Be Inspired - By Food

Well this week, food is the inspiration. Similar to the animals as a subject, food offers infinite textures, colors and shapes. Even the taste can inspire you to create. As with feelings, tastes can make you think of certain colors. To me, sweet is pastel pink, sour is yellow, and spicy is orange and red. Your relationship with food and the feelings food brings up can also be inspiring. Does food cause you distress? Do you eat to feel comfort and pleasure? Do you eat to escape? Do you avoid food for fear of gaining weight? All of these feelings can inspire great art.

Still Life
Originally uploaded by 1bluecanoe

With food being something that is required to survive, it is something that is often on our minds. We are often thinking about what we want to eat, planning where we will eat it, thinking about how we will prepare it. It is easily obtained, as it is in our refrigerators and pantries. How many of you remember your elementary art teacher placing a bowl of fruit on a table to teach a lesson about still life drawing? That teacher new what she was talking about. The gentle curves of a pear, the rippled skin of an orange and the vibrant color of an apple are all great ways to spur inspiration.

These days with a whole network devoted to food (Food Network) on TV and shows such as "Iron Chef" and " Ace of Cakes", the food actually can become art. The way chef's place items on a plate and how pastry chefs create amazing gravity defying cakes can all be very inspiring! I could go on and oon about how food is inspiring, but I better get to the pics! I will delve more into different types of food as inspiration in later posts.

Sushi & Sashimi for 2
Originally uploaded by yiuy

Even photographing food is an incredible art form itself! The two pics I have listed were found on Flickr, the first, "Still Life" , is by 1bluecanoe, and the second, "Sushi & Sashimi for 2", is by yiuy. To see more amazing Flickr Food Photos, check these Flickr groups: Friday Food Fiesta , Food Glorious Food, and Food Porn (not X-rated) or search food in photos or groups.

Here are just a few of the thousands of handmade food inspired items available on Etsy.com ( Just click each photo to see more work by each artist!):








































So, take a little time to play with your food this week. Cook something new and pay careful attention how you plate it. Take a closer look at the goodies growing in your garden and inspiration may grow as well. Take a trip to the grocery store or your local farmer's market and spend your time looking at all the possibilities! Be Inspired!

Remember, if you are inspired to create something from one of the Be Inspired features, please send a picture and description to my e-mail, blockpartypress@yahoo.com and I may feature you on my blog. The piece must be inspired by the Be Inspired post and cannot be an item created prior to the posting. If your Be Inspired piece is featured, I will send you a free pendant from my Etsy shop (I will choose the pendant and it will be a surprise).