Chocolate is my Muse

#ChocolateIsMyMuse

Chocolate inspires me.  Eating it, gazing at it, cooking with it and enjoying it all inspire me to create choco-centric art.

Why?  Well, because I love chocolate and I love creating things with my hands.

I have always been a maker.  Someone who makes and creates things.  Over the years I have done this in many ways, but really making art is what I love to do.  It excites me.  I get up wanting to work and create beauty for others to enjoy.

Ironically I didn’t really take much art in school.  Going into grade 7 we had to choose art or band, as they were offered at the same time, so it was one or the other.  I took band (and can play many instruments), but it meant that I did not take art all through junior high and high school. 

I did do artsy things though.  I always had some craft project on the go, and by the time I was in high school I had a collection of over 100 necklaces, so many that I had made with wire, beads, gems, string, paper, clay and a few that had been purchased, gifted to me or handed down.  I had always played with wire and string and making bracelets, but necklaces became one of my loves in high school.  Perhaps that is why I ended up in a Goldsmithing program?

Now I create art regularly and most of it is centered around chocolate.  I love getting inspiration from chocolate.  Some days the cacao tree inspires me, while other days a bar of chocolate and its interesting texture or pattern inspire me.  I have created sterling silver and gold pieces with chocolate themes.  Designing some custom fabrics in 2020 was so much fun, and I use them to create other items like pouches to put chocolate bars in, face masks (because 2020/21), tote bags, and a few other items here and there.  Screen printing chocolate designs is also something I offer and have screen printed anything from ornaments made with recycled chocolate bar wrappers, notebooks, tote bags and t-shirts, the possibilities are endless. I also collaborated and illustrated The Chocolate Notebook second edition and am currently working on the next edition.

Earlier this year I launched Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers and am loving every minute of creating this monthly subscription and am learning so much along the way, plus I am having a lot of fun with it, putting a lot of joy and chocolate love into it.

Last year I also wrote a series of blog posts about Do It Yourself holiday decorations that I hope to add to this year. I also have been working on 12 one-of-a-kind advent calendars since January of 2021.

Clearly #ChocolateIsMyMuse

I do all these things because I love making things for other people to use and enjoy.  I love using my skills, hands, and creativity to make a physical product. 

I’d love to know what you’d like to see me create in the future or hear if you have any favourite items that I am already creating.