Food has always played an important role in the existence of humanity. It’s one of the vital things needed for survival on the most basic evolutionary level. Even in a social and cultural sense, food has always been important and it is why food is depicted in a countless amount of art pieces isn’t shocking n the least. It’s been a common occurrence throughout the history of humanity, even spanning as far back as the ancient Greeks and Romans who celebrated their feats with paintings that displayed the dazzling food that was feasted upon as well as descriptions and mosaics.

However, this wasn’t exclusive as food drawing and references were found in Egyptian pyramids – mainly in a religious effort to feed the ones who perished with the delicacies of the living world. Even in writing, food held a certain meaning as certain fruits and meals were tied to sins and values, mainly wealth, lust, and exoticism. Nowadays, food is related to certain aspects of life, such as politics, class, religion, culture, and even gender.

Food and the Western World

This all started in the middle of the 15 centuries. More artists were taking inspiration from the natural world rather than precalculated scenes. Thus, creating an ear where still life creations were growing in popularity. Out of all of the natural scenes on the earth, such as the rivers, mountain ranges, and outdoors – the main natural inspiration that artists took to was food. This was caused by a variety of reasons such as our connection with food, the various viewpoints where the painting could be centred on, as well as observe the unique textures, shapes, and colours that food came from.

Looking back onto art from this period, you will most likely come across an assortment of fruits and veggies, or a painting of a feast filled with pleasurable foods. Along with showing homage to one of the key tools needed for survival, these pieces of work were able to display values that we are all used too. One common example that can have a darker viewpoint is imaging a painting of an apple slowly rotting, which could be likened to the life cycle of a human being. The symbolism taken from the combination of food and art can even be seen in literature – no matter of its classic or modern.

Food and Real Life

After the ear of slowly adding food into artwork, artists began adding food in works that depicted real life in the 19th century. It was becoming a common trend to depicted having the people in the artwork socialising while being surrounded by food or, another artistic approach that was a bit more straightforward would depict farmers and families eating together. One famous example of this is by Vincent Van Gogh. His painting, The Potato Eaters, displays exactly just that – but of course with his unique artistic style. Another example comes from Cezanne, who ideas about still life created inspiration for common day art. He focused on combing still life with fruits and veggies being the centrepieces that were subtly hidden.

Art has the power to change the world and can motivate people to turn what they are thinking into doing. Even when many can easily do something to help, the greatest challenges in the world right now is that every often feels completely untouched by the global problems of other such as climate change. It is a lack of feeling part of a global community and once people have access to data it leaves them with a disconnected or overwhelmed feel, instead of poised and empowered to act. This is where art comes in and has the power to make a difference. Art does not show people what they should do, yet art engaging with and connecting to the senses of the mind and body can leave the world feeling engaged and ready to act.

Artist Olafur Eliasson feels that art is the way that helps us all identify with each other and at the same time it expands people’s notion. Most of us, moved by artwork, artwork includes a novel, spatiotemporal experiment, a song, or a play, transports us to a new place strongly rooted in a physical experience. It is the awareness of that feeling often so unfamiliar, that is the transformative experience that art is seeking constantly.

Major Responsibility of Artists

Artists thus have a responsibility to assist people to understand and to get to know the things they feel on a physical and emotional level. Art can migrate that numbing effect often created by the surplus of information via social media and internet, and art has the means to motivate people to turn their thoughts to action.

It is not a solitary even when you engage with art, art and culture signify several areas in which people of all ages can share an experience and come together even when they see the world in drastically different ways. It is agreeing about the experience shared that is most important. Disagreement is embraced in art and in culture an essential ingredient. A community created by culture and art is always a great source of inspiration for activists and politicians, who work to surpass the stigmatisation and populism of others and worldviews that is widespread, sadly, in public dialogue in modern society.

Many artists travel the world and while they stand in front of global leaders today, tomorrow could be in front of thousands of fans, or a craftsman to build a stage or exhibition centre. Great artists encounter a variety of outlooks, an array of different perceptions, a wealth of ideas, and their knowledge continues to increase on a non-stop basis. Their ability to take part in global and local exchanges has a profound impact or the effect of their artwork, which often is the drive behind great artists who hope to touch people around the world with their performances, artwork or any form of entertainment.

