Art workshop Journaling + Culture in Oaxaca & Puebla, Mexico 2026

Art Journaling Workshop Oaxaca to Puebla: watercolor, mixed media/collage, ephemera hunt 2026

art workshop with watercolor + natural pigments, mixed media/collage + culture immersion
with Oaxacan artist Pedro Cruz Pacheco + Corrie McCluskey
DATES: January 9–19, 2026
Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico

ART + CULTURE ADVENTURE IN THE HEART OF OAXACA and PUEBLA, MEXICO

Searching for a totally unique art experience that will fill you up with fresh inspiration? Are you hooked on visual journaling and want to paint and collage while immersing yourself in Mexican culture? Imagine yourself on a vintage ephemera hunt in a picturesque alley full of antique stores and an antiquities bazaar, and returning to art class with your treasures. Experiment with some rich, earthy watercolors made with locally sourced natural pigments.

This workshop is for creative hunter gatherers and cultural explorers who enjoy expressing themselves visually…or complete beginners who have always wanted to learn how. First, a week-long deep dive into the art and culture of magical Oaxaca, with its soulful art scene, indigenous culture, and rich culinary and artisanal traditions. We’ll visit ancient ruins and artisan villages for weaving, papermaking, and red clay. Then, a weekend escape to beautiful Puebla to search for vintage ephemera and collage sessions with found treasures in a beautiful hotel right in the heart of the historic city center.

Our workshops are different. We mix our Oaxaca art classes with carefully curated private field trips – we meet master artists and artisans in their studios out in the far flung pueblos, sit with them to hear their stories, get to know their process and cultural traditions, share an intimate afternoon with them. Then we bring these experiences into our art classes.

Pedro & Corrie began a tradition of art adventures – hitting the road armed with a portable studio in a suitcase: a basic painting & collage kit, a box of paper & fabric scraps and torn fragments of painting experiments. They discovered the Callejón de Los Sapos (Alley of the Frogs) in the historical city center of Puebla, a street lined with tantalizing antique/junktique shops and a weekend antiquities bazaar, spent afternoons hunting for vintage ephemera, and found great joy in creating with the treasures gathered on their scavenger hunt. This is an escape to fill the creative well and recharge the artist soul…and we want to share that experience with you!

Above: Santo Domingo Church, Oaxaca / Below: Callejón de Los Sapos, Puebla

Focus of this workshop: This workshop is a combination of watercolor painting and visual/art journaling with mixed media (in a sketchbook or on loose paper) to develop your unique visual voice and mark making by playing with different materials. The art classes feature watercolor painting with Pedro–who incorporates personal symbols, talismans, Oaxacan culture, and the natural world into his work–and mixed media/collage and experimenting with mark making with Corrie where you’ll be surprised by what shows up on paper, find the imagery that resonates with you…take risks and let go of needing to be perfect. We’ll experiment with some watercolor paints made from natural pigments, and you’ll use Oaxaca-sourced handmade paper in an artist book you create to take home.

Who should attend this workshop: This workshop is for artists & creative people who want to explore watercolor, mixed media/collage, painting with natural pigments, mark making with India ink and other simple materials – all while taking a deep dive into the art, culture, and real ancestral traditions of Oaxaca, and exploring a historical barrio in Puebla. Folks who are flexible, have an open, curious mind, and are willing to step out of their comfort zone will feel most at home. We expect everyone to participate fully in the workshop throughout the week.

Nurture your creative soul with us: Your life will shift with this retreat – it will stoke the fire within to feed your mind, body, and soul. Many visitors to Oaxaca never make it past the tourist center – we will go direct to the heart and soul of this ancient place – the streets, studios, kitchens, and markets – and get to know the people and traditions with their rich culture, food, and art. And then we’ll head to Puebla for a fabulous weekend of discovery and collage play with antique photos, paper ephemera, old books and maps.

