I started Cielito Lindo Estudio in the spring of 1993 in the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende – a cobblestoned jewel set high in the rugged mountains of central Mexico´s Bajío region. It is home to people from all over the world who have been smitten by the charm, the mystique and just obvious joy of life here. Everywhere one looks, vibrant hues dominate the scenery- whether it be the decadent, carnival colours of the houses, the shocking fuschia of the bugambilias that cascade down the walls or perhaps the clear, blue mountain sky or the emerald velvet that covers the mountains in rainy season. Beauty is everywhere.
San Miguel is well known as a thriving artistic centre which draws writers, painters, musicians and characters in general to her fold. I fell under the town´s spell immediately when I came on vacation for a couple of weeks…………………………....in 1983. Even though I was born in Canada, I just felt as though I had come home. Mexican folk art has always been a love of mine and my home has many treasured pieces I have picked up over the years and I wanted to add to that proud, artistic tradition of this extraordinary country, so I began painting pieces on my dining room table and then when I had enough to sell, took the all-night bus to Texas to knock on doors. Today, the work is sold throughout the world, from Iceland to Africa, from Japan to Europe and all points in between. I now concentrate mostly on design and am privileged to have a wonderful, dedicated group of people, mostly young women painters who bring my ideas to life. They live on the surrounding ranches and work from their homes, so that they may tend to their children which is after all, the most important work there is. What I love the most about Cielito Lindo Estudio´s work is that it invariably brings smiles to people´s faces, and it is a worldwide ambassadress of the colours, the culture and the infinite joyful magic that is my beloved México.
I would like to thank you for your interest in our work and to invite you to visit our
blue-washed studio in San Miguel de Allende!
¡Hasta pronto!
Anke Michèle Stobrava
Owner / Designer/Head Honcha
Mexican cellular: 415.101.1674 (for studio visits)
* We also do commission designwork including wedding favours
