probably while in school at some point. ALL of us are born creative beings but the world seems keen to tell us otherwise. In my workshops we breakdown these barriers to our in-born creativity. With a number of exercises you too can learn to make one of a kind travelogues of the world as you meet it. Whether you are traveling abroad, or simply noticing the beauty in your own back yard.m description

You’ve heard about the cultural and historical beauty of Latin America but you want to travel with a group to a trusted place with people who know their way around. You’d like to find your own visual voice, even if it’s only been a whisper to you thus far. You are curious and want to explore this iconic, World UNESCO Heritage destination as more than “just a tourist”. You are “art curious” and want to find a way to live more creatively.

You can send me an email at abeefrnd@gmail.com and I will send you my mailing address to send a non-refundable deposit  (or payment in full if you prefer) via check.  I can accept PayPal or Venmo but will add a service fee of 3%. 

A deposit of $250 USD is non-refundable.  Once you pay in full, the balance is refundable up until December 31.

Your registration covers:

Workshop instruction and guided exercises.  Lodging at Posada San Sebastián in the heart of Antigua.  All meals (see more information on food below), access to beautiful sketching opportunities all around town, and transport to and from Guatemala City airport.

Travel expenses (airfare,  personal art supplies (a suggested packing list will be sent in advance), souvenirs, etc.

A detailed packing list will be provided but you will need a sketchbook, small watercolor kit and drawing supplies, a bag or satchel in which to comfortably carry your supplies, comfortable clothing and footwear.

The week is comprised of five, very full workshop days.  We meet to walk to breakfast around 8 am, after which we return to the Posada to grab our art supplies and head out to sketch. Midday we eat a small lunch snack and continue to work at the Posada in the shaded courtyard during the heat of the day. We break for dinner around 5 pm and walk as a group to another one of Antigua’s amazing restaurants. After dinner we gather on the roof top to watch the city and its surroundings from above.

Welcome to the club!!! Our days are structured so as to strike a balance between a lovely sense of community we build with each other throughout the week and the very real need for reflection and time alone in which to integrate this wonderful week. In this course there is plenty of space for down time, at the Posada or wandering the shops and streets of Antigua if you’d like.

Antigua is a food lover’s PARADISE! We sample many wonderful restaurants during our stay. If you opt to join us for both weeks, we can return to your favorites or keep sampling new places! Because of the leisurely pace of meals in Antigua and Central America in general, we usually have a big breakfast in a restaurant, a lunch snack back at the Posada and another larger dinner early in the evening. We will have plenty of snacks on hand as well and there is a kitchen at the Posada for leftovers. Since Antigua is such a tourism gem, the food in the city is safe to eat.

Workshop participants are responsible for their own flight arrangements but we are happy to make broad suggestions if needed.  You will get a flight into Guatemala City where a private driver will meet you and bring you up to Antigua.

(…and other conditions?)

This time of year the weather is cool in the mornings, can get warm at mid day and then mild in the evenings. You can get by with a light wrap or sweater. The altitude is at about 7000’ which is considered “high tropical” climate. We make sure you have plenty of filtered water on hand to stay hydrated!

“Beginners” are truly my favorite kinds of students to work with as, for one thing, it takes a lot of courage to be an adult beginner in a new thing, especially in art!  You definitely do NOT need to be an artist to take this class.  You just need to be a curious human being who wants to collect and document the beauty around you.  The most inspiring place to start is in a beautiful place such as Antigua!  Trust me, you CAN learn the basics in one week.  The rest is really about practice.

Absolutely!!  I have been an artist my whole life and eventually went to art school and developed my series of workshops.  I still learn new things everyday!  When fellow working artists join my classes I often learn as much from them as they hopefully do from me. You can use the workshop time to gather beauty, try some fresh exercises and meet new friends.  Every artist needs the occasional getaway to fill the well of creativity.  Over the years I have had many professionals along for the workshops and everyone’s horizons are broadened along the way. 

There is time built into each day for shopping around town. During our many years of visiting Antigua we have developed relationships with a number of local vendors so we will point you in the right direction to find the right souvenir or textile. Our afternoons can be spent working in our journals but if you fancy a nap that’s fine too! There is time for everything.

This is probably my most asked question on this particular workshop trip. Like all countries in the world, my own included, Guatemala has it’s troublesome places and there is no guarantee of perfect safety anywhere. That said, Antigua is built for tourism. There is visible security around this walkable town and it is well lit at night. People are kind, and folks who live and work in Guatemala City come up to Antigua to visit. It is truly a destination and you will often hear many different languages spoken from all around the world when wandering the cobbled streets in search of a special textile or trinket. Past participants in this workshop have felt right at home in no time and I have plenty of returnees. I am happy to discuss this further with you if you’d like. Just send me a message via the form below.

There is so much to do and see and sketch in Antigua that you might not see it all in one week. If you decide to join us for two weeks, we will make sure there are no repeats (unless you want them!)

Also, those who decide to stick around will be treated to the overnight at the Posada and breakfast on the day of arrival by the second week’s attendees.

As you read about going to Guatemala, you’ll see that a popular destination is Lake Atitlán (some locals refer to it as the ‘belly button of the world’). If you would like to fold in a visit to Lake Atitlán we can provide some direction on how to plan that outside of our workshop. It’s worth a visit for sure! If you are coming to Guatemala for the first time, Antigua might very well be enough! I can guarantee, once you’ve been there, you will definitely want to return!