Workshop details:

• All levels, 5 days of art + culture workshop in the heart of Oaxaca, Mexico
• 2-1/2 days of ephemera hunt + mixed media/collage fun in Puebla, Mexico
• Group field trips with private van
• Maximum 10 participants
• 7 nights in Oaxaca in our hotel built in the 17th century, located one block from the zocalo square in the city’s historic center and within walking distance of the huge indoor market, banks/ATMs, museums, galleries, shops and cafes
• 3 nights in a gorgeous 18th century hotel in Puebla’s historic city center, in the famous Barrio de Los Sapos filled with antique shops and a weekend antiquities bazaar
• art materials lists for both watercolor & mixed media – for all levels of art experience
• list provided of restaurants, museums & galleries, cool places to visit on your own

Preliminary itinerary:

• Day One: arrive in Oaxaca, check into hotel
• Day Two: all day class, group welcome dinner
• Day Three: AM field trip to Sunday market; PM studio visit of weavers + special lunch
• Day Four: AM field trip to renowned art center + papermaking studio, PM art class
• Day Five: AM field trip to Monte Albán archaeological ruins, lunch, PM art class
• Day Six: day off to explore on your own
• Day Seven: AM art class, PM field trip ancient tree in Tule + red clay artisan women’s collective
• Day Eight: AM trip to Puebla, PM orientation in antiques barrio
• Day Nine: AM ephemera hunt, PM art class
• Day Ten: all day art class + art show, group farewell dinner
• Day Eleven: depart Puebla

The art classes generally run from 10 am – 4 pm.

Our instructors:
Pedro Cruz Pacheco is a painter from Santa Cruz Amilpas, Oaxaca, Mexico who works in watercolor, oil, and mixed media. He left his job in a brickyard in 1999 and initially began his career as a self-taught artist. He spent 8 years apprenticing in the studio of master Oaxacan painter Felipe Morales, and showed & sold his work for years in Labastida Plaza in downtown Oaxaca (by Santo Domingo church). Pedro has exhibited in Mexico (Oaxaca, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Merida, Monterrey), Texas, and California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sonoma County, Eureka), and has taught watercolor workshops in Oaxaca and Baja, BCS, Mexico. Pedro’s style is very Oaxaca-influenced, with magic realism as an artistic point of view – a Mexican version of surrealism. His work is intimate, private, and incorporates personal symbols and talismans that reflect his own life experiences as well as the history and customs of Oaxaqueños. His work features bright, vivid colors and his own deeply personal and heart-felt spiritual view of the world around him.

Corrie McCluskey (workshop coordinator) is a visual artist originally from Northern California (now living in Oaxaca) who was a b&w photographer for two decades. She transitioned into visual journaling, mail art, collage, bookbinding and making artist books. She now focuses on mixed media on paper: collage, encaustic monotypes, abstract painting with natural pigments & India ink, graphite, cold wax with oil pigment sticks. Visual journaling is a part of her art expression: it’s all about process and discovery – a container for ideas and play with ephemera. She is a “Guidess”-in-training for people who feel unqualified or too intimidated to express their creativity because they think they can’t “do art”. For 20 years, she was a workshop and event coordinator, and she loves to bring small groups of people together and facilitate an amazing workshop experience.

Workshop location & lodging:

Our hotel in Oaxaca: Hotel Parador San Agustín
We have a block of 10 rooms reserved at Hotel Parador San Agustín, a 17th century building with a traditional courtyard and terrace (each room has either 2 double beds or 1 king bed, and private bathroom). Rooms are charming yet basic, clean and secure, and the hotel is centrally located one block from the zocalo square in the city’s historic center and within walking distance of the huge indoor market, banks/ATMs, museums, galleries, shops and cafes. Amenities: all rooms have private bathroom, TV, & free wifi; airport shuttle is available (w/ surcharge), breakfast at nextdoor restaurant (w/ surcharge), computer station, self-serve laundry facilities; upstairs floors accessible by stairs only, all rooms have fans only (no A/C).

Our art class location in Oaxaca: A private van will pick up the group daily from your hotel to bring you to Pedro & Corrie’s newly built “industrial rustic” Talismán Oaxaca art studios, located in a cornfield in Santa Cruz Amilpas (Pedro’s hometown), just 15 minutes from city center. We’ll have space to spread out, make a mess, play with materials, and just let loose with our creativity! And you’ll get to see and experience what small town life is like in the valley of Oaxaca.

