Food | 20 Lines A Day

May 14, 2013
by Judy 4 Comments

FEELING PEACHY

For over thirty years, I’ve illustrated food. I loved the challenge of rendering fruit; each variety had beautiful colors and textures to capture.

With peaches, I always used an opaque medium (usually colored pencil) for the reflected light at the edges of the fruit. This gave the impression of “fuzz” because opaque mediums have a bluish cast.

This was one of my earliest jobs of my career. The fruit is very stylized here.

The illustrations I am sharing below were used on labels to indicate peach flavor for bath soap, baby food, sour candy, tea, yogurt, beverages, jam, wine cooler and sorbet.

This illustration is currently on jars of Beechnut Baby Food.

Just for fun, I’ve included some other fruit images in addition to peaches on labels groupings.

A marker layout in progress.

Before creating my final painting, I always provided sketches to my clients.

This was a recent illustration.

Remarkable Labels
Randall's Jams 6

These paintings were rendered with markers, colored pencils and/or watercolor dyes. My motto is “whatever works.” I have a blog where I describe my technique and have a lot more information. It is at:

http://foodartist.wordpress.com

© 2013 by Judy Unger, http://www.myjourneysinsight.com and 20 Lines A Day. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Judy Unger with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

May 4, 2013
by Judy 3 Comments

STRAWBERRIES

For over thirty years, I’ve illustrated food. I loved the challenge of rendering fruit; each variety had beautiful colors and textures to capture. With strawberries, I learned how to replicate the pattern of tiny hives crisscrossing each berry. They looked more realistic when I painted shadows and highlights around each hive.

The illustrations I am sharing below were used on labels to indicate the strawberry flavor for yogurt, juice, jam, milk, liqueur and sorbet. I’ve included some close-ups.

Painting a splash was probably one of the hardest things I’ve illustrated.

This illustration was early in my career, before I learned better techniques for capturing the strawberry texture.

The strawberries here were supposed to be simpler and less realistic. This was used on a liquid bath soap label.

Some of these paintings were rendered with markers and colored pencils and others were created with watercolor dyes. All of these paintings were done before Photoshop existed. I have a blog where I describe my technique and have a lot more information. It is at:

http://foodartist.wordpress.com

January 31, 2013
by Maggie 1 Comment

Where Have I Been?

I’ve been gone for awhile, as I have begun a weight-loss program of healthy eating and regular cardio exercise and strength training. In two weeks I have lost 4.4 pounds, and although that is a small number, it’s just about right. My goal is to lose right around two pounds per week. I am using an online tracker to keep me honest. Daily I track all food and water (8 glasses a day) consumed, exercise, and weight.

I have a few things to say about all of this:

The scale each morning looks me in the eye.
I wonder whether I will smile or cry.
No longer do I order cherry pie,
but bread choice now is wheat or seeded rye.

I take my daily walk, enjoy the air.
This exercise has now become my fare.
I huff and puff. Sometimes I want to swear
at hills that laugh at me and mock. They dare

me with their grins of challenge. I refuse
to let them conquer me. My walking shoes
keep me on track, and I enjoy the views.
I like invigoration, not the blues.

More salad, vegetables and yummy fruit,
now yogurt, eggs and broccoli florets suit
me fine. Where is the chocolate? What a hoot –
all taste for it is gone. The point is moot:

I don’t need sweets to fill me up. The scale
shows numbers telling me: Succeed or Fail.
I now anticipate its morning mail
to tell me where I am on the weight-loss trail.

December 30, 2012
by Judy 1 Comment

DESSERT MEDLEY

I am excited to share another painting on 20 lines, which I’ve named Dessert Medley. Painting delicious food always intrigued me. The many colors that could be found in whipped cream (beyond white) were fun to discover. Dusted sugar and strawberry hives required a toothpick.

I always photograph my reference before painting them. I admit that choosing delicious food has advantages, because there are leftovers once I’ve taken my pictures!

My photo reference – not nearly as beautiful!

This painting was created with watercolor dyes, before there was Photoshop. Some close-ups are below.

I have a blog where I describe my technique and have a lot more information. It is at:

http://foodartist.wordpress.com

© 2012 by Judy Unger, http://www.myjourneysinsight.com and 20 Lines A Day. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Judy Unger with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

December 11, 2012
by Nizy 1 Comment

When “Free Air” Isn’t “Free”

”All my life I thought air was free, until I bought a bag of chips!”

November 30, 2012
by ramblingsfromamum 2 Comments

December – Christmas in Australia

December is a coming it’s just around the bend

For some it will be snow flakes for us it’s heat and sun

We have turkey, chicken & our ham

We have our prawns or our seafood

We have our pudding with the custard

Or fresh in season berries which are so so deliciously good

Sometimes it will be BBQ

With the meats under cover they cook

Sometimes they’re thrown in oven

When doors are opened for one more look

Yes Christmas in Australia can be 104 degrees

We swelter with air con pumped up high

Our land is girthed by seas

And if it does get hotter we can but simply sigh

There won’t be snow flakes falling

Or bodies rugged up tight

There won’t be a hot toddy

Or a cold and chilly night

We share our love under heat and sun

And moan about the weather

How silly to serve hot meats we say

But at least we’re all together

There won’t be snow or chilly winds

But sun to blaze upon us

We tuck into our Christmas fare

With laughs, with love & stress

Is Christmas any different though?

