by Mindy Lighthipe | Feb 5, 2019 | Uncategorized
For those of you living in the northern part of the USA, spring seems like a million years away. At this time of year I was more like a bear than a human. I think I hibernated from Halloween (not missing out on candy and fun!) to Easter ( Candy again!) Getting me...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Feb 3, 2019 | Botanical Art, Drawing Tips, Online Art Classes, Uncategorized, Workshops
Drawing is a skill and you can learn it! I use to believe excellent drawing skills were acquired through fairy dust. It seed to me some people miraculously had the ability to draw effortlessly while others struggled. I fell somewhere in-between. I had moderate success...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Jan 29, 2019 | Costa Rica, Online Art Classes, Uncategorized, Watercolor Tips
I have always been fascinated by brilliant color. The brighter the better. As an artist I always purchase the brightest colors, whether I am buying colored pencils, watercolors or gouache. It is easy to mute a color but it is almost impossible to make a color brighter...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Jan 7, 2019 | Art Exhibits, Bird Art, Botanical Art, Botanical Art Books, Workshops
The New Year is bringing great promise to lots of possibilities for exhibiting my art and teaching! I am happy to announce I will be one of the 4 featured artists at the Oakland Manor House; Botanical & Bird Exhibit. The Art of Escapes owner and curator, Gaby West...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Dec 11, 2018 | Conservation, Uncategorized
Just in time for the holiday season! Leslie Day’s new book Honey Bee Hotel is sure to captivate you! Available in Hardcover and Kindle. Click here. The tale of Honeybee Hotel begins over one hundred years ago, with the Astor family and the birth of the...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Aug 2, 2018 | Art Destinations, Costa Rica
I am currently leading a trip in Costa Rica for the University of Florida! This is the first time I am teaching for UFL here. The students are super happy and enthusiastic to be here and so am I! Costa Rica always has something new and exciting to see. On our first...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Jul 29, 2018 | Bird Art, Colored Pencil, Costa Rica, Digital Photography, Drawing Tips, Field Sketching, Photography Tips
Working from Photographs? There is great controversy as to whether an artist should work from photographs. I often get questions on this topic so I decided to write this post. First let’s discuss copyright. It is unethical to copy another persons photograph or art...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Jun 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
This is why I LOVE teaching!!!! I am proud to announce that Jean LeStourgeon has just illustrated and written :Family and Friends of the North Florida Wetlands Coloring Book. In my online classes I almost never get to meet the people I am teaching. I make contact with...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Oct 29, 2017 | Drawing Tips, Graphite, How-To, Light on Form, Online Art Classes, Surface Contour, Uncategorized
CAST SHADOWS!!!! UGH!!!! I always work with one light source. It is very consistent and can be very rewarding once you get used to it. I find that once I got the “hang” of it, I am now able to make anything 3-dimensional at any time. Some people have a...
by Mindy Lighthipe | Oct 27, 2017 | Drawing Tips, Light on Form, Online Art Classes
Do you struggle with cast shadows in your art? I am often asked where and how big cast shadows should be. I use the scientific method of lighting my subjects with the light coming from 11 o’clock at 45 degrees from the picture plane. I use cast shadows when an...
