Mindy New York Ny

County's food truck trend rolls on

Aten’s Tasterie Truck is one of several new food trucks making the rounds each week in Boulder County in what she describes as a growing national mobile food trend that is booming in cities like Portland, Seattle and Denver. Aten says she came up with the idea for Madeline, her pastry truck, while she was living in New York.

“There were food trucks everywhere, and I had a dream that I started a cupcake truck,” Aten says. “So I just started brainstorming and met up with a chef and decided to do it.”

Over the course of about four months, Aten worked with Nathan Miller, the former head pastry chef at The Kitchen, to draft recipes, find a commissary kitchen where they could prepare their pastries, purchase equipment and a truck, and obtain the proper permits.

The Tasterie Truck began making its rounds in April, which is right around the time that the City of Boulder was drafting a new set of rules and regulations for food trucks that wanted to operate within city limits.

On May 17, the City of Boulder unanimously approved an ordinance allowing food trucks to operate on private property as long as they have the permission of the property owners in industrial, business, mixed-use and downtown zoning districts. Food trucks can also operate in public rights-of-way in industrial zones like those in East Boulder and Gunbarrel, at the Boulder Municipal Airport, or as part of an organized special event like the Boulder Creek Fair, according to City of Boulder Ordinance 7787.

But the rules also dictate that food trucks must remain 200 feet away from other food trucks while in public, and 150 feet away from residential areas and brick-and-mortar restaurants, preventing them from selling food in some downtown areas like the Pearl Street Mall. The ordinance also prohibits food trucks from operating before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

While local food truck owners say they’re grateful that the City of Boulder regulations allow them to operate, they still think the rules need to be changed.

“If a regular restaurant is allowed to be open until whatever time, why can’t a food truck be open until then as well?” asks T.J. Ingraham, one of the owners of Verde and Cheese Louise, two new food trucks. “It just doesn’t really seem fair.

Artist Q&A: Mindy Lighthipe | Paint. Draw. Blend.

Including the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Denver Museum of Natural History, and the New York Botanical Garden Gallery in the Bronx. In 2009, she was awarded a silver medal at the London Orchid Show at the Royal Horticultural Society. Mindy wrote and illustrated “Mother Monarch”, a children’s book about the butterfly life cycle. I like to work from life. I often grow the plants I paint, rear and collect the insects and travel to places where I can draw and paint on site. I am not a plein aire painter.  I collect, and research my subjects, take photos and work over a period of time to show the entire life cycle in one painting.

When did you first begin using PanPastel Colors? I work in watercolor first and let the paper dry. I then add the PanPastel using the Sofft Tools over the watercolor. It is very rewarding and very fast. I have also started to use PanPastel in conjunction with Silverpoint.  I use the small applicators to create feather like strokes and have gotten some nice texture in my owl paintings.

PanPastel with Central Clay Coat Paper and Silver Point I have always admired pastels, but did not like all the dust. It seemed like there was always more dust on the floor and surrounding area than on the paper. I also did not like the fact the dust went airborne and posses a potential health hazard.  PanPastel Colors have allowed me to experiment with the medium without so much waste or mess.

What do you see as the main benefits of using PanPastel in your work? I am interested in exposing my art to the public so that they can experience the same wonder and I awe that I have. Our planet is fragile and I hope to educate people to look into their own back yards and see the tiny world that goes on while they are at work, play or asleep. Hopefully it will enlighten people to be stewards of the planet.

Any upcoming events, workshops, shows, book launches, projects you’d like to tell us about?