Location: Alma del Sol Studio and Guest House in Guanajuato, Mexico
Join us in Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) of Guanajuato for a week long sketching retreat taught by Rita Sabler. We will be hosted by the owner of Alma del Sol Mexican artist and print maker Hugo Anaya.

Participants: All level of drawing ability including beginners, able to walk up to 2 miles per day.
The group size is limited to 15 people.

Cost

Early bird (before Aug 15) $560
Regular price (after Aug 15) $675

The cost Includes:
25 hours of instruction
Opening reception with drinks and appetizers
Help with logistics and language as needed

The cost does not include

Transportation
Room and Board
Entry to museums, parks
Printing workshop on Wednesday

About Guanajuato

Guanajuato is located in central Mexico. The colorful town is surrounded by the mountains and boasts rich history, beautiful architecture, unique culture, and mild climate. Formally a silver mining place, the town of Guanajuato is now the Unesco World Heritage site popular with artists, musicians and students. It is famous for its colonial Baroque and neoclassical architecture, narrow streets, colorful homes scattered on the mountains, cozy plazas, relaxed pace of life, and great food.

About the workshops

Rita’s workshops are always well structured, characterized by a step-by-step approach, and centered on students’ goals. Students of all levels report that the instruction is engaging and inspirational. Immersive on-location workshops tend to lead to rapid improvement in technique in the course of one week. Read the testimonials at the bottom of the page from the previous Guanajuato workshop participants.

Before heading to Guanajuato Rita will meet with students on Zoom to determine their interests, goals and discuss sketching materials.

This workshop is ideal for:

• Sketchers of any level of drawing ability, hungry to learn and improve their skills

• Adventurous souls who thrive in beautiful, dynamic and lively places

• Folks who are in good physical shape (Guanajuato is quite hilly and there will be some walking to and from our sketching spots)

• Folks who love good company–there is a certain degree of camaraderie that develops in the course of the week as we sketch, share meals, stories, and laughs together.

• Adventurous souls who are comfortable traveling internationally, being surrounded by foreign language and are not afraid to be on their own in a foreign country.

Getting there

Guanajuato has an airport with daily direct flights from many cities in the US and Mexico. Ask Hugo for help with arranging airport transfers. The airport code is BJX.

Cancelations

50% refund before Aug 15
No refunds after Aug 15

Full refund in the unlikely event that the workshops are canceled by the instructor or the host.

Participants are highly encouraged to purchase travel insurance for protection against any circumstances that might require cancellation or change of travel arrangements.

Accommodations

Reserving a workshop does not reserve accommodations, meals or transportation for your stay. In order to keep the costs down and give you maximum flexibility workshop participants make their own arrangements, while we are here to help guide.

Staying at Alma de Sol
Alma de Sol is located in the very center of the city with a terrace overlooking the city and the mountains. Your stay includes a delicious daily breakfast and a happy hour margarita prepared by Hugo and served up on the terrace.

The cost of 7 nights of stay in a room shared by 2 people is $350 per person, includes the use of studio and a daily breakfast and is reserved directly with Hugo Anaya. Email info@almadelsol.com to reserve.

Staying at other hotels and/or bringing a non-sketching partner along

There are plenty of other accommodation options nearby to fit your taste and budget. We recommend that you pick something within 10 min walk of Alma del Sol , which will be our main hub.

You are more than welcome to bring a friend/partner along even if they do not sketch or at least, not yet. Guanajuato has plenty of things to keep them busy–from super cool museums to scenic walks and hikes. If you are not staying at Alma del Sol or Hotel del Color we invite you to join us for an amazing breakfast and coffee on the roof of Alma del Sol. It is an awesome opportunity to connect and set the mood for the day of sketching and exploring. The cost of breakfasts is $60 for the entire week for those who are not staying at Hugo’s hotel. You can pay directly to Hugo when you arrive.

Optional Print making workshop

On Wednesday you have an opportunity to take a printmaking workshop in Hugo’s beautiful art studio. Arrangements can be made by emailing info@almadelsol.com.

About Rita Sabler

Rita Sabler is an award winning artist, visual journalist, author, and educator based in Portland, Oregon, USA. In the span of her decade-long career as an educator and visual storyteller Sabler has inspired diverse audiences to cultivate a lifelong passion for urban sketching and reportage illustration. Her work has been featured in solo and group local and international shows. 

Read more

About Hugo Anaya

Hugo Anaya is a professional printmaker based in Guanajuato, Mexico with many years of experience both teaching and exhibiting. While attending Portland State University and Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland OR, he apprenticed under master printmakers which launched his professional path. His teaching style is personal, direct, and always tailored to accommodate the interests and needs of participants.

Questions?

Please contact urbansketcherspdx@gmail.com