Guatemala 2026 Sketchbook Workshop - Part 1

I asked for a sign...

The wind blew my ancestors in from over the mountains

They hung over the lake like stars

My dreams brought the elders with long dark hair

Singing ancient songs woven with wisdom

Magic always comes in threes

In February of this year (2026) I travelled to Guatemala to attend Amy Bogard's Travel Journal Workshop.  My friend Joyanne and I planned to arrive early to travel before the beginning of class.

I flew into Guatemala City and took a taxi to Antigua to meet Joyanne.  

Meet in Antigua

Joyanne had flown in even earlier to go to the beach at Monterrico.  So we decided to meet at Posada San Sebastian for one night before heading out to... 

LAKE ATITLÁN

Panajachel

We took a taxi from Antigua to Panajachel.  It was about a three hour drive through the mountains.  I didn't take Dramamine, but I had it on hand in case I needed it.  I sat in the front seat and felt fine (although Joyanne felt a little car sick sitting in the back).

Our hotel, Hotel Jotam, was conveniently located within walking distance of the main street and the boat dock.  I really liked how clean and new our hotel was.  And it was a little back from the road so we didn't hear the traffic noise.  One day I accidentally left my window open and didn't realize it until we were out and about. I called the man at the front desk and he closed it for me.  Everything was in its place when I returned and it made me feel safe and well taken care of.  I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Panajachel.

After we arrived we decided to take a walk down the main street, Calle Santander, shown below.  It is a bustling street that leads down to the lake lined with shops, hotels, and restaurants.

We walked down to the lake and found ourselves at a restaurant called Atitlán Restaurante y Café.  The view was amazing, and I had my first limonada con soda, which was a burst of delicious flavor.  I can't remember the name of Joyanne's drink, but it was very pretty. 

You never know what will spark a sketch...but these three women I saw from the restaurant walking along the dock, were the inspiration for my first sketch (for reasons you will learn later...most of my sketches were done at home from photos).

Below you can see the first spread from my sketchbook.  I did the map of Guatemala before the trip.  And the map of Lake Atitlán was a map I re-made from a photo I took from a tourist agency along the main street.  I wish I could give credit to the artist, but I do not know where it came from.  Also, the corn image was inspired from an image on a napkin from 7 Caldos (great restaurant!)

Sketch Inspiration

We walked down to the public docks on our first full day at the lake.  These beautiful murals of embroidery motifs were painted along the walls on our way there.  Although they haven't made it into my sketchbook yet, I might tuck them in to empty spots from previous years.

Below you can see our first destination on the lake...San Juan La Laguna.  We weren't sure if we should take a private or public boat to get there.  When we arrived at the dock there was a man who gave us a pretty good deal to take just the two of us (I think it was around $60 in total).  I wasn't sure if we should just wait for the public boats which were around $3.  We hesitated a bit and then agreed to go with him in the private boat.

When we got in the boat the man indicated that we could sit in the bow so we could see.  But the man gunned the boat, and we took off, as my Dad would say, "like a bat out of hell."  Poor Joyanne slid right down into the hull.  I was very concerned when I looked down at her lying there.  She had recently had shoulder surgery and was being careful to protect it.  She managed to get up and sat in one of the seats, indicating she was OK.

Here is a photo of a justifiably pissed-off Joyanne and our driver.  Someone got an earful when we arrived.  I tried to help translate, but she didn't really need a translator...I think he understood.  On the way back we took the public boat.  We had a wonderful time chatting with our fellow travelers and seeing all the stops.  I would recommend the public boat to anyone travelling across the lake.

Aside from the incident, the ride was stunningly beautiful.

Below is one of my favorite photos from the trip...liquid lake, hazy sun, and volcano-clouds.

I was also inspired to sketch one of the houses we saw as we made our way to San Juan La Laguna.  It looked like a castle embedded into a hill.  

Each day

the sun

water

and wind

painted the mountains

a different shade of joy

San Juan La Laguna

Joyanne had done a wonderful job researching where we might want to go.  And San Juan La Laguna did not disappoint.  

When we got off the boat we were greeted by these colorful, floating umbrellas that created a vibrant pathway to follow...La Calle de las Sombrillas.  

As we started walking we met a German man who lived in town.  We asked where we should eat breakfast, and he said he would take us to his favorite place.  It was not easy to keep up with him as the hill was substantial.  But it was totally worth it.  The food was absolutely delicious and the view was stunning.  I tried and tried to find the name of the restaurant later, but I wasn't sure.  It might have been the Restaurante Pa Muelle.  I know for sure that it was about halfway up the hill on the right (as you are looking uphill).