Our hotel in Puebla: Hotel Casa de La Palma
We have a block of 10 rooms reserved for you at Hotel Casa de La Palma, an elegant home built in 1715 with a traditional courtyard (each suite has a king bed, or 2 double beds, and private bathroom). Suites feature beautiful wood furniture and original artwork, and the hotel is centrally located in Barrio de Los Sapos, a traditional neighborhood filled with antique shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, and just one block from the zocalo square in the city’s historic center. Amenities: all rooms have private bathroom & TV, free wifi, free breakfast, laundry service; upstairs floors accessible by stairs only. We will hold the art class in the lovely patio in the hotel’s courtyard.

Our hotel In Oaxaca

Our hotel in Puebla

Schedule:
arrival: in Oaxaca, Friday, January 9, 2026
art classes + field trips: 5 days in Oaxaca, 3 days in Puebla
day off: (no class or scheduled field trips) Wednesday, January 14
departure: from Puebla, Monday, January 19 (fly out of Puebla OR Mexico City)
airport: arrive @ Oaxaca Xoxocotlan International airport (OAX)
depart: @ Puebla International airport (PBC) – best option with 45-min van ride to PBC airport
               OR Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) – van ride is 2.5–3 hours to MEX airport

Trip fee, deadline & cancellation:
$2750 for workshop participants – deadline to register extended to 12/1/25

• 50% deposit with registration guarantees your space – register early before the workshop sells out.
• Deadline to register & pay deposit is extended to 12/1/25. (Deposits, reservations, and arrangements are made well in advance of the trip, so we need to receive your registration + deposit on time.)
• Balance is due by 10/15/25, or you can pay in full upon registration (deposit + trip fee).
• Deadline to register in class is extended to 12/1/25. No deposit or trip fee refund will be given after 8/1/25, NO EXCEPTIONS.
• If you must cancel, contact Corrie, the workshop coordinator, immediately. You can transfer your deposit & trip fee to another person, at no charge. If there is a wait list, we will give you the first name on the list to whom you can offer your spot. Otherwise, no refunds will be issued under any circumstances. We encourage you to purchase trip insurance with “Cancel for Any Reason” to cover your investment for unexpected circumstances.

Registration + payment online:
To register and pay online, click below. Your payment will be processed through PayPal.

 Price includes:

• Oaxaca hotel room in our group’s room block (rooms have either 2 double beds or 1 king bed + private bathroom)
• private van transportation (for all field trips, group dinners & excursions in Oaxaca, trip to Puebla)
• Oaxaca field trips to Sunday outdoor market; studio visits with weavers, master papermaker, red clay women’s collective, archaeological ruins of Monte Albán
• lunch provided for 1 day we stay in the art studio (day with no field trips)
• hotel room in Puebla (suites have either 2 double beds or 1 king bed + private bathroom)
• private group van transportation from hotel to Puebla airport – to catch flights home on 1/19 (if you decide to depart on a different day, you will pay for your own taxi)

Not included in price:

• airfare
• transportation from Oaxaca airport to our hotel (for arrival on 1/9/26)
• all other food & drinks (except for 1 lunch at art studio)
• required trip insurance

Required travel insurance: Why you need it: Oaxaca doesn’t have a robust healthcare system like you’re used to, so if you have a serious fall (sidewalks can be treacherous here), get sick, or the taxi you’re in has an accident, it could be very pricey to get you home for treatment. Therefore, we’re requiring everyone to purchase travel insurance for this trip (include medical evacuation of at least $50,000, international accident & health insurance including primary medical coverage, and trip cancellation coverage). There are also trip policies that include COVID cancellations. We recommend that you get PRIMARY medical coverage, not secondary. Proof of insurance must be sent to us at least 45 days before departure. We encourage you to purchase trip insurance immediately upon registering, with “Cancel for Any Reason” to cover you for unexpected circumstances – buy trip insurance WHEN YOU BOOK YOUR TRIP if you wish to have this extra coverage.

