Natalie Stopka is a leading practitioner and artistic researcher of lake pigments who has been sharing her expertise and love of plant colorants with students for over a decade. She is the author of From Plant to Pigment: How to make your own vibrant inks, pastels and paints, published by Skittledog in 2025. Raised on the south coast of Massachusetts, Natalie holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from the University of New Mexico. She now lives in New York State and currently teaches at SUNY New Paltz.