The view from breakfast

Below is a watercolor I did at home after the trip from a photo I took of the umbrella street.  I loved the image of the woman wearing her traditional dress balancing her basket under all the umbrellas.

Once we left the umbrella street we entered another called the Calle de los Sombreros.

The sidewalks of this street were painted in every color of the rainbow, and the street itself was painted with gorgeous murals depicting Mayan stories.

I particularly liked this bird mural on the wall.  And I loved the Mayan symbols everywhere.  One of the stores we went in showed how each color used in the textiles is created from specific plants.  I was in heaven!

After shopping for a bit we stopped to each lunch.  We shared a plate of french fries, and there was green catsup!  The view from lunch was incredible!

This was the view looking down from our restaurant onto the umbrellas.

I didn't think this street could be more festive until we walked by these marimba players.  Their music was so fun, and I felt super joyful just being there.  

To listen to a short clip, click below.

On our way home we took the public boat. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before our boat filled up. And we had some really lovely conversations with our fellow travelers who had hiked one of the volcanoes and were boating to all the little towns along the lake. One other thing I would recommend is to return home decently early. We had heard the waves pick up in the afternoon making for a rough ride. We had enjoyed ourselves so much that we ended up leaving a little later than expected (maybe around 2:30-3:00?). And the choppy water really was hard on the tailbone as we approached Panajachel.

Santa Catarina Palopó

Once back in Panajachel, we decided we still had time to visit the nearby town of Santa Catarina Palopó.  

We took a tuk tuk and it was quite a ride.  The road between Pana and Santa Catarina went way up and then way down.  It was about a fifteen minute ride.  

Santa Catarina Palopó was much smaller than San Juan La Laguna.  I think we missed the main market day.  We did visit the beautiful Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.  I would love to stay there some time.  

I didn't know it until the last minute, but my friend Amy (the one leading the upcoming workshop) happened to be staying in Santa Catarina Palopó.  We visited the house she was staying in, and it was gorgeous!  I was particularly struck by these adorable bird planters which I ended up including throughout my sketchbook.

Below is a photo of the pool and view where Amy was staying.  She is probably going to add an extra bonus trip at this location next year.

The video below includes much of what I talked about above but is set to fun music.  Turn your volume on!  (Music by Tunetank from Pixabay)

Below is another spread from my sketchbook that includes the mountain house along the lake, the blue bird pot, and a drawing of an embroidery.

The blue bird held a succulent that perfectly fit the size of the planter.  I absolutely love when a planter and pot go well together.  And the look on the birds face peeking around the leaves was so charming.  Sometimes I can spend a long time searching for the perfect quote to go with an image.  But when I saw this drawing, the phrase "Don't be afraid to show your true colors" popped right into my head.  

The final sketch in this post was inspired by a photo of a huipil (traditional tunic) I took on a previous trip.

I loved the subtle repeated bird pattern.  For my drawing I decided to have a repeating cat and bird.  What I didn't know when I began this project was how much I would enjoy translating embroidery into watercolor.  I found it weirdly satisfying to draw each thread and add a little shadow beneath to indicated the poofiness of the threads.  When I finished, I felt something was missing.  Then I realized I needed to add the tiny white thread lines.  Looking back at the drawing, I was so pleased with the effect.  It is funny what can bring one happiness.

CONCLUSION

I have always loved the idea from Rumi that what we are seeking is also seeking us. It implies a universe that is receptive, attentive, and aligned with us. When I finished this drawing and saw the surprised look on the cat's face, I thought the slightly altered quote below fit perfectly.

What you hunt

is hunting you.

I also Googled the original phrase and found this quote..."Some interpretations suggest that what you are seeking (love, peace, joy) already resides within you. As author and speaker Dr. Saloumeh Bozorgzadeh notes, a literal interpretation of the Farsi phrase can be, 'What you seek is with you'."  What a thought!  That throughout our entire lives, with all its struggles and triumphs, the very "thing" we most desire has been our constant companion.  What if happiness lived with us at all times...at the core of our being, closer than close?  What if simply being is a joy? 

