September 22, 2026 @ 10:00am (Duration: 5 Hours 30 Minutes)
Farmers Market Art, Day 2: Local Heirloom Harvest
Register Now:Capture the character of the season’s harvest through careful observation and painting. The classroom will be transformed into a farmers’ market–style table filled with locally sourced heirloom tomatoes, rainbow chard, unusual carrots, kohlrabi, specialty eggplants, Indian corn, and more.
Students will begin with thumbnail sketches to plan strong compositions that highlight individual forms and surfaces. Working in watercolor and/or colored pencil, the class will focus on layering techniques to depict subtle textures—the sheen of eggplant skin, the undulating leaves of chard, and the sculptural ridges of heritage tomatoes. Special attention will be on measuring for accurate proportions and mixing naturalistic greens, reds, and purples, while capturing surface variations and irregular forms.
Instructor Bio(s)
Artist Mindy Lighthipe is passionate about getting out into the natural world and discovering beauty in every rock, stream, and forest. With this passion, she carefully studies her subjects in their environment.
Mindy uses a variety of techniques and media to create her bold imagery. She paints in watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and pan pastels. It is not uncommon for her to break traditional and classic rules by combining techniques to create her unique and breathtaking style.
Mindy graduated magna cum laude from Kean University with a BFA in studio arts and an MA in art education. She received her 210-hour certification in botanical illustration from the New York Botanical Gardens. After graduating, she went on to teach more than twenty different classes in their botanical art program and developed a 250-hour certificate in natural science illustration.
Mindy has been exhibiting her art since 1998 in juried and solo exhibitions. In 2009, she received a Silver Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in London. In 2010, she had a solo exhibition at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Mindy currently teaches scientific illustration at the University of Florida. To learn more, visit www.mindylighthipe.com.
Materials and Equipment Needed
The materials list for this class can be found here:Link to Materials