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Bridging People Through Food Art

Posted on June 2, 2020June 16, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Bridging People Through Food Art

I was doing my usual lurking at the lively Global Malaysian Makan Minum Network FB Group when a photo stopped me short in my e-tracks.

“What a gorgeous looking bowl of hokkien mee!” I thought.

My mouth watered at the sight of succulent prawns swimming in an appetizing bowl of noodle soup topped with a seductive film of fiery prawn oil.

Then I scrolled down further and read the comments.

No way!

The bowl of noodles was a PAINTING.

Original link

A painting which looked so incredibly lifelike that many others, like me, had mistaken it for real food as well. The artist’s work has generated tremendous response in the FB group, eliciting hundreds of Likes and Shares every time she posted a photo of her latest illustration.

Who’s the artist creating food paintings that look good enough to eat?

Her name is Laura Raymond Boin. The eldest of six siblings, she was born in Kota Kinabalu and is married to a Penang boy. Previously a quality engineer, Laura is now a full-time homemaker with two sons, aged 14 and 10. She lived mostly in Penang but also in Korea and Japan due to her husband’s job.

Laura comes from an artistic family: her father drew and painted as a hobby and her youngest sister is a freelance artist doing mostly portraits. While Laura shared this creative streak, she didn’t really develop it since high school in order to focus on studies, work, and then family. She says, “You kinda always think of art as something that only certain people are capable of doing and if you do, it’s a struggle to pay the bills. At least that was the assumption.”

The idea of revisiting her artistic passion through food paintings came to Laura during the COVID19 pandemic. “We had gone on a long walk as we had avoided the subway due to the pandemic,” she explains. “The next day, my legs were so sore that all I wanted to do was sit down. That’s when I picked up a pencil and followed a Youtube video on how to draw a 3D looking water droplet. Looking at the finished result, I thought, ‘This doesn’t look bad!’”

Laura immediately placed an order for watercolour pencils. When they arrived, she started experimenting with drawing a cupcake and eventually ended up drawing a bowl of hokkien mee.

Explaining why she chose to draw food, Laura says, “A while ago, I watched Flavors of Youth, a Netflix anime show that explores the simple joys of life through sensual memories. One scene depicted animated noodles that looked really appetizing and I identified strongly with the theme of having food as part of your memory. That’s when I realized even animated food could look scrumptious and evoke nostalgia.

“When I posted it to my Facebook, the strong reaction encouraged me to challenge myself to do more Malaysian food illustrations.”

Let’s get to know Laura, in her own words.

You clearly have a strong artistic and creative streak. According to your website, you were even a portraiture photographer at one point! How did that happen?
One of my passions growing up was photography. I began to pursue this seriously in Busan when my husband was posted there between 2012-2017. My initial motivation was to go into serious portraiture photography without relying on my family as my only published works. What came next was a bonus. My clients were mostly English speaking clients who either lived in or visited Busan. I also did some interior photography for hotels which I also came to enjoy.

You didn’t have the luxury of focussing on your art until later in adulthood. What motivated you to get back into the groove?
Some years back, my ‘re-entry’ to art began when I tried adult colouring book and then paint-by-number kits. I enjoyed the process of colouring and blending but it felt very taxing to finish a page so I never did. I was busy working again when I was in Penang, dealing with work and children’s school but at the most stressful times, I enjoyed watercolour videos on Youtube. They felt very relaxing and I kept that vision of doing it myself.

Finally when we moved to Tokyo I had plans for my post working life, and that was to go back to portrait photography. Unfortunately, the pandemic happened and all things related to tourism had halted, including tour photography.

I found myself stuck sitting beside my 4th grade son to make sure he does his home learning. If I left his side, he would lose focus and doesn’t get his work done until late into the night. So, apart from scrolling Facebook, I had to do something else to make my time worthwhile.

Original link

Sounds like a dilemma that every mother is struggling with during the COVID19 pandemic. Most people who have seen your art would agree your time was worthwhile though, because your paintings are so lifelike! Please give us a little insight into your art creation process. 
First I choose a reference photo either from internet or my own photos. I have asked friends to send me pictures too. Then I would sketch the food in pencil. Next, I would start colouring with watercolours by choosing or mixing (if the colour needs tweaking) the base colour and tone of the different areas. With watercolours, you need to start light and build up to the darker colours. I will avoid colouring highlighted areas. Once I have laid down the first layer by making sure the colours are near to the reference photos – which I print out – I continue adding on details.

