Why do I draw food?

Food illustration is a "thing" I came to love just recently.

But there is a longer story.

As a young adult, I spent nearly 10 years battling with food disorders and, why not, depression. 

At 15 I was in my town hospital, 32 kg and a iron will to not to let me talk out of my decisions.

Well, one simple decision:

 food is bad and I am not dealing with it. It makes me feel heavy, 

look fat and not be wanted.

A long way I have come from that, and thanks God I am totally recovered.

Yet, a few years ago, while deep into my art practice, I noticed some curious

  traits of my personality: if I was deep into my work, and I felt thirsty or hangry,

 I wouldn't let me follow this needs, and carried on in my job. 

Eventually, I realized that this was another sign of lack of care, 

and I began a long journey of self love.

And here, food played again a big role:

 Cooking for myself even the simplest meal had the impact of a big act of care.

Plus, if I felt some how uninspired that day,

 cooking was a real creative 

(and almost always rewarding ) go-to activity.

You see, I am Italian of origin, and food culture runs in our veins... 

Our parents (and specially older generations) are people who think of a meal 

not as a pre-prepared food, but as a time spent in a place ( usually the kitchen) 

with a certain atmosphere and certain people around, 

taking raw ingredients and let them mix and emanates the most delicious flavours, 

which memory will never forget.

I always thought this was normal, but living abroad,

 and considering the lack of time that many of us increasingly experience, 

I came to treasure this aspect : more than a mere need, food is an experience.

Now, as I am interested in illustration related to kids, and I started asking myself :

how is the food experience for them?

Soon I came to the conclusion that too often it wasn't the best, 

not even healthy, and that most of the kids I could approach, 

hadn't been even enough lucky to see an adult properly creating a meal.

No memories of how an onion becomes a delicious flavour, 

or how is better to prepare the filling of tortelli the day before, so the dish will have a greater flavour.

All this said, it has been very clear to me that I had all the elements

of setting off for the journey

to make food become again the great adventure it really is.

I try to draw stories, and the fun, quirky combinations that I love

  around food, and I think this theme

can lead to so many different connections...

to self care, tradition, innovation and mostly, 

appreciation for what the Mother Earth gives us:

life together with the chance to be creative in a healthy and respectful way!

NOTES:

Interesting books about food: 

Foraging and Feasting, an inspiring book about how to find and use wildfood
Baking day at Granma's, a lovely picture book

Blogs ( I am sorry , but I love Italian ones !):
Giallo zafferano, the best of Italian cooking
Mi piace mi fa bene, healthy and tasty food
L'Araba felice in cucina, recipes and funny stories

Instagram accounts:
They draw and cook, the best collection of food illustration
Thabhita Hawkins, an Instagram account of a food stylist photographer

Creative approach :
Erica Liverani, italian chef that often cooks with her little daughter
Andrea Animates, amazing felt art

Well, by now you must be feeling a bit hungry!