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​Painting the Brilliant Colors and Light of San Miguel de Allende

with Karen O'Neil

March 6 - 14, 2017

 Costs include lodging, all breakfasts prepared daily by our own chef, 24/7 access to painting studio, transportation to out of town painting locations and pick up and drop off at airport. Our lodging consists of Casa de la Noche, Casa Manana and Casa Contenta. We have one room remaining - Click here to see these gorgeous rooms.
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painting by Karen O'Neil
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We will spend several days painting in and around El Jardin - see some images below.
Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards 2013 chooses San Miguel as the number one travel destination in the world! 
Here is a short video tour of San Miguel.
If your spouse or non-painting friend comes along we have a bevy of things for them to do: a favorite is a tour of local pyramids… or day trip to Guanajuato, horse back riding , bike rentals, a  culinary tasting tour, organic markets, Tuesday flea market...cooking classes, Spanish classes, la gruta hot springs, yoga, massages, a bird sanctuary tour and more!

In order to register you must contact Robert Telenick at the Art Students League of New York:
212-247-4510 or email him here.

The city boasts some of Mexico's best craft shops and fine art boutiques. The variety of merchandise is exceptional, as is the workmanship. Its dining scene is top notch Nouvelle Mexican cuisine. Plus a diverse assortment of international dining options have given San Miguel a reputation for having the best "small town" dining in Mexico. The food is incredibly delicious and so affordable, especially considering the strength of the dollar against the peso. All this plus a diverse assortment of international dining options have given San Miguel a reputation for having the best "small town" dining in Mexico.
Here's one of my painting groups in el Jardin on a sunny day.

I wrote that this is one of the most painter friendly towns anywhere.. well, it certainly is. I've been bringing groups there for 13 years and have fallen in love with the place, the colors, the food, the painting subject matter and the central focus that art has. The population of San Miguel includes roughly 15% ex-pat Americans. Folks like us who went down there for a visit but decided to make a life for themselves there. Some of the most well known photography schools make an annual pilgrimage to San Miguel. And the food? Well, there are some fantastic restaurants and I know many of them - with prices that won't break the bank. And don't forget that because art is so important there you will find two nice art supply stores - one of them being real close to our lodging.
Here are some facts about traveling in Mexico
Your dollar, euro or pound will go a long way in Mexico. For example: 1 1/2 years ago a dinner in San Miguel costing 220 Pesos equaled $22. And today? That same 220 Peso dinner now equals $10!
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The most convenient form of money in Mexico is a major international credit card or debit card, preferably two if you have them. Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards can be used to obtain cash easily from ATMs in Mexico. You should know that ATM machines are not nearly as ubiquitous as they are in the states. I like to bring a couple of hundred dollars in pesos before I get down there. Makes life simpler.
Electric outlets are like ours... no adapters needed.
Contact your bank before leaving to make sure they know you're going to be in Mexico so that your ATM card is not blocked.
And definitely contact your cell phone service provider to find out about roaming charges, if any.
Internet cafes are all over the place as is wireless access should you decide to bring your own computer - as I always do.
Don’t drink the water also means don’t drink the ice! Check with your hotel or restaurant if the ice is made with purified water, same goes for anything that would be washed in water during preparation like salads. Most hotels will provide bottled or purified water for you. Most restaurants also will have good water. If you go to an out of the way little eating joint I would think twice about drinking that water! Please note that the Casa de la Noche water has state of the art water purification throughout the house!
I always tell people who come on my France workshops to say - as often as possible: merci and s'il vous plait. In Mexico say: gracias and por favor equally often.
Pharmacies are about as abundant as internet cafes. But bring your own meds with you.. and do NOT check them in with your baggage. Carry them on board.

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That's all very interesting but how the heck do I get there??
There are two very nice ways to get to San Miguel. One is to fly into Leon International Airport (BJX airport code), about 1½ hour drive from San Miguel. I will arrange van transportation from the airport to the hotel. United, Delta, American and AeroMexico will get you to either Houston or Dallas and from there you would take a connecting flight to Leon. The other is to fly into Queretaro (QRO airport code) which is actually a little closer to San Miguel than the airport in Leon. An alternative is to fly into Mexico City on any number of carriers and again take a connecting flight to Leon OR a luxury bus directly to San Miguel. I can help you work out your itinerary. Whether you fly into Leon or Queretaro I will arrange van pick up for you. T
he dates are the 6th to the 14th of March so those are also your traveling days - unless you get there early or stay late - leave the states on the 6th and leave San Miguel on the 14th. I will arrange pick up at Mexico City but I do not pay for that - just pick up at Leon or Queretaro.
1WorldArtTravel
69 bank Street Suite 102. NY, NY 10014-2184
phone: 212-414-8875 fax: 866-501-6873
e-mail: philip@1worldarttravel.com