“Every step takes patience and they don’t look like anything in the beginning but as it progresses I can see it coming to life.”

The final touch up is done with colour pencils and highlight pen. Not forgetting shadows too, it’s an important part of making it look realistic. I add seemingly unimportant details as that’s how they could look realistic. Real food is not perfect. I think my experience as a photographer also helped in understanding colour saturation, temperature, hue and brightness. Every decision I’m making is based on that and if I make a mistake I can step back and see how I can correct it. I also take multiple photos during painting so I can see how it looks like after each application.

My first few works took me 2-3 days as I did them on top of daily chores, cooking and homeschooling. I hope to improve my time as my skills improve. Drawing realistically is challenging but I try my best to make every piece of work fun and enjoyable by everyone.

Posting your art on a global network with thousands of members is really brave. What motivated you to share your art with a bigger audience?
I actually just wanted to share with everyone how I miss Malaysian food during this pandemic. Instead of cooking food, I drew it! I didn’t expect members to have such a positive reaction and that gave me encouragement to create more Malaysian food drawings. I feel good to share my art vision with global Malaysians. Malaysian food never fails to invoke nostalgia of life back in Malaysia.

“Every overseas Malaysian has their own food that has the power to bring them ‘back home’.”

 

Original link

There are even fans calling on you to set up an Etsy account so that they can support your art. What’s your end game – do you have any plans to sell your artwork in future?
Actually I’ve been loving wall art more as I get older, but I can’t afford original art. By painting for myself, I can have my own wall art for my home, made by my own hands. But because I enjoy them, I’m hoping that other people can see my vision too. Some people have encouraged me to share my art by selling prints and that is going to keep me busy for a while, which is good.

I’ve always wanted to work from home, and this could be the way. I am currently growing my portfolio and my food illustrations Instagram. It’s all very new so I can’t maintain an Etsy account yet but I have opened an account with www.artpal.com where I uploaded some of my works for people to order (Artpal prints and ships to any country).

Although I would love to print them myself and ship them as a personal touch, printing can be more costly in Japan. I want to keep it cost-effective for Malaysians who are around the globe to have them. Furthermore, I’m still in my refining period where I spend the bulk of my time creating, so I watch Youtube and Skillshare videos to sharpen my skill.

I would love to diversify to other kinds of prints in the future like tote bags and calendars. I also hope to work with food brands that are open to using illustrations instead of food photography alone.

*****

We wish you all the best Laura, and can’t wait to see more of your works! Do check out Laura’s work at:

www.artpal.com/iartfood
www.instagram.com/iartfood

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Stories Tags:food art, Malaysian artist

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Who’s Ipohbunny, lah?

Welcome!

I’m Alexandra Wong, a self-taught Malaysian home cook on a mission to simplify and healthify recipes using affordable quality ingredients. I am a writer by profession, mostly known for my feelgood stories about people, travel and food.

ipohbunny

My first Ig live, Omg! My first Ig live, Omg!
When I met Paige at @hinmarket, her booth stopped When I met Paige at @hinmarket, her booth stopped me in my tracks immediately.Who knew cement could be turned into such beautiful and functional art pieces? If you're still there, PLEASE do yourself a favour and mosey over to her booth (near the entrance) and get a piece of her instant classics.

The market closes at 5pm, so hurry up!!
Alternatively, you can get in touch with her after the event @wanjiarts
...

I am so excited about this first live interview video I did, thanks to encouragement by the inspiring @lohjiyuan 

I had to really level up to make this video. I only found out after I left that I was too close to the phone and as a result, her voice was too soft. I had to figure out how to increase her volume, which was really hard because we were both talking fast. Then I figured, hey, why not I slowwwww down the speed and then I can split the clips and increase her section ...you will know if you use video editing tools. I was racing against time too because I wanted this to be up before the bazaar closes. 

There were a bunch of other things I had to learn, and I'm glad I did. Here's a toast to more upskilling!

I'll be posting this also on my other account @heroesofmalaysia So if you'd like to see other awesome people doing awesome things in Malaysia, do follow me there too :)

#hinmarket #wanjiarts #concreteart #handmadegifts #giftideas #cement #diycrafts #hinbusdepot #popup #popupstore #popupshop
So. The Star article is finally out, that big thin So. The Star article is finally out, that big thing that I was both excited and nervous about and honestly was worried would cause me sleepless nights but I slept like a baby last night - rather snored like a train, according to my husband. Hearing that makes me happy these days haha!

