The Workshop

Join artists Claire Tollstrup and Lynne Millar, alongside floral designer Marianne Bates, for an immersive 5-day art retreat in San Miguel de Allende — recently named the #1 city in the world by Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards.

We’ve reserved boutique hotel Casa Delphine for our homebase as we create, explore, and soak in one of the world's most beautiful cities in the heart of Mexico.

This will be our 4th year hosting a workshop in San Miguel, and the 6th workshop we’ve taught together. We're making this group smaller — just 5 shared rooms available — and (for the first time ever) adding a full day to the retreat. Both changes mean more time to slow down, more time to explore San Miguel, and more one-on-one time with Claire, Lynne, and Marianne.

Our days will be spent oil painting, plein-air sketching, learning principles of flower design, eating delicious food, and soaking in this walkable jewel-box of a city, based from Casa Delphine — a boutique hotel set within San Miguel's zona histórico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

RESERVE

Sanctuary Workshop & Retreat January 24-29

 

Meet Your Instructors

Claire Tollstrup & Lynne Millar
Claire and Lynne bring a combined 30+ years of oil painting experience to this workshop. They've taught numerous classes and workshops both together and independently, and are seasoned travelers when it comes to painting on the road — they love nothing more than soaking in a new culture and landscape and exploring it through oil paint. Their painting styles complement one another beautifully, and together they offer participants a variety of teaching approaches and perspectives. Find Lynne’s work on instagram @artbylynnemillar, and Claire @clairetollstrup.art.

Marianne Bates
Marianne is a highly sought-after floral designer based in Southern California (find her work on instagram @PoseyPop). Her fine art florals have been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings and Style Me Pretty, and she brings that same eye for color, texture, and composition to her workshops. Her floral session and beautiful tablescapes offer a fresh, sensory dimension to the retreat — pairing beautifully with the painting classes as another way to explore San Miguel's abundant natural beauty.

 

When

January 24 - 29, 2027

Price 

$3,550 Per Attendee (shared room)

Included

  • Boutique hotel accommodation for 5 nights at Casa Delphine

  • Breakfast each morning

  • All workshop classes and activities - daily oil painting classes, floral design segment, one-on-one feedback, city and market tours

  • Group dinners on the first and last evenings

Not Included

  • Airfare & transportation — Casa Delphine's staff can help you book a car to and from the airport (we recommend splitting the cost with fellow attendees), or arrange bus transport

  • Lunches and dinners outside of the two included group dinners

  • Art supplies — a full supply list will be sent to participants ahead of time

Add Ons

  • Signature spa treatments including in-room massage arranged by Casa Delphine

 
 

Why San Miguel de Allende & Casa Delphine

San Miguel de Allende was just named the #1 city in the world — for the third year running — in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards, voted on by more than 207,000 readers. It's a rare distinction: this cobblestoned colonial city in Mexico's highlands has now topped the list five times, prized by travelers for its architecture, arts scene, and food.

Casa Delphine, our home base for the week, is an intimate five-suite hotel tucked into the historic center, a short walk from La Parroquia. It's been recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best hotels in Mexico, and has been featured in Forbes, The Telegraph UK, Luxury Travel Magazine, and Caribbean Journal. We’ve come to love its warm, attentive staff, thoughtfully designed rooms, and perfect location and are so grateful to be returning.