Part of me ever longs to be devoured...by love.
—John Butler

And to consider the reverse is even more mind-blowing. What if this joy desired us?  What if joy longed for us to know it?  "The Latin root of desire is dēsīderāre, which means 'to long for, miss, or request.'  It is often interpreted as 'to await what the stars will bring' or 'to feel the lack of stars'. It is derived from de- (from) and sidus (star or constellation), suggesting a celestial connection where one waits upon fate" (Google).  But what if the stars live inside us, hiding in the most obvious spot...secretly burning in the dark, vastness of our being?  What if that longing, that waiting and lack, is the reason we come here...to hunt for something we thought we lost.  But what if we are the very thing we are hunting?  We are hunting for ourselves!  The cat and bird are one!  A giant game of hide and seek...for the sheer thrill of it...for the love of love.

“I never wanted a quiet, sensible sort of love. I wanted to be devoured.”
—Beau Taplin

Reed and Stone

 

Though our core never changes,

Life wears us smooth as river stone.

Every stone has a story,

Woven tightly in her embrace.

Round and round

Through warp and weft

What is heavy, we bind with care.

What is light, illumines our way.

Through all my years of blogging, the most popular post I've had was my "Reed & Stone" post from 2015.  I received so many emails since then asking if I would offer a course, or do a video, to show how to make them.  So, last month, when I was going to make another "Reed Stone" as a gift for a friend, I thought I would make an instructional video. 

Choosing a Stone

One of my favorite parts of making these is choosing the stone.  On a cold day in January, I ran outside to look around our fountain for the perfect stone.  I looked and looked but couldn't find one.  For this particular design it is best if the stone is fairly round.  This allows enough "grab" on both sides for the flat reed.  If the stone is too thin, the flat reed tends to slip when you pull it tight.  After my unsuccessful search in the backyard, I determined a trip to the rock store was necessary.  I LOVE going to the rock store!

I spent a good hour picking through the bins at Creech's Ohio Valley Stone.  I think the man must have thought I was crazy.  But it was worth it!  Below you can see the lovelies that called out to come home with me.

Tools

Right now it is cold in the basement.  And it is hard to be in the studio for any length of time before the cats start scratching at the door.  They are not currently allowed in that room because that is where I keep the ferns which they love to eat.  But one day they were sleeping soundly, so I snuck downstairs and got all my tools together. 

It doesn't require much to make a reed-wrapped stone, but you do have to pre-order your reed.  I had some leftover from my previous projects.  But if you need to order, I bought mine at Suzanne Moore's NC Basketworks.  For this particular project, I used 1/4'' Flat Flat and #3 Round (Superior).  You might also buy an awl if you are a beginner (but you can also use a screwdriver.)

It is also extremely helpful to have narrow pliers and fine scissors.  As the weaving progresses and things get tight, the pliers are helpful to grab the round reed to pull it through.  The fine scissors are helpful at the end to clip the round reed off slightly under the flat reed so it doesn't show.

I originally intended to make an instructional video.  I thought I could use timelapse, but slow it down enough to show the important parts.  Unfortunately I had it set on "Auto" and about an hour's worth of work was only 15 seconds!  I only noticed after the most important parts.  So, I made a "fun" video instead and will have to make a slower video next time.

(Music by Graham Capstick from Pixabay.) 

Below was my alternate lead photo.  I liked the way the wood grain interacted with the stone.

I feel quiet today.  So instead of my usual long-winded conclusion, I will leave you with a quote.  

Ornament: Goldilocks and the Three Coats

"This porridge is too hot.
This porridge is too cold.
This porridge is just right."

—Goldilocks

This year I had the idea to make hand-painted ornaments similar to the ones I made in 2016.  I was on the fence about whether I would have time for it.  But then I was out shopping, and Michael's was having a VERY good sale on blank wooden ornaments.  I thought, "What good luck!"... And that made my decision.  

SKETCH

I began with researching Easter egg designs on Pinterest.  And then I sketched a few designs.

Buy Blank Ornaments and Paint

Below are the ornaments and paint I bought at Michael's.

Ornament #1

I sadly didn't take any photos of the painting process of the first ornament.  But below you can see the final design.

After finishing the painting, I stained the wood dark brown.  Then I was ready to add a clear coat.  I went to the basement and found an almost full can of MinWax Polycrylic and an old brush.  I was so excited to finish the ornament.

When I painted the ornament with Poly, my heart sank.  I was so disappointed to see it smeared the design.  It wasn't good. I knew I would have to attempt some very detailed sanding and re-painting, maybe even sand it back down to the wood.

The next day I sanded a fair amount off and touched it up again.  I was in a hurry to get it in the mail before Christmas, so I very lightly painted it again with Polycrylic.  It lightly smeared and I had to do a small touch-up again. F***! (Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!).  But after that, I was able to do more coats.  Below you can see the final ornament.  

