This spring Margaret took a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This is part II: Shopping

“The scenery in San Miguel was incredible. Everything was so colorful. The city is full of artists and artisans making beautiful fine art and every day objects according to techniques and traditions that are centuries old. One of my favorite stops was the ceramist in Dolores just outside of San Miguel who made unique sink bowls. I bought one for my house, one for the MDI bathroom, and a few more to use in my clients’ homes. They ship all over the world, so we had ours shipped home.

 

 

 

Another of my favorite stops was the candle maker.

The artisans make these incredible large candles one dip at a time. They start as just wicks tied to the round red wheel. The bucket below is wax kept hot on a propane-fired pedestal. The artisan turns the wheel and dips each candle individually. By the time a candle makes a round trip, it’s cool enough for another dip and another layer.

Speaking of hot wax, several of my traveling companions took an encaustic painting class while we were there. Encaustic paintings are created with pigmented beeswax heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Paintings are made by layering wax with a natural bristle brush called a hake. Every layer of wax is gently fused to the one before with a heat gun. The result is a colorful, layered painting with lots of energy and movement. It’s fascinating and I was excited to buy one for our art collection.

I had a great time shopping in San Miguel and I brought back lots of beautiful treasures to share with my clients. I can’t wait to go back.”

– Margaret