About Us
History of the IWS-SMA
Susan Santiago
Susan Santiago, an artist and owner of the Galeria San Francisco, always had a dream of moving to San Miguel de Allende and opening a gallery, where she would showcase her work, as well the work of fellow artists living in San Miguel. The gallery is committed to promoting talented artists, who live in San Miguel de Allende, as well offering an educational experience in the arts. The gallery offers a large variety of art classes throughout the year, taught by experienced teachers, and working artists, all of whom show their work in the gallery.
Linda Whynman
Linda Whynman and her husband, Saul, retired to San Miguel de Allende over 20 years ago from New York. Linda has been involved in art and art education her entire professional career. She has taught art from kindergarten level to Masters Degree programs. She was also the Arts in Education Director in New York State. Her areas of media expertise include watercolor and computer graphics.
She has designed books for several authors and her paintings are represented in galleries and homes in the US, Europe, Russia & Mexico.
She is represented by Galeria San Francisco where she gives watercolor classes year round.
www. whynmanarts.org
“When I’m sketching and painting, I am fully present in the moment. It is a deeply pleas-urable and creative experience. It keeps me centered. Then later on, when I look at a painting I have completed, I remember the all the sounds, the temperature, the people who passed by, and the entire plein air experience. This process has helped me to love Mexico even more – and it’s a process I’d like to share with you!”
Lorie Topinka
Since retiring and moving to San Miguel de Allende 11 years ago, Lorie has explored art as a way of documenting and sharing her visual impressions of Mexico. She has authored two books featuring plein air watercolors of the beautiful countryside and historical treasures around San Miguel de Allende.
Lorie and Linda Whynman, co-illustrator of these books, have staged two exhibits of these scenes of the Mexican countryside and with artist, Kambria Anton, Lorie has exhibited her pastels of local prickly pear cacti, Opuntia sp. Her watercolors and pastels are in private collections in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
As a watercolor and pastel artist in San Miguel de Allende, Lorie has always been drawn to the bold colors and iconic images of Mexico. “Whatever I am painting, I get lost, for a time, in the looking and seeing. There is no time; no distance; no separation between me and the object or scene—this creative process is joyful and I try to represent, with color, this joy.”
Lorie has recently relocated to Davis, California.