Ornament #2

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
—Henry Ford

For the second ornament, I was determined to do better.  Here you can see a photo of it before staining.  I used both acrylic paint and Posca markers.

Instead of painting the Polycrylic on and risking smearing the paint again, I bought spray Polycrylic.  I figured the brushing was what caused the smearing. Unfortunately, I figured wrong and it was a total disaster.  First of all, I couldn't get the cap off the can.  George happened to pull in the driveway right when I was trying to get the cap off.  We tried together and still couldn't open it.  Finally George took it into the basement to look for a flat-head screwdriver.  As he disappeared into the basement, I had a bad feeling that he would either break the lid, cut himself, or both.

When he came back outside he said, "I broke it."  I said, "I know."  Not only had he broken the lid, but also the tiny white nozzle broke off at an angle.  I quickly resigned myself to another trip to Lowes.  But before I knew it, George tried to press the broken nozzle back on and, lo and behold, the can sprayed!  It was a miracle!

I told him to go ahead and spray it as clear coat was already running over his hand, and I would take a video.  Unfortunately the spray came out heavy and light and then heavy again.  It also bubbled up terribly.  At first I thought maybe all was not lost and hopefully I could sand the bubbles off...or maybe they would pop and disappear.  It was wishful thinking.  The smearing was even worse than last time.  F***!F***!F***!!!

I have to admit, I felt like having a complete meltdown.  Just to complete the painting on one ornament took me, on and off,  about three days.  Even though I know that it is best not to fight with reality, I really struggled inwardly.  Generally, I have improved with accepting reality as it comes...but this was a tough pill to swallow.  Although I didn't have an outward meltdown, inwardly I was fuming, exceedingly frustrated and sad.  I ended up going for a walk and calling a friend.

"Courage doesn't always roar.

Sometimes courage is the little voice

at the end of the day that says,

'I'll try again tomorrow.'" 

—Mary Anne Radmacher   

The next day, I sanded off the smeared sections and started again.  Below you can see the finished ornament.

I also ended up using this ornament for my Christmas email card.  Below you can see three versions.

Ornament #3

The last ornament was painted after Christmas.  I took my time playing with the design.  I knew I wanted to have a bird element in this one.

After I finished painting most of the design, I disliked the flower in the white area.  I let it sit overnight and the next day decided to paint over it.  Below you can see I Photoshopped several designs and ended up going with Option 1.

This time I did plenty of internet research on clear coating Posca pens.  Various sources recommended Krylon Clear Coat.  Weirdly, I had a VERY old can sitting in my guest room.  The can must have been at least 20 years old, so I knew I needed to do a test.  Below you can see my test.  Plus, I also had to destroy the lid to get it open.  What is it with those lids?

But magically, the twenty-year-old can worked beautifully!  I did do a VERY light coat first just to be cautious.  But I was SO relieved!!! 

I partly did this blog post in the hopes that others will not make this same, painful mistake!  NEVER USE Polycrylic on Posca markers!  Use Krylon instead!

Below you can see the third ornament.

If you haven't been able to read all the nitty-gritty of this post, then watch this video.  It summarizes all of the above and has nice music to boot! (Music by Sergio Prosvirini from Pixabay) 

Conclusion

“Your commitment is to action alone, not to the fruits of action." —Bhagavad Gita

I remember the first time I read the above quote I wanted to tell it to "F***-off!"  It seems only human to want to enjoy the fruits of our labors.  At the same time, I know that when I have a strong reaction like this, there is something there for me to look at.  So when my "ornament meltdown" happened, I really struggled to figure out what life was trying to tell me.  Here are a few "stories" I came up with (some "good", some "bad"):

• I need/want to work on letting go of the outcome of my efforts (a la Baghavad Gita).

• I need/want to learn how to deal with frustration.

• It shouldn't be this hard to paint (and seal) a wooden f-ing ornament!
• I attempt really hard things and sometimes they aren't always going to go my way.

• I felt sorry for myself...why do these things always happen to me? (Replay losing 10 years of my art to mildew a couple years ago)

• I need/want to accept reality quicker and with more ease.
• I need/want to have compassion for myself when things don't go my way.

• I am done doing hard things.

• I am a powerful woman who can fix anything.

• I can overcome any obstacle.

• When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

• Can I say yes to extreme frustration?

