"An artist is always working" - Q&A with Jessie Kanelos Weiner
A colorful energy is captured in Jessie Kanelos Weiner’s work. Her watercolor paintings are bright and full of life, whether she’s illustrating baskets of fresh berries, a glass of wine, or the map of a city.
Jessie was the illustrator for the first volume of Comestible, creating beautiful line drawings that readers could add their own colored pencils, markers, and paint to. She has numerous books under her belt, including Paris in Stride, the coloring book Edible Paradise, and her most recent, New York in Stride.
While she draws and paints all kinds of subjects, food has always had a special draw, and Jessie is also a talented cook and recipe developer. What I particularly like about Jessie’s work is that she brings a sense of light and playfulness to what she depicts. Her work inevitably makes you happy when you engage in it, offering up a feeling of positivity. Which I think we can all use more of.
I caught up with her to learn more about her work, her process, and what keeps her inspired.
When did you start making art and how did you end up becoming a professional illustrator?
My mom was an art teacher so it was always a treat when she would open her supply trunk every now and then. Studying fashion illustration at The London College of Fashion, an encouraging professor told me I should pursue illustration. But like most fine art students, I had no information or reference points about how to become a professional artist. I had a year before I had to pay off my student loans so I did what any reasonable person would do. I moved to Paris. With a ton of time to kill, I bought my first Winsor & Newton watercolor kit (which I still use today). I loved the synergy of the paint on paper and started drawing all the time. Little by little, I built up a portfolio and started getting clients.
Can you give us a little insight into the process of your work, and how you go from idea to finished illustration?
If it’s personal work, I’ll usually have a flash of inspiration (an Elizabeth Gilbert Big Magic kinda thing). I know it probably sounds a little woo woo and romantic, but if I have the idea, then the drawing itself usually happens easily. Most of my work is commissioned so I can’t just look out the window all day waiting for a sign as I’d never be on deadline. An artist is always working. That’s why I give myself permission to step away from work every now and then because it’s usually when the best ideas come. “Inspiration” also means reading, researching and sketching until that moment hits.
You have been illustrating food for quite some time now. What keeps you inspired?
Like a lot of young artists, I loved drawing but never knew *what* to draw. But food was always my thing. I watched PBS cooking shows every Sunday morning and subscribed to Gourmet Magazine as a child. My parents were kinda Jonathan Gold-like foodies in Chicago when I was growing up. We never ate anything too fancy, but they’d drive us miles to try the latest suburban Filipino ice cream stand or taco joint. Food was my first taste of adventure. Fast forward to now, cooking is very much an extension of my creative process cooking three meals a day for my family.
Food media is very photo heavy, and yet I am starting to sense a little bit of a shift, and there seem to be more and more illustrated cookbooks. Samin Nosrat and Wendy MacNaughton's book comes to mind. What do you think illustrations express that photography does not?
Photography ages quickly these days. Illustration can, too. But I think people need permission to do things. Photos don’t always leave much up to the imagination.
What's the most creative thing you have put together in the last week?
My style of cooking is very much circumstantial and minimal waste. So this is my moment! I love the challenge of putting together salads from odds and ends in my fridge. I made a great one the other day with canned sardines, some pickled red onion, some herbs plucked from outside, a couple hardboiled eggs, some homemade challah croutons and a good glug of olive oil. It's never really something you can recreate, but there's always something immensely satisfying about that kind of approach to making food.
Who are some of the artists and food people that you are inspired by?
I’m really inspired by what José Andrés has done in disaster zones.
What do you find intriguing about the intersection of food and art?
Food is the great unifier.
Want to learn more about artists working at the intersection of food, art, and land? Check out our Art section.
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