We celebrate the same

We just have different temperatures

Of which we may complain

The Season of goodwill to man

Of that we have been told

To share our love & giving

With the young & with the old

So enjoy the day for what it is

Wherever you may be

The day of being with your friends

And your treasured family

For the day is shared all ov’ the world

Whether heat or snow or cold

A day of sharing, love & laughs

A day to remember as we grow old

November 25, 2012
by Maggie Leave a comment

Thanksgiving 2012

I learned that I’m a worrier. Everything that gave me angst before Thanksgiving turned out to be nothing.

“But she’ll ask about the ___,” I worried.

She didn’t ask.

“He’ll wonder where the check is,” I worried.

Nothing was said.

“S. will back off,” I worried.

She didn’t.

“The food won’t be just right,” I worried.

The food was delicious.

“We won’t have enough room,” I worried.

We had plenty of room, and more.

Lesson? Don’t worry. It adds stress. It’s unnecessary.

Thanksgiving couldn’t have been more wonderful. My sister-in-law and her husband arrived on the train Wed. night and stayed until yesterday. What a great time we had with them. I finally located an old carousel slide projector so we could look at slides of my husband, his five siblings, and their parents, from when the kids were small. J. was a tremendous help in the kitchen. J. and C. were comfortable in the bedroom we gave them, easy guests, fun. The right teams won football games, for the most part. The grandchildren were sweet. Our older granddaughter played the piano for everyone and was duly rewarded with applause and compliments. Our younger granddaughter zoomed little cars around, hugged teddy bears, and happily went from lap to lap. Our grandson, a teenager, hung with the men watching football, spending time on Facebook with his friends, said the grace before our meal.

How much I have to be grateful for.

And I am.

November 24, 2012
by nutsfortreasure 2 Comments

Thanksgiving Feasts

Reblogged from Living and Lovin:

Well for those of us here in America we had Thanksgiving on Thursday then left overs over and over so if I am

going to have a good weigh-in come Tuesday :) this will be what my meals will look like. Not such a bad deal

but I can only eat lettuce just so much. I better be good if I want to get back to that "ABOUT" photo of ME…

Food Prohibition

Please -

Stop telling me I can’t eat this

and I can’t eat that

I mustn’t eat sugar

and I shouldn’t eat fat:

The tuna’s full of mercury, arsenic’s in the rice

salt’s in my baked beans and organic’s such a price!

My gran died at eight six (yes, Death got her in the end),

but no one told her what to eat and drove her round the bend.

She didn’t eat the brown bread, preferred her crusty white,

liked bacon, cheese and butter and a big unhealthy bite

of chocolate – no, not that, it’s such a sin!

Hide it in a plastic bag and put it in the bin.

She -

ate her greens and fruit

but never played squash

nor went on any diet

- thought they were hogwash.

She was full of fun and laughter, enjoyed life to the full,

Units of alcohol? – She thought that was all bull.

A little of what you fancy, don’t over-indulge

(except maybe at Christmas!) ‘cos it causes tummy bulge!

So -

Stop telling us we can’t eat this

and leave us all alone.

All things in moderation

is what we should intone.

Because -

If you say we mustn’t, then that’s what we want to do -

We ‘ll behave like naughty children, not listening to you!

October 27, 2012
by Maggie 1 Comment

A Priceless Gift

Our grandson is 14 1/2 (remarkable to me as I remember the night he was born) and is a typical teenager, hooked into “his” kind of music almost constantly, doing things with his friends, busy with school and sports. Well, his sport is cross country, and the season just ended, but not before he proved himself a contender. He’s right up there, second or third in every race, even county, regional, or other large meets.

Because of cross, he has taken it upon himself to eat properly. He no longer drinks pop, ever, but “stays hydrated” with water. He reads labels on products at the store. He eats vegetables now, when before, he’d just as soon omit them from any plate of food. He makes himself salads. He knows to eat pasta before a meet.

His 11 year-old sister is impatient with his focus on healthy foods. Just listening to them in the car yesterday when I picked them up from school was funny.

“B., do you have to talk about food all the time?”

“I don’t talk about it all the time.”

“Yes you do. I mean, there are other things to talk about, you know. Who cares what the first ingredient in something is. I know I don’t.”

“Well, M., I need to eat right and exercise so I can stay in shape for running.”

“The season is over. What’s the big deal?”

And on and on until I changed the subject. It was good-natured banter, but neither was going to back down from his/her position.

Our granddaughter had an event to go to, so her mom picked her up at 5:30. Then it was just our grandson, my husband and me, so we asked him where he’d like to eat. He was quick in his answer, and we wound up at a local pizzeria which has extraordinarily delicious pizza. I was able to get something off the American menu, which was my preference. But the guys shared a large pizza.

As we ate, he played around with our smartphone, taking silly pictures of himself, grabbing a pic of me here and there, singing….