I'd like to highlight some lines from the article: 

“It’s real and it’s not something that you call tell yourself to snap out of, so never say this to someone who is going through it." THIS. PLEASE DO NOT EVER SAY THIS.

“I did a test at a clinic for the stress hormone cortisol and discovered that my levels were over the roof! I was diagnosed and put on a bunch of medications ..." Clarification: high cortisol levels do not indicate that you have mental health conditions.  It did tell me under I was under a lot of stress and motivated me to finally seek psychiatric help.

"I still talk to my therapist because he is my safe space." Getting a therapist was one of the best decisions I made and he is, indeed, my lifesaver, especially when I face a potentially stressful situation. Thank you JC, who first sparked the idea of talking to a therapist because it helped him a lot. Hugs J!

"The most important pillar in her mental health journey was her husband whose unflagging support was crucial. “One day, I giggled at a joke he cracked and he almost cried tears of joy because I had gone so long without smiling." I love you so much, darling, and I'm glad we're growing together through this journey. And a huge thanks too to my in laws who offered me a safe haven during that critical first week when I was like a zombie. 

Lastly, I'd like to thank all of you who have been with me on this journey since I opened up a month ago. There are ups and downs and it's all part of progress and growth, and it will just make us stronger.

Lastly, thank you @Ming_Teoh for doing such a beautiful job with this sensitively and compassionately written article. I hope it helps as many people as possible.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalwellbeing #wellbeing @thestaronline #mentalhealthadvocate
You don't have to be an expert in mental health to You don't have to be an expert in mental health to support friends struggling with theirs. Compassion and empathy can go a long way. 

Yesterday, the @thestaronline published an article about mental health based on an interview I did with @Ming_Teoh a few weeks ago. 

One of the stories is about a beautiful relationship that was destroyed because one of the friends lacked empathy. Happily, the other friendship was brought to a new level because one of them demonstrated empathy, kindness and compassion. Love you, Von (even though you don't have IG).

It all started when Ming saw my mental toolkit a few weeks ago and asked me if I'd be willing to talk about my experiences. 

I said yes without hesitation. I'd just come out of hell and I was going to do whatever it takes to spare other people from the pain, even if it means talking openly about my personal struggles. 

Ming and I spoke so long and so much that she told me she would be writing TWO not one articles from it! OMG!

A few days later, I started getting cold feet. I started wondering ... could I be anonymous? How would she write it? What would people think of me?

I wanted to call her but before I could take action, Ming texted me. "Your articles will be out next week."

So soon?!

I immediately rang her up.  Ming was very kind, telling me that she had done her best to leave out the parts that were sensitive, and from what she described to me in detail, without showing me the actual text of course, I felt reassured that she would do a good job.

The first of the two articles were published yesterday, "How mental health and friends affect each other". It was well written with compassion and clear intention to spread awareness without sensationalising. 

This article is only available online (link in bio), so I decided to get creative. We're living in the age of new media, so why not convert it into an IG carousel using @canva? 

The main article will be published today and focusses on my mental health toolkit. It will be in the print version as well. Can't wait to get a copy!!!

#mentalhealth @thestaronline #mentalhealthawareness #friendship #kindness #empathy #mentalhealthadvocate
Not often does one get to meet the original person Not often does one get to meet the original person who inspired them to pursue their passion but  today I did.... I met @andrewmatthews.author in the flesh!!! 

For some reason I cannot fathom and which I can only thank the divine powers for, Andrew is in Penang to launch his new book, Bouncing Back. And it was held just minutes away from my home, so come hail or high water, I made sure I was there.

He blew my expectations out of the water. His "speech" involved him giving a life affirming motivational talk WHILE drawing his iconic cartoons on the fly on the easel to illustrate his points. Holy moly. Everybody's jaw was on the floor.

The crowd was rapturous, as was I, except maybe I had one extra reason to be over the moon.

You see, years ago, I read Folllow Your Heart and was utterly charmed by his storytelling style. They had humour, so much heart and they were real stories of real people who overcame adversity and great obstacles to bounce back. Healing stories.

Looking back, I can see now that those are the same qualities that I unconsciously weave into my stories esp for my Star column. 