When it comes to crafts, using toothpicks can be a wonderful way to allow children to tap into their creative young minds. Toothpicks come in multiple colours today as an incentive for children to enjoy the act of proper dental hygiene, and that means the creativity that can come in as simple as heading to your local pharmacy and letting the kids pick those that spark their interests.

There are multiple ways toothpicks can be incorporated into arts and crafts. This includes creating sculptures, combining marshmallows to allow for creative designs, let alone using other crafts to add to the dexterity of creating more elaborate crafts. All go far to helping children to help gain a better understanding of how some things come together, but also allowing their minds to work, and that is where crafting has benefits.

If you have yet to sit at the kitchen table with your kids and build toothpick sculptures, you should give this some consideration. Of course, the first thing to do is teach them the proper use and that poking others with toothpicks is not appropriate.

Toothpick Projects

There is a multitude of projects that can be great fun when engaging the kids. From something as simple as building structures using playdough to challenging the kids to create more elaborate structures such as domes, houses, playgrounds and more. The best part, if using marshmallows, the kids can enjoy a tasty snack after their accomplishments.

One of the most beneficial parts to using toothpicks is the flexibility to incorporate many other craft items into the project, and that allows children to experience different textures as they carry out the tasks they are focused on.

Consider adding in things that children can relate to but also those they may be unaccustomed with such as beads, wood or other materials. Soap is another good addition as it can be gentle soaked to allow for increased flexibility. Gumdrops and Styrofoam is another as is wooden skewers. Just bear in mind to dull the ends so as to avoid any injuries, and of course, supervising when using any object that could result in an injury is paramount to toothpick crafts being a success.

One of the more incentive driven crafts when coupling toothpicks into the equation are those that are edible. This can include fruit such as bananas, different melons, strawberries and any others you children might be fond of. It motivates them to complete the task, stay focused but have fun while being creative as they know the end result will be a treat they enjoy snacking on.

It is undeniable, people who can successfully create arts and crafts are special. Sometimes people would even refer to them as modern day alchemists depending on the type of arts and crafts that they complete. In a sense, they can transform base materials into something beautiful, eye-catching, and delightful. While in some cases people may over-dramatise the artists by saying they can turn items into gold, it’s still no debate about the transformative power that these artists have.

For centuries, the only thing potters have done with their craft is to take a lumpy piece of clay before creating something extremely beautiful with it by mixing it with water and other tools. Other than creating something that’s eye-catching, these creations made by pooters can be used to fulfil and aid in everyday functions such as drinking, eating, or holding an arrangement of flowers.

On another side, painters are taking an array of pigments such as red, blue, and yellow before putting them to paper, pots, walls, and canvases to create something unique. The amazing thing about these artists is that they have the power to create anything from folk art to fine art. Many of the materials that these artists use, potters, painters, and sculptors, can be found locally and naturally and usually are not overly expensive in some cases. This can help the artist in the long run with crafting more without breaking their bank.

Art is About Patience

It’s the art of patience and practice that are helping these artists succeed. By using their imagination and pushing themselves to the limits – the artist can open their mind and own creativity to make something beautiful. Whether they are using their hands and feet or other tools, they are still creating art. That’s one the pure beatifies of this that anyone can create arts and crafts if they push themselves. No matter if it is as structured as a famed painter or something just created with clay, it’s still art.

Many artists themselves have stated it’s the art that shapes the person – not visa versa. This is due to the self-revelation that people get where they are creating art, once they get it in their mind that they have the ability to create something beautiful and unique to them and are basically unstoppable in the art world.

Through the usage of the words, artist and artisans should not intimidate nor limit you. I believe that those words should be used as an umbrella term to describe what the person is doing – crafting and creating something. Though, in some cases, those terms can be used as a simple distinction between those who are skilled in their crafts. In a sense though, arts and crafts are like twins: they simple below to one another and coexists with ease. Which is just to say that artists such as Henry Moore were no less than a craftsperson than artists like Lucie Rie, and visa versa.

Many artists will tell you – art is not just a hobby, it becomes a livelihood, no matter how much you do it., No matter if you are creating simple DIY’S, extravagant works with clay and paints, or even just drawing on paper, at some point the art will become a part of you and express who you are. Being an artist is more than getting recognition for it, it’s having a way to express yourself in a unique and beautiful way.