Paint Oaxaca

Announcement number two. This is a huge one that we are announcing far in advance so you'll have time to dream and hopefully arrange so that you can join us. This time we're traveling to the gustatory center of the universe.

OAXACA!

September 6-14, 2014

Photo by Paula Fava

Here is the announcement in the words of our host, Kathie Vezzani:

"We are so excited to share this trip with you. Oaxaca is a beautiful city filled with breathtaking beauty, people, architecture, food (moles, lots of them), and most importantly, art. Especially the art we will make with Judy and Katie. 

There will be an introduction to Oaxacan arts and crafts with former gallery owner, Mary Jane Gagnier, author of Oaxaca Celebrations.

We will see the famous black pottery and visit the nearby village where the colorful albreijes or wooden carvings are made with a demonstration on how they use natural ingredients for painting, including the cochineal bug from the maguey cactus. We have warned the cochineal farm where we will visit, that you will want to buy some of this unique and fabulous powder for your paintings. 

There will be four full days of classes with Judy and Katie with little surprises thrown in here and there, and yes, one may include chocolate. Judy is preparing a fabulous class with a guest artist on painting ex-votos on tin. You won’t want to miss this! Our guest artist is fabulous!

Katie is devising painting classes that will incorporate interpreting Mexican artists and a treasure hunt at the huge Abastos Mercado. And they have more surprises for us as we Paint Oaxaca. 

More in depth descriptions of their classes will be forthcoming later in December.

We can’t be in Oaxaca without experiencing the food. There will be two classes, one with Pastry Chef Ana Elena Martinez from Puebla and one at Susana Trilling’s Season of My Heart cooking school. You can read more at www.seasonsofmyheart.com 

On the way to Susana’s we will stop at the beautiful Centro de Las Artes de San Agustín (CASA) where you will want to apply for an artist’s sabbatical, and down the hill we will visit the Arte Papel in Vista Hermosa La Fabrica de Papal where you can buy colorful handmade paper, necklaces and earrings, all made from paper. 

Now meet our friend, Emelia Arroyo Cabrera.

Isn't she beautiful? She is the matriarch of the Cabrera family with whom we will be staying in Oaxaca at 

Casa de las Bugambilias is a striking modern house decorated with contemporary art, local folk art and antiques in a minimalist aesthetic promoting peace and restfulness. It is located just one block from the legendary baroque Santo Domingo Cathedral and Cultural Museum. 

http://lasbugambilias.com/the-houses/las-bugambilias/ 

Her daughter, Pilar is a chef and runs their cooking school and restaurant, La Olla, and she will prepare our meals. Most breakfasts and lunches will be on site at Bugambilias. 

A welcoming fiesta is planned on the rooftop, and four dinners, including a final meal at Orijen, one of the most sought after reservations in Oaxaca. 

You will also meet Rene, Emilia’s son who will be with us as a tour guide and his wife, Adriana helps run the three B&B’s. It’s truly a family run business. 

El Secreto 

And here is where Emilia offers the temazcal that purifies your mind, body and spirit. She is an extraordinary healer. You can sign up for this service and/or a massage. 

For more information and images: http://lasbugambilias.com/services/temazcal/ 

You may also sign up to see the Ethnobotaniacal Gardens. 

We hope you can join us for this extraordinary opportunity to 

Paint Oaxaca with Katie Kendrick and Judy Wise 

Included in the price is 8 night’s accommodation, breakfasts, lunches (except one), 4 dinners, welcoming fiesta, two cooking classes. It does not include airfare or transfers from the airport ($20 taxi ride). Price is $2,980 and the trip will be limited to 14 participants 

There are a limited number of single rooms so register early. A nonrefundable deposit of $500 is due now with the remaining payment due May 1. Installments can be made for the remaining balance. 

Contact Kathie Vezzani at kathievezzani@yahoo.com to register or if you have questions. 

Kathie and Ana Elena have been leading culinary tours to Mexico for over 17 years."

Katie and I are working on our class samples all this month and will have a separate post to show you what we plan to present. We'll offer daily painting classes and will do all we can to insure a safe and joyful trip for each participant.

 We think the cooking classes will be a fabulous experience to add to our offering as a trip to Oaxaca would not be complete without experiencing the incredible food of this culture. One of the things that makes the food here so unusual is that Oaxaca is surrounded by mountains and scores of micro climate zones that have given rise to a great diversity of plant life and the cuisines they inspired. We are going to absorb art, color, food and joy in equal abundance.

Oh my.