“Grandma, sometimes I’m all of a sudden singing and I don’t even realize it.”

He was happy and goofy and teenaged and we were all having a good time. Then, out of the blue, he looked at us and said, “I just love you guys so much.”

Now there’s a gift I could never put a price on.

September 5, 2012
by Sorrows In A Serenade 2 Comments

A Meal.

Shaking hands prepared this meal,
Shaking hands finish this meal.

Mother and Daughter
Eat in hushed silence
Mother and Daughter
A suspense, turbulent.

Too quickly,
Daughter finishes her meal.
Too quickly,
Daughter leaves to another world

Too slowly,
Mother is left behind

A table littered with rice grains.
A clang of a spoon clattering on the floor.
Mother groans
Painfully picking it up.

With an empty chair,
Forever reserved

www.sorrowsinaserenade.wordpress.com

August 24, 2012
by Maggie 1 Comment

Dr. Seuss II

(This is too much fun.) Thanks, Anne.

The Bungle-de-Bungler arose from his sleep,
washed all of his whiskers, and drove — Beep, beep, beep –
to the Soda Pop Diner where he loved to eat.
“The special today is our Chick-Chuckle Meat,”
announced Sarah Selling , the waitress in red,
white and blue. “You’ve come right from your bed,”
Sarah said, “and I think that I have just the thing.
Wait here, Bung-de-Bungler, and soon I will bring
you a large cup of coffee with piles of whipped cream.
Ah, there,” Sarah cooed, her face with a gleam.
“Drink more, Bungle-Bungler and fill up your tum.”
But Bunglee said, “Sarah, please, NO! I want rum!”
(Just kidding!)

August 10, 2012
by bigsmileu1 4 Comments

The Potato Chip Gene

I like potato chips.

It runs in my family.

The potato chip gene is passed down

To one of us randomly.

Some brands are better

But I prefer Lays

Just the original chips except for BBQ

For those I like Jays.

I try not to eat them.

They are bad for my health.

If you want to tempt me

I’ll take chips over wealth.

Chips are addicting

I have that weird gene.

I crave them often

I am the chip queen.

No crunching around me

It hurts my chip brain.

Existing with such limits

Is causing much pain.

I need a pill or a potion.

To end my chip habit.

Until then I’ll try to eat carrots.

And make like a rabbit.

I know that this poem

Sounds a bit lame

But, my rhyming is off

The chip gene is to blame.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jamie Nowinski – Grandmother Wisdom/Grandmother Musings with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

August 1, 2012
by Maggie Leave a comment

Dinner…and Dessert

We had dinner tonight with another couple at an Italian restaurant that has been a mainstay in our area for many years. It’s well-known, is decorated spectacularly, and has a gorgeous garden where weddings are often held.

Strangely, we didn’t eat Italian. My husband and our other two friends all had baked salmon in parchment. I don’t eat fish, but had no problem deciding what to have. I settled on BBQ ribs. Oh my goodness, were they delicious. I didn’t even need to bring any home in a box. The accompanying carrots and roasted potatoes were also outstanding. And then one of the others asked about dessert.

Our waiter brought out the dessert tray.

Hmm, let’s see…that strawberry-blueberry crisp looks pretty good. But then there’s that triple plate of a chocolate something-or-other topped with fresh raspberries, a dish of caramel, and a coconut ball. Or should I have crème bruleé, one of my very favorite desserts? And, of course there were others, each looking better than the others. How could I make up my mind?

Now keep in mind that I had just finished a plate of some of the most scrumptious food I’ve ever eaten. I wasn’t hungry. On the contrary, I was super-full. But when that dessert tray came around, temptation got the better of me and I had the triple plate. Let me tell you how fabulous it was.

Pair all of this with good company, beautiful ambiance on the outdoor patio where we dined, and it made for a special evening.

Mmm…Creme Brulee

July 29, 2012
by howanxious 2 Comments

The Holiday Challenge!

The year end holidays,

When it all goes still,

Every one takes some rest,

From the fast paced life,

A moment of remembrance,

Of the year that is ending,

A moment of sheer pleasure,

With Christmas and New Years’ Eve,

Giving the joy of celebration.

If you would give me a chance,

To stay for ever after in a fixed time,

It would be this very time of year ending,

Where I would stay, clear of the competitions,

Away from the repercussions,

Just live in those holidays,

With stomach full with warming food,

Getting wrapped in blankets,

Lying around- seeing the celebration around.

These holidays I would say,

Are the one I like the best.

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I like potato chips.

It runs in my family.

The potato chip gene is passed down

To one of us randomly.

Some brands are better

But I prefer Lays

Just the original chips except for BBQ

For those I like Jays.

I try not to eat them.

They are bad for my health.

If you want to tempt me

I’ll take chips over wealth.

Chips are addicting

I have that weird gene.

I crave them often

I am the chip queen.

No crunching around me

It hurts my chip brain.

Existing with such limits

Is causing much pain.

I need a pill or a potion.

To end my chip habit.

Until then I’ll try to eat carrots.

And make like a rabbit.

I know that this poem

Sounds a bit lame

But, my rhyming is off

The chip gene is to blame.

Share this:

Like this:

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