BOTANICAL DRAWING IN EL SALVADOR

May 11 - 18, 2024

About

On the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the small beautiful country of El Salvador has a wonderful problem…everything grows, everywhere, all the time. Thanks to a volcanic mountain range, the soil is extremely fertile. To add to the problem, the air is humid. These conditions make for an excessively lush and beautiful landscape with a wide range of plant species.

Away from the salty sea air, in the higher altitudes of the country, Jardin Celeste (Heavenly garden) has taken advantage of these conditions and created an oasis for thousands of plants to flourish. In a landscape of coffee plant farms, Jardin Celeste has nestled a few cabins into the full landscape for people to experience the true beauty of El Salvador.

For a full week at the beginning of May, artist Mark Vazquez-Mackay invites you to explore the rich form and colours of the landscape by responding to it through art making. Unlike most of Studio Vazquez-Mackay’s excursions, this retreat is designed to bring calm and focus to your love of art and nature. In addition to beautiful grounds with cabins, Jardin Celeste also has a wonderful open air restaurant that has some of the finest El Salvadorian cuisine. Additionally, we will visit the neighbouring coffee farm property. There, we will learn about the industry from plant growth to tasting some delicious coffee grown there. Mid week, we will take a day-trip to the magical town of Ataco where we can learn about the local crafts.

The retreat will be hosted by both Mark & Carmen Vazquez-Mackay. Mark will be offering daily art lessons to help you represent the organic. Carmen, who was born and raised close to the site, will offer daily Spanish lessons and share some points about the El Salvadorian culture and history. And finally, a local gardener from the property will share some information about the local horticultural practices.

No art making experience is required, only a love for nature.

Art Materials

We are going to work out of sketchbook in a documentary style. Your visual responses to the environment will include drawings of the botanicals, written observations and findings, colour and texture studies, and even physical collecting of found materials.

For this approach, the recommended material list is: