An entertaining art blog based in rural Iowa and written by author and artist Haley McAndrews, of Red Stone Art Studio.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
12 Gift Ideas for Artists!
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Artist Interview: Liz Joy, Inspired to Taste
If Iād known how truly amazing Liz Joy of Inspired to Taste is when I asked to interview her for my blog, I would have been far too starstruck to ever send the first message! Sheās been featured by Forbes, People Magazine, BuzzFeed Tasty, and more. Her clients have included Warner Bros., Sephora, and HBO Max. According to her website, Joy is āan award-winning dessert designerā who āspecializes in helping brands think outside the box with uniquely-crafted āedibleā content for ads, social media, and events.ā Yes, you read that correctly: itās food.
While Joy has incredible skills in a variety of creative
aspects like design and branding, her baked artworks are captivating in a way
Iāve not seen before ā which, can we all take a moment to thank the invention
of the internet? Because with it we have access to an entire world of artists,
at our fingertips! That might need to be its own blog post topic.
Joyās current favorite medium is, you guessed it, pastry!
āGetting into edible mediums has been such a fun discovery,ā she said. āIt
provides firm parameters (āmust be tasty and edibleā) along with an incredible
amount of creative freedomā¦ I accidentally fell into baking about six years ago
when I was looking for a creative outlet I could easily practice at home.ā
I asked Joy what her favorite subject is, and she replied, āI
tend to gravitate towards fashion, beauty, and pop culture for inspiration
(probably because I used to work as an art director within those categories and
have always been drawn to them.) Recently, though, Iāve been delving more into
the storytelling possibilities of edible art, and am immensely inspired by
fairytales as a jumping off point for those concepts.ā
āIām currently working on a Cinderella-inspired multi-piece
bake thatās turning out to be much more complicated and time-consuming than Iād
originally anticipated,ā she said. āAfter that, Iāll be working on a pie design
for my dadās birthday.ā
āMy personal favorite pieces are the annual pies I design
for my dadās birthday. He was born and raised in Honduras in the middle of the
last century, and I grew up mesmerized by the stories heād tell my brother and
me about running wild in the mountains and jungles of Central America. Every
year, I select a favorite story and āpie-ifyā it for him, and then share the
process and story online.ā In addition to sharing photos and videos of her
process, Joy teaches classes sometimes on cookie decorating, with a focus on
mixed-media edible designs with many layers and textures.
And I always ask, because the answers are so very, very different
from artist to artist: whatās your favorite art tool? āPenblades are an awesome
tool for getting precise cuts on custom designs, from dough to fondant,ā Joy
said. āI use a kitchen knife sharpener to keep mine nice and sharp, and they
last a really long time.ā
Her advice to artists just beginning their journey is
excellent: āPlan to create stuff you hate.ā
āWe creative people tend to hold ourselves to high standards and also have a habit of constantly comparing ourselves to other artists. You canāt expect to start out at level 100 (or even 10). Most of us have to slog through the experimentation and trial-and-error process for a while before we even begin to understand our own skills and style and potentialā¦ Iāve been creating professionally for several decades and still have issues with this (itās at the heart of any procrastination incident). You HAVE to be okay with screwing up, making messes and figuring things out as you go. Donāt be a perfectionist and donāt be too hard on yourself.ā
She says her general rule for each new project is simply to improve
on her last one, even if itās just a tiny bit. āKeep moving forward just focusing
on improving and eventually youāll be astonished by what you can do.ā
āUntil recently, I was entirely self-taught in the baking
department. Last year I began getting frustrated with my limitations, so
decided to attend Pastry Academy. Iām so happy with the decision and investment
because itās opened up a wide new world of possibilities to me.ā
āNever stop trying new things,ā Joy advises. āIf an idea pops into your head and makes your heart race, try it out, even if you donāt feel ready yet. Learn to develop your creativity, watch tutorials, read, try various mediums and techniques, study a variety of subjects. Stay curious.ā
āBe WEIRD. We're lucky to work in a profession where thatās
more widely accepted. Lean into it and see where it takes you.ā
If youād like to see more of Liz Joyās amazing artwork (sheās
talented with illustration and design outside the kitchen, too) you can check
out her website at https://www.InspiredtoTaste.com/,
and her social media accounts (@inspiredtotaste) on Facebook and Instagram. I guarantee
you wonāt be disappointed by what she creates!