suggested provider: Squaremouth – https://www.squaremouth.com/travel-insurance-quotes More COVID policy info: https://www.squaremouth.com/press-room/travel-insurance-coronavirus
best choices on Squaremouth: – HTH Worldwide, TripProtector Preferred, includes COVID cancellation – Trawick Intl, Safe Travels Voyager, includes COVID cancellation – TinLeg Gold, includes COVID cancellation
another provider: https://www.insuremytrip.com

Oaxaca weather: January is pleasant – average 78°F (26°C) during the day, and 48°F (9°C) at night, and please know that most hotels and buildings in OAX do not have A/C; our hotel has fans in all the rooms. We will also have fans in our art studio, but no A/C.
Puebla weather: a bit milder, with average daytime temp of 71°F (22°C), and 44°F (7°C) at night. Our Puebla hotel does not have A/C.
For both locations, there’s a very small chance of rain in the afternoons – bring a jacket to wear in the evenings.

COVID-19 protocol: We no longer require proof of vaccination, although we highly recommend having the most current booster before traveling to Oaxaca (Covid still exists here); there is no advanced treatment or special medications available here. If you become ill with Covid during the workshop, we expect you to immediately separate yourself from our group, isolate, and make arrangements to return home. Please add COVID coverage to your travel insurance.

Health & walking, dietary restrictions: Oaxaca is high altitude at 5100 feet, and Puebla is 7085 feet – some people need a few days to acclimate if they are coming from sea level. Can you walk 6,000 steps a day unassisted at 7085 ft? If not, you will be unhappy on this trip, and we only accept travelers who are in good health and can walk uneven cobblestone streets (narrow, with high curbs) and don’t have mobility or breathing issues. Also, dietary restrictions could be tricky, although there are restaurants that have gluten free and vegan options. Corn is a key ingredient of Oaxacan cuisine & culture, and meat will be consumed at most restaurants we visit (there are a few vegetarian & vegan restaurants in the city center). Travelers will need to make personal accommodations and adjustments to meet group needs and schedule.

Valid passport: Also, be certain that your passport has at least six months on it before it expires from the date you enter Mexico – if not, you may not be allowed entry into the country by your airline.

Flights & getting to/from the airport:
airports: arrival in Oaxaca Xoxocotlán Intl airport (OAX) on 1/9/26, departure from Puebla airport (PBC) or Mexico City-Benito Juarez Intl airport (MEX) on 1/19/26
You will fly INTO Oaxaca City (OAX) on 1/9/26 and fly OUT OF either Puebla (PBC) or Mexico City (MEX) on 1/19/26. United currently has 1 daily nonstop direct flight from Puebla to Houston (IAH) that departs at 12:30 pm, so you have 2 options:
1) fly out of Puebla at the end of the workshop on Mon 1/19 on United (airport is 45 min drive from hotel)
2) take early morning private van (2.5 hr drive from hotel) to the MEX-Benito Juarez Intl airport on Monday, 1/19 to catch your flights home on other airlines. Book a flight that leaves around 2 pm or later from MEX.

NOTE: United has 1 nonstop flight daily TO Oaxaca from Houston (IAH). If you choose another airline, Oaxaca is a 45-minute flight from Mexico City (MEX), with many available connecting flights on AeroMexico, United, American, and other carriers (we don’t recommend Volaris as they are a low cost airline with bad customer service). NOTE: if you fly TO Oaxaca thru Mexico City, book flights that allow at least a 3-hr layover in order to make your flight to Oaxaca (the line for passport control can be long and you could miss your flight).
If you have questions about booking your flights, please contact Corrie the workshop coordinator.

Materials & suggestions:

• We don’t supply materials for participants, please bring your own.
• For mixed media / creative journaling materials: materials list here
• For watercolor – you can bring your favorite quality watercolor paints, brushes and paper. Here is an optional list with suggestions for those undecided about materials: materials list here

If you have questions:
For questions regarding the workshop, lodging or transportation, contact the workshop coordinator:
Corrie McCluskey at corrie[at]pedrocruzpacheco.com

ORIGINAL ART DIRECT FROM OAXACA, MEXICO
PEOPLE, ANIMALS, MAGICAL SCENES WITH SYMBOLS & TALISMANS