The first time I did this, I was sitting in front of my desk, thinking about how I should thank someone who had bought me some delicious snacks the night before. All I had in front of me was regular stationary, a stack of extra paper plates and a Fuji apple I’d just bought from Café Ramona. After some pondering, I started to doodle on a plate. While I did want to keep most of the apple to myself, I generously cut off a slice and added it to my drawing. It turned out looking something like this:
Art & Photo by Hanna Juehan Ye
I then wrote a thank you note on the edge of the plate and gave it out. To my surprise, my random work of “food art” actually received a genuine “wow” instead of a weird stare. I’ve continued to do this since then; I combine some entry-level doodling, some easily-accessible fruit slices and some spontaneous imagination to create these plates and then use them as either small gifts or fun decorations. You can do it too, even when you simply want to have some fun with your fruit.
Here is another experiment with a slice of apple. It totally looked like Tinker Bell’s strapless, green dress! (Or at least to me.)
Art & Photo by Hanna Juehan Ye
Strawberries: sweet, juicy, also known as the “fruit of love.” This name partly comes from the fruit’s association with the Ancient Roman goddess, Venus (thus: the whole legend that says if two people share one strawberry they will fall in love immediately) and partly due to its vivid, red color and its heart shape. But here I chose to turn it upside down and let it resemble flames–because nothing can beat the romance of a s’mores night, obviously.
Art & Photo by Hanna Juehan Ye
I only realized a great way to make emoticons when my mom was making banana and blueberry smoothies one day. With these two fruits’ perfectly-round shape, very ideal size difference and nice color contrast, all I needed to do was position some eyebrows and add a funny mouth to complete the look.
Art & Photo by Hanna Juehan Ye
This is an ASL “I Love You” hand gesture with a grape, created after my friend with bright nails waved at me from across the street. This is why I enjoy making these plates—I can simply slice one green grape into halves, add them to my drawing and suddenly make it more lively and special.
Art & Photo by Hanna Juehan Ye
An orange camera–like literally. How I wish it existed in real life. “Look at this orange. Three, two, one, smile! Great. Now, let me take one more with a telephoto orange.”
Art & Photo by Hanna Juehan Ye
Have fun with your doodles too! And may some food art be ever in your life.
Inspired by Lee Samantha.
Note: All featured food art is the artistic property of Hanna Juehan Ye. No part of this art may be republished or reused, except with the prior written permission of and with express attribution to the artist.