Actually, this lobster came first. But I didn’t like it so I made the other one. So now there are two and I actually like this one more! There is a forcefield around her to protect her. I love you, Mom, my baked stuffed lobster!
I would like you to meet my Mom as Baked Stuffed Lobster! This is number two of the Spirit Food portraits! Many more to come!
Something new is coming! Get excited!!!
Mark Bittman! You are my muse! As usual! This one’s for you! I may make a couple more versions of it too! Cheers!
UPDATE: I realize this quote needs a bit more explanation. At his lecture Mark Bittman was saying how everyone is somewhere on the spectrum between eating only junk/fast food and veganism. His suggestion is to work towards veganism and to think of it as approaching Nirvana in Buddhist philosophy. I think this is a really helpful way of thinking about food/eating if you are like me and don’t think you could ever be fully vegan. Hope this makes the image above seem less preachy and more practical. Now time to eat some Thanksgiving turkey. Hahahahahha.
Hello out there! So last month I had this new project idea! To draw/create people’s spirit foods! Mine is broccoli (of course) as you saw in the bust I made out of salt dough. I’ve been asking different friends what their spirit foods are and am planning on making as many portraits as possible! For those of you who are thinking: what the hell is she talking about? The idea is based on a spirit animal which “is meant to be a representation of the traits and skills that you are supposed to learn or have.” (Thanks Urban Dictionary!) So basically I am substituting food for the animal. Today I created the first portrait of my friend Aurora whose spirit food is a corn tortilla!!! This is a bit rough, more of a sketch, but I thought I would share!!!
I’ve got some heroes to share with you tonight. First, I just came back from a lecture by Mark Bittman who has been my hero since about 2007 when I first got his cookbook: “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.” I could go on and on about why he’s great but the main reason is for his no nonsense approach to everything he does. He can make me laugh while explaining to a roomful of people how to eat better and discuss the frightening realities of our current food system. The quote of the night was surely “Veganism is like Nirvana.” Just you wait, this quote and other ideas derived from the lecture will surely be fodder for some of my new illustration projects. I even got him to sign a copy of my cooking bible:
Sigh. Bittman is the best!
Next up, my Grandma who recently passed away. It was definitely an emotional week in New York amidst the mess that is still being cleaned up. I volunteered on Thursday and waited in a gas line for 2.5 hours so we could drive to Long Island for the funeral. Sigh. The highlight of the trip was watching this video interview my genius brother did with her in 2000 just as she started to develop Alzheimers. She talked about her childhood in Norway where she saw trolls and climbed trees and how she couldn’t stop looking up at all the tall buildings when she arrived in New York in 1937. She answered questions for about 50 minutes all while eating a bacon cheeseburger at the diner across the street from where I grew up. It was a gift to spend time with her again. Her strong work ethic and devotion to family is a huge inspiration to me as I strive to settle down in this city I love called Los Angeles. To all you out there with grandparents who are still alive, GO INTERVIEW THEM NOW! Your cousins and future offspring will thank you!
Another fun activity that I’ve picked up when I am home is taking pictures of pictures! I offered to scan and archive all of her photos (which there are tons of) for my family. Here’s a few to savor for now.
Now who would have thought this beauty above would be the Grandmother of the cover girl for Teen Beat magazine!
That caption above still applies. Wink wink, universe! Hahahaha. Ok, I’m going to end this never-ending post with one final note. I’d like to unveil my new handwriting. All my correspondences will now be posted in this fashion:
What a week it’s been. I am still unsure how I feel about posting super-personal information on this blog but here goes. I am a New Yorker and as much as I am in love with Los Angeles, it’s hard to be away from my home when disaster strikes. I was panicking about the threat the storm would pose to our house on Fire Island. We are incredibly fortunate that our house is fine. I feel devastated for those who lost so much in New Jersey, Staten Island and the Rockaways. In addition to the crazy storm, my grandmother passed away on Tuesday just as the storm was clearing the area. Needless to say, the timing was pretty crazy. Unable to plan for the funeral due to lack of power and transportation issues, we had to push everything back a week. My grandmother took care of me and my brother from the day we were born until we went to college. I saw her almost every day during that time. She was a sweet, tall, blond Norweigan lady that I will miss forever. She took care of our family dachshund, Daisy, every day too. So I decided to make her a doll as a parting gift. It has two sides: a brown side (Daisy’s actual color) and a polka dot side (for the fun memories).
I am planning to volunteer in New York on Wednesday and Thursday and I urge anyone who hasn’t already to donate to the Red Cross or other relief operations. I just gave money to Occupy Sandy which is providing help to the Rockaways.
Snack Mountain was created by Lauren Adolfsen in 2003 as multi-media art project including a claymation movie where food characters die bloody deaths. She got her MFA in Graphic Design at Yale in 2011 and then moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a freelance designer and illustrator. In April 2013, she was diagnosed with an unusually aggressive cervical cancer and is currently working hard to kick cancer in the butt! This blog is a source of recipes, craft projects and goofball positive energy! Hope you enjoy!