So - despite feeling damn thick skinned, I just had to give him a copy of my own book, Made in Malaysa: Hometown Heroes and Hidden Gems - the book he inspired. 

Thank you Andrew for making time to be here and a huge round of appreciation to @psdcpenang for organising this event. You have no wonder how much this event meant to me!

#andrewmatthews #bouncingback #meetandgreet #psdcpenang
Aaargh, again breaking my rule of not reviewing a Aaargh, again breaking my rule of not reviewing a place after just one visit because...

Just look at this place, only open since May, in a quieter section of the Kong Heng neighbourhood.

The wooden charm!

The gorgeous greenery! 

All the French vibes!

And the most exquisite chocolate lava cake hubs and I have eaten in our lives, it's good it makes me want to cry.

The food took a while to arrive and we can understand why.

The pastry was baked to perfection and the lava, utterly decadent and made from very high quality chocolate.

J'adore 😍😍😍

@cestsibonipoh 

#ipohcafe #ipohcafehopping #ipohdessert #chocolatelavacake #ipoholdtown #cestsibon #dessertipoh
This. Makes so feel so tickled and tearful and jo This.

Makes so feel so tickled and tearful and joyful at the same time.

I walked out of the room with my mat to see Dad doing his exercise. A wave of emotion came over me, relief and joy that he continues including movement in his life despite his long struggle with osteoarthritis ( and pls don't give tips here tq as its been a LONGGGG saga).

Then I became aware of more memories.

The tshirt was given by a loved one just before my meltdown in KL in April. He's been a rock for me al these months, from photo bombing me with cute photos of his family outings, to bringing me my favourite (and bloody expensive) brownies all the way to Penang from KL on a work trip.

The Pilates mat is one of three we own. Yes, three. When I realised how important Pilates had become to my wellbeing, I wanted to have a spare in Ipoh house so I can be active here too.

As I followed my coach's @refine.me.nt moves on my little phone, I thought, hey this is a precious moment.

So I paused the video, ran into the room and called  out hubby. "Dear, please come out and video me and my dad. Quick."
Journalling. "Just pour all your emotions and tho Journalling.

"Just pour all your emotions and thoughts into your journal. Don't filter them. Whatever negative thoughts you have, just pour it out and release them on paper."

Although every doctor, therapist and professional online and in real life that I met recommended this, it didn't work for me. 

I tried it for a week or so and realised it wasn't working.

Something to do with the fact that I'm a writer, maybe, and I already tend to overanalyse and overthink? 

In fact, by recapping what happened, I ended up reliving my trauma and felt even worse.

Then, I had an idea. I could still journal - but in a different way.

I recorded lessons from every day and experience. 

.. and it worked!

Every individual is different, so there is no one-solution-fits-all. 

You have to experiment and find out what works for YOU. 

Good luck, and positive vibes to you today. 

#mentalhealth #wellbeing #journalling #mentalwellbeing
Any talk about Nasi Melayu in Penang will surely b Any talk about Nasi Melayu in Penang will surely be incomplete without mentioning this institution in Tmn Tun Sardon called Restaurant Minah.

When I first came here over 20 years ago as a student, it looked very different. Very simple furniture. No air con (ok still no aircon). What I remember most of course was the delicious and huge variety of food, from all kinds of masak lemak dishes (my weakness) to their legendary kerabu.

When we came back here again last year after moving back to Penang, I had to do a double take. Wah! Look at all those plants and greenery! The lacquered hardwood (and expensive) furniture. The decor can rival any hipster cafe in Georgetown, wei!

Most importantly, the food is as good as I remember it. I discovered they do a killer lamb shank (only available on certain days, don't ask me which one just gotta try your luck) and a slew of other delicious items such as a tiny long skinny fried salted fish.

Today, we were served by a young man who happened to be the cicit (great-grandson) of the original founder. Minah Restaurant was set up in 1957, holy moly! I didn't know that it's the grand daddy of all nasi campur and probably one of the original ones still standing tall.

Wish I had a bit more time to talk to the young man but the crowds are ever streaming in.

Keep going strong, Minah. May you prosper into your 5th, 6th, 7th generation and onwards!

#RestoranMinah #MinahRestaurant #Penangfood #foodreels #Penangfood #Penanginstitution #nasimelayu #curries #kerabu #masaklemak #ulam #nasicampur #heritagefood #Penangheritage #eatwithipohbunny #igers #Malaysianfoodbloggers
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