Temptation Series
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TEMPTATION SERIES
Contemporary Watercolors
It all began during my early childhood in post war Germany. Desserts were luxuries, meat was almost nonexistent, chocolate was of the homemade variety… Culinary child heaven was a piece of dark bread with butter and sugar sprinkles.
My father was an artist who spent most of his spare time in his studio creating realistic pen and ink portraits of people and animals to earn a living. My mother loved to cook. She always knew that good food would draw people to her side. We didn’t have much…yet, we always approached the dinner table with glowing anticipation.
Three years after my father died (I was ten) – my mother got married to an American soldier, and we moved to the United States – the land of milk and honey – not to mention Hershey chocolate, ice cream and McDonald Hamburgers. I indulged, I feasted, and gained weight.
During the beginning seventies - “Little Debbie’s” were out and “Twiggy” was in. This was the beginning of perceiving food as the enemy – not just fattening, but cancer- and heart attack inducing, cholesterol laden, too salty and too sugary, and somehow morally corrupting. It was time to become a vegetarian. Oat bran would save me from heart disease, carrots and broccoli from cancer, fat-free ice cream from obesity. Food was no longer simply food, but preventive medicine, a scientific abstraction, a moral test, and sometimes – a mortal enemy. My nights were filled dreaming of cakes, cookies, chocolate truffles and pies.
This love/hate relationship with food followed me throughout my life. Food had lost its basic function: that of giving pleasure. The most disturbing and disheartening aspect of this food paranoia was that it seemed driven far more by the fear of death than by a love for life.
It wasn’t until I got married and started cooking and entertaining – when I realized that the enjoyment of food, and the rituals that codify and often intensify that enjoyment is knit into the very fabric of society.
During graduate school at The George Washington University in 1995 – I seriously pursued and researched the topic of food in art history. Suddenly I was bombarded with images of potential paintings at bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets and at dinner parties. The possibilities were endless – the colors were glorious – and the subject matter appealed to everyone. Food – which had been such an important topic throughout my life – became art.
“The Temptation Series” was created as a tribute to all my friends and family who rejoiced with me in the art of eating – and who witnessed my transformation from culinary artist to watercolor artist.
Contemporary Watercolors
It all began during my early childhood in post war Germany. Desserts were luxuries, meat was almost nonexistent, chocolate was of the homemade variety… Culinary child heaven was a piece of dark bread with butter and sugar sprinkles.
My father was an artist who spent most of his spare time in his studio creating realistic pen and ink portraits of people and animals to earn a living. My mother loved to cook. She always knew that good food would draw people to her side. We didn’t have much…yet, we always approached the dinner table with glowing anticipation.
Three years after my father died (I was ten) – my mother got married to an American soldier, and we moved to the United States – the land of milk and honey – not to mention Hershey chocolate, ice cream and McDonald Hamburgers. I indulged, I feasted, and gained weight.
During the beginning seventies - “Little Debbie’s” were out and “Twiggy” was in. This was the beginning of perceiving food as the enemy – not just fattening, but cancer- and heart attack inducing, cholesterol laden, too salty and too sugary, and somehow morally corrupting. It was time to become a vegetarian. Oat bran would save me from heart disease, carrots and broccoli from cancer, fat-free ice cream from obesity. Food was no longer simply food, but preventive medicine, a scientific abstraction, a moral test, and sometimes – a mortal enemy. My nights were filled dreaming of cakes, cookies, chocolate truffles and pies.
This love/hate relationship with food followed me throughout my life. Food had lost its basic function: that of giving pleasure. The most disturbing and disheartening aspect of this food paranoia was that it seemed driven far more by the fear of death than by a love for life.
It wasn’t until I got married and started cooking and entertaining – when I realized that the enjoyment of food, and the rituals that codify and often intensify that enjoyment is knit into the very fabric of society.
During graduate school at The George Washington University in 1995 – I seriously pursued and researched the topic of food in art history. Suddenly I was bombarded with images of potential paintings at bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets and at dinner parties. The possibilities were endless – the colors were glorious – and the subject matter appealed to everyone. Food – which had been such an important topic throughout my life – became art.
“The Temptation Series” was created as a tribute to all my friends and family who rejoiced with me in the art of eating – and who witnessed my transformation from culinary artist to watercolor artist.
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