Watercolor Feast: A Painting Lab with Erin Gleeson

$50.00

Painting can be a way to slow down, pay attention, and see the world a little differently. Nature has long been a source of inspiration for artist and bestselling cookbook author Erin Gleeson, from the California woods that inspired her Forest Feast cookbook series to the gardens and produce that continue to find their way into her watercolor paintings.

In this lab, Erin will share her journey from food photography to cookbook author and watercolor artist, followed by beginner-friendly exercises in color, brushwork, and painting elements from nature. Together, participants will learn simple techniques and explore how making art can quiet the mind, bring us into the present moment, and create space for new ideas to flow. No previous painting experience is needed—just a willingness to experiment and see where the process takes you.

Suggested materials:

watercolor paints
watercolor paper
a couple different brushes (ideally between size 0-12)
a cup of water
a napkin/cloth/paper towel
a side plate or palette to mix colors on

Wednesday, November 4, 2026
12:00-1:30 PM Central Time
Live online

Second Photo Credit: Erin Gleeson

Painting can be a way to slow down, pay attention, and see the world a little differently. Nature has long been a source of inspiration for artist and bestselling cookbook author Erin Gleeson, from the California woods that inspired her Forest Feast cookbook series to the gardens and produce that continue to find their way into her watercolor paintings.

In this lab, Erin will share her journey from food photography to cookbook author and watercolor artist, followed by beginner-friendly exercises in color, brushwork, and painting elements from nature. Together, participants will learn simple techniques and explore how making art can quiet the mind, bring us into the present moment, and create space for new ideas to flow. No previous painting experience is needed—just a willingness to experiment and see where the process takes you.

Suggested materials:

watercolor paints
watercolor paper
a couple different brushes (ideally between size 0-12)
a cup of water
a napkin/cloth/paper towel
a side plate or palette to mix colors on

Wednesday, November 4, 2026
12:00-1:30 PM Central Time
Live online

Second Photo Credit: Erin Gleeson

This is a live, participatory lab and it will not be recorded. A meeting link will be emailed a few days prior to the lab. Cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to the lab and will be charged a $10 cancellation fee. We offer partial scholarships for our labs. Apply here by November 1.

Erin Gleeson is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and the creator of The Forest Feast. Her coffee table–style cookbooks are filled with vibrant vegetarian recipe illustrations that blend watercolor, hand lettering, and photography. Her latest book, The Watercolor Feast, teaches readers how to paint fruits, vegetables, and flowers, with recipe ideas woven throughout. Erin began her career as a food photographer in New York before moving to a cabin in the California woods, where she launched The Forest Feast. She now lives in Madison, Wisconsin and writes a weekly Substack, Forest Feast Supper Club, leads classes and retreats, and teaches painting at Stanford University in Continuing Studies. Through it all, her mission remains the same: to inspire people to gather and feel creative via art and food.