As all of these thoughts swirled through my head, I could see the stories we tell ourselves are important.  We create our own reality though the stories we tell ourselves.  And as I read back through the above list, I can see some stories might create happier realities.

I also had the thought, "what would Goldilocks have to say about it?"  I suspect she might suggest the theme of finding the middle ground.  It is not healthy to ignore your emotions and pretend that you are not upset that you just lost days of work (reminds me of the Serenity Now episode of Seinfeld).  It's also not healthy to be overwhelmed by emotions of self-pity or frustration.  Perhaps the middle ground of mourning your losses and then getting back to work the next day is the best approach.  (Who knew Goldilocks was a Buddhist?)   

Another possible way of viewing this is through a tantric approach.  It is accepting everything in our lives as grist for the mill.  That means we say yes, yes, and yes again.  It reminds me of a quote from the book, "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen.  In the story, they have been searching arduously for months and months for the snow leopard and are exhausted and tired. Someone asks one of the Tibetan porters on the trip a question and his answer is lovely...

"Have you seen the snow leopard?

No, isn't that wonderful?"

I am not sure I will ever get to the point where I won't be motivated by the fruits of my actions.  But I did enjoy the action of painting.  And I did feel some satisfaction that I was able to fix them.  And I did really enjoy holding the final ornaments...feeling their smoothness in my hand and looking at my creation.  (Yes, those fruits can be yummy.)  It also makes me super happy to send a bit of joy out to my friends. 

One thing I can see clearly is that my suffering came from wanting reality to be different than it was.  I would like to have had an easier transition from the reality I wanted to the reality that appeared.  It is not always easy to say yes to what life gives us.  But I do know for sure, life will give me more chances to try. 

"For all that has been, thanks. For all that is to be, yes".
—Dag Hammarskjöld

ADDENDUM:

Two days after I wrote this post I was reading the book "Original Love" by Henry Shukman.  In the second chapter, "Loving Our Obstacles,"  Henry discusses five hindrances to meditation: desire, aversion, dullness, restlessness, and doubt.  When I read the sections about desire and aversion, I felt he was offering a beautiful way of tending these issues.  Could this method also be lovingly applied off the cushion to my "ornament ruination frustration?"

"Is something that feels unpleasant arising?  Check it out.  Scan the body and mind.  Maybe we find discomfort in the heart area, and a painful thought in the mind...Notice unpleasant feelings and a natural aversion to them... We might have a repetitive loop of thoughts going on and wish that they would cease.  That would be aversion.  We shift attention away from the annoying thought-loop and instead seek out the experience of our aversion to it.  We don't bother about the thoughts themselves.  Our interest is not in them but in the wishing that they weren't going on.

We zoom in on the wishing-them-gone.  Once again, we search the chest and solar plexus for telltale signs of contraction or tension or wisps of energy that are uncomfortable.  If we detect something, then we let it be there, whatever it is.  We warmly welcome it.

This is the key step...First, we recognize that something is going on that is disturbing us...Then we check in with the internal space of the body, and see if we can find a sensation associated with that hindrance.  And finally, we welcome the sensation.  

At this point, which hindrance it is and what the sensation is like become less important.  The reason is that as we welcome it—whatever it is—ever more warmly, so our awareness of the welcome grows stronger.  Now the main thing is our welcome.  Whatever it was, we allow it, love it, embrace it, and recognize that we are mortal, vulnerable, and sensitive mammals liable to suffering, who are trying their best, with the understanding and experience they have, to live well.  We welcome ourselves as we are, including with this mental obstacle.  And then our attention can actually shift to the sense of welcome itself, and we can become awash with that welcome, all through our awareness.  We can bask in the lovingness that is a flavor of the welcome."

When I read these words, it became clear to me that shaming ourselves because we don't like what reality is offering (or are resisting reality) is not the answer.  Nor is shaming ourselves because we can't accept reality quickly enough.  On the spiritual path there is often this idea that we should should be so "Zen" that nothing ruffles our feathers.  I think a better way of looking at it is that we lovingly accept that our feathers are indeed ruffled!  We have compassion for ourselves and our predicament.  It doesn't mean we react in anger or frustration, but that we tend (and, if possible, welcome) the sensations in our body and accept that they too are part of the path.  If we have difficulty welcoming them, then we accept that too.  We keep backing up until we accept it all.  We grow our capacity to consciously accept.  We grow our capacity to love.

The mind has likes and dislikes

Awareness accepts everything.

Awareness is unconditional love.  
—Joan Tollifson (lines 1 &2) and Robert Brown (line 3)