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Bitter Oranges by Nava Grunfeld, watercolor on paper | Artists Network
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Take a Bite Out of These 9 Creative Projects

Food: No matter how we spend our days and nights, we always come back to food. We daydream about it, respond to the scent of it, plan our schedules around it, socialize with it and, naturally, eat it.

Apples and Grapes by Claude Monet, oil on canvas | Food-inspired Creative Projects
Apples and Grapes by Claude Monet, oil on canvas

What better creative stimulus could there be — especially to celebrate the upcoming National Day of Unplugging — than something so elemental to life and happiness? So, with that being said, here are nine creative projects to help appease your artistic cravings.

1. Tasty Textures

Sumptuous texture is a feast for the eye. Head to your grocer and select items with intriguing surfaces — cheeses, crackers, nuts, shellfish, fruits and veggies. (Pro tip: Quickly set up a still life before you wind up eating your finds.)

2. Favorite Foods

What cuisine do you love most — French, Italian, German, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or something else? What foods, cookware or tableware do you associate with that cuisine? Make those items the “ingredients” for a painting or illustrated recipe.

9 food-inspired creative projects, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine
Photo by Monstruo Estudio/Unsplash

3. Sweet Treats

Buy or make your favorite sweet  — then draw, paint or sculpt it. Go extra large without the added feat or ingesting too many calories, like artist Mary Ellen Johnson’s oil painting Butterscotch and Fudge Sundae.

Butterscotch and Fudge sundae by Mary Ellen Johnson | 9 food-inspired creative projects, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine
Butterscotch and Fudge sundae by Mary Ellen Johnson, oil on panel, 48 x 20 1/2

4. Classic Cookware

Let a cooking item from a past generation feed your imagination — but try for a contemporary feel to your setup. Don’t have any old-style cookware, crockery or kitchen gear on hand? Take a trip to an antique store or flea market. You just might find multiple items to inspire tons of future creative projects.

Use classic cookware as a way to inspire your next art project; part of 9 food-inspired creative projects, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine
Photo by Getty Images

5. Expanding Palettes

Try a different medium. You could glaze a greenware bowl or plate with your own artful design. Or, start from scratch and worth with clay or papier-mâché to make a bowl or plate.

Artful Pottery | 9 food-inspired creative projects, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine
Photo by Getty Images

6. Kitchen Reflections

Self-taught artist Jeanette Pasin Sloan learned how to paint by challenging herself to depict every item in her kitchen. She now especially likes capturing the play of light and patterns on reflective items. Take a note from Sloan and take a reflective item from your kitchen to use as a subject of a still life.

Points II by Jeanette Pasin Sloan, watercolor and gouache on paper | 9 food-inspired creative projects, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine
Points II by Jeanette Pasin Sloan, watercolor and gouache on paper, 15 1/4 x 8 1/4

7. Colorful Cravings

It’s all about colors, shapes and patterns for Nava Grunfeld. Note the flat, graphic look of Bitter Oranges. Fruit and flowers add to the shapes and colors of her plates and fabrics. Gather your own tableware, fabrics and foods to create a bold design to paint, draw or collage for your next composition.

Bitter Oranges by Nava Grunfeld, watercolor on paper | 9 food-inspired creative projects, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine
Bitter Oranges by Nava Grunfeld, watercolor on paper, 30 x 40

8. Family Meals

The kitchen is often referred to as the center of the home, and the table is its gathering place. Create a kitchen or table scene that includes family or friends. Pay particular attention to lighting, the viewing angle and gestures.

9. Get Social

Last but certainly not least, once you complete one of the creative projects from this list, be sure to tag us @artistsnetwork on Instagram using #artistsnetwork_prompts.

Happy creating, artists!

These nine creative prompts, with contributions by Holly Davis, were first featured in Artists Magazine; contributions by Holly Davis. Subscribe now to never miss an issue.

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