Painting Produce at NYC’s Union Square Greenmarket

This past weekend, I hosted a watercolor workshop at the Union Square Greenmarket. We sat outside and painted some of the beautiful, locally produced vegetables for sale while the market bustled around us.

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I’ve lived for a combined total of 6 years on the East Coast, and NYC’s been my top choice for weekend and day trips. Besides being in love with the food, museums, Central Park, and other charms of the city, I’ve found great joy and inspiration passing through the Greenmarket. Vendors come from all around to sell produce, food, and live plants to New Yorkers. When the seasons change, so do the products available. Each day the selection is different.

The organizers of the Greenmarket kindly allowed me to set up and teach my class there. We were a small group but attracted a *lot* of attention from passersby. I had a lot of fun selecting some of the most appealing produce for us to paint: oyster mushrooms, Easter egg radishes, chive blossoms, and asparagus.

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As the workshop was aimed at beginners, we went over some watercolor basics and then went into specific techniques for painting each type of produce. Even though we had only a short time together, everyone did a great job and I was truly amazed at the results! (Below are some student works and works in progress.)

Thanks to everyone who participated, and of course to the Greenmarket folks for having me. I hope we can do something together again in the future!

Overcoming the blank page

Nothing is more terrifying than a blank white page (well, perhaps that is an exaggeration, but not by much.)

It’s easy to be overcome with doubt when you’re faced with a gorgeous new sketchbook: what can you possibly make that will be worthy of it?

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The answer is, of course, plenty!

A saying that I’ve come to love is “better done than perfect.” In the moment, you might be tempted to dismiss your ideas as not good enough. You might try to overthink what you want to do, and might eventually talk yourself out of doing anything at all.

Remember, a blank page is there to serve you, not to judge you. So put that brush/pencil/pen to paper and love whatever comes out of it. Especially if you’re trying to capture a moment during a trip, your first instincts will often be best.