My Watercolor Year
...a year of painting with YOU, plus DIY ice luminaries and Hanukkah party scenes
Hi friends,
As I look back on the year, I’m grateful to have shared my love of watercolor with so many people. This is my 6th book tour and somehow when writing the book I didn’t think about how I’d get to paint in person with so many people while sharing it! My events sold out and I was amazed by how many of you were willing to try watercolor. Thank you to everyone who joined me across the country and thank you to everyone who has bought and shared The Watercolor Feast!
One of my painting class attendees commented that she felt ‘to make art was to be brave’, and I couldn’t agree more. It feels vulnerable to try something new, especially in front of other people. But making time for creativity in our busy, sometimes heavy and overwhelming world creates breathing space.
This week I was excited to be part of the 2026 By Design Summit where I was interviewed on the topic of creativity. Click here to watch the interview and hear a little of my story. We often don’t prioritize creativity, but I argue it’s time well-spent and can positively inform other areas of your life in ways you might not expect.
Here are a few of my favorite painting moments from 2025:












There were so many more events — thank you to everyone who hosted me, painted with me and those who even drove hours to join me! Thank you for being brave enough to try watercolor and for sharing my book. Keep painting!!
Hanukkah Highlights
This week we hosted a Hanukkah party and invited friends to bring their menorahs over to light together. We quickly realized there was not enough space for all of them on our windowsills so we moved to the front porch. This Hanukkah got off to a dark start, so the idea of spreading our light beyond the windows and out toward the street felt impactful.


We’ve had some very cold days here recently so Ezra and I decided to make some ice luminaries to line our walkway. They are surprisingly simple to make!
Ice Luminary How-To
Fill a 2-gallon pail with water. We found this to be a perfect size, but I think you could go bigger or smaller! We also made a few in my Le Creuset Dutch oven which has a seamless interior (hot tip: pots with little screw knobs on the inside where the handle is attached will block your ice from coming out easily.)
Set the pail outside overnight (temps must be below freezing). It was often below 10°F here, and ours took about 12 hours.
The water freezes around the perimeter of the pail first, and the top layer of water freezes faster than the bottom. So after 12+ hours, flip the pail upside down, crack the thin bottom layer if necessary, dump the water out and place a candle inside! See a video of me doing this here:
Congrats to FF Supper Club member Laurie for winning the book giveaway! She’ll receive her signed copy soon. Click here to find a copy of The Watercolor Feast at a local bookstore near you to gift this holiday season.
One last note to say thank you to everyone who has become a paid subscriber. Your support makes this newsletter possible! Please feel free to reply to this email with any feedback or ideas for future content...things you want to see more of, etc. Thank you ALL for following along!
Forest Feast Supper Club subscriptions are 20% off through 12/31/25! $40/year. (Here is the link to gift a subscription…$40 price will update at checkout).
I’ll be taking next week off for the winter break, so I look forward to connecting in January. Wishing all of you very Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!
xx
Erin
* * *
This newsletter is made possible by the generous support of my Forest Feast community, and I’m wildly grateful that so many of you have been on this journey with me for years! Thank you for valuing what I create and for becoming paid subscribers—your support makes it possible for me to continue sharing.
Some of the Supper Club member (paid subscriber) benefits:
A free, monthly, never-before-published vegetarian recipe on the first Friday of each month
Exclusive, live video painting and cooking classes (recordings accessible only to Supper Club members)
Early access to ticketed events, new shop items and limited art releases
Discounts on select virtual classes and product offerings
Access to a paid subscriber chat
Giveaways
What else would you like to see offered? Reply to this email with ideas!
(If anyone is not able to afford a membership, please email me for a sponsored gift subscription, no questions asked!)
Thank you to everyone who has ordered, shared and painted from my latest book, The Watercolor Feast! And thanks to everyone who has written a review on Amazon or Goodreads. For more of my artwork, visit The Forest Feast Online Shop for unique clothing, textiles, dishes and gifts. Find links to my favorite watercolor supplies, my 5 vegetarian Forest Feast cookbooks, and an archive of my vegetarian recipes at theforestfeast.com.
Disclosure: The Forest Feast occasionally contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission if items are purchased via links I provide, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way!




Hi Erin, I noticed some really handy paint kits on the tables in your classes…they included paints but also spots for a pencil, pencil sharpener and a brush in a nice tin. Are you willing to share where you purchase those? Or, will you be carrying them in your shop? Thank you. Leslie
Erin, thanks so much for your beautiful book. It's such a treat to win it, and I hope to learn to paint in person with YOU in 2026. 🥰