Demetres, to those of us from Toronto & the GTA, is a name that conjures up visions of whipped cream, waffles, cakes… chocolate syrups.. cookie crumbles.. something that this dessert cafe has been perfecting since the 1980s! They started on the Danforth strip, but now boast locations all around the GTA, and they have an extensive (and I mean extensive) menu of sweet treats that is refreshed every season. As part of this ever-changing menu, they work with local artists and designers to create a fresh, fun and unique look for the dining menu - and this is where I came in!
For the Winter 2024 menu cover, the team at Demetres were looking for a cozy, wintery scene with people enjoying some of their dessert items - waffles are a particularly beloved staple for customers, so it was especially important that I included them! I had imagined two versions - one of an alpine chalet scene, and the other of an old fashioned storefront that could be on Main Street, Anywhere, ON. The old storefront was where we ultimately landed - and a little fantasy of a sort of Christmas movie scene slowly came to life. The illustration didn’t change much from the sketch - only growing and adding more detail, and it was important that the cold outside / warm inside colours were emphasized.
It’s not just the cover of the Demetres menu that gets to be illustrated - in lieu of photos (and their photos are gorgeous), select items on the menu were also illustrated by yours truly - which also meant I got to gaze upon dozens of pictures of chocolate cake and strawberry crepes. I definitely don’t recommend working on food illustrations on an empty stomach! I do absolutely love illustrating food though - like a lot of folks, I was mesmerized by the way food looked in the animated films of Studio Ghibli, so it was a total delight to get to bring a whole array of beautiful desserts into the illustrated world. I really was hoping to get to work on a project involving food soon, and this could not have been a better way to have my wish come true!
The sweet team at Demetres makes sure to feature each season’s artist and their artwork on their house blog - which you can find here :
https://demetres.com/menu-art. I am really honoured to be among so many amazing artists and I love the initiative to support local creators that the team has committed to. I truly love how this special project turned out!
Earlier this year, I was approached by the folks at Variety, The Children’s Charity to help create a portrait to honour a longtime member and beloved friend Caroline Breen, who passed away last year. I have a number of installed artworks at Variety Village, the large, accessible, all ages facility operated by the foundation, and I was honoured to be asked to work on a new piece to help commemorate the generous contribution made in Caroline’s honour by her family.
I learned so much about Caroline in my time working on this piece; she was a fighter, resilient, active, wise and very funny, and spent her life doing so many things that she loved - swimming, biking, listening to talk radio, figure skating, camping, and visiting New York and attending shows on Broadway, and of course , spending time with her dog, Rosie. I realized quickly that a simple portrait of Caroline, in a static pose, would not encapsulate the many faceted person that she was, and we opted for a montage style illustration to create something that represented her and the things she loved to do.
It was also important to tie everything to Variety and how this contribution to the charity will help other kids and adults like Caroline, and the community as a whole. The artwork was printed and installed in a space now dubbed “Caroline’s Corner” - a natural junction in the building that is now a cheery, sunny yellow and adorned with planters; a spot for people to sit, talk and take a moment to themselves. I was truly touched to have been a small part of this wonderful initiative.
I just wanted to share some cuties that I illustrated for a project that focused on fairies and magical creatures from around the world!
This little guy is Le Petit Souris, or in English, “The Little Mouse”; who is much like the tooth fairy in French speaking countries. He’s a popular character who collects the baby teeth from little children and rewards them with coins under their pillow, and many other cultures have similar legends, and the popular French story is likely to date to the 18th century in a fairy tale written by Madame d’Aulnoy.
A yumboe is a spirit from Wolof mythology who are said to be ancestral spirits who are pearly white and stand about two feet tall. They are known as the “good people” and are helpful spirits who will invite strangers to their midnight feasts. Native to Senegal, they live under hills called “paps” which are natural rock formations in the shape of a bump, and are known to steal corn and wheat from humans, though they do their own fishing.
In the fairy stories from Germany, we have the ”moosleute” or moss folk, who are described in varying ways, but are forest spirits who are protectors of the trees and plants. Like many fairies, they can be helpful and generous, but are quick to anger and should be treated with respect. Some say the moss folk look like green, mossy dwarves, while the “woodwives” are said to be beautiful maidens with herbal healing powers. They are also said to particularly hate caraway bread!
Of course, the tooth fairy is a classic and popular character in many Western cultures. Superstitions around the milk teeth of children are present around the world, and in Europe, it was recommended to either hide or destroy these teeth for fear they may be used in a spell by a witch. Interestingly, the amount received by children for their lost teeth is also effected by inflation, so the tooth fairy appears to be financially savvy! I chose a rather traditional depiction of the tooth fairy, but there is actually no real consensus on how the fairy looks - some believe it is a pixie, a small dragon, a ballerina or even a tiny dental hygienist!
Many cultures around the world have a mythos about mermaids or a mermaid like creature - these two represent two different cultures; the Celtic mermaid, known as the “morgen”, and the ancient fertility goddess Atargatis from Syria. The name morgen may come from words meaning “sea-born”, and their origins and stories vary. Some tales say they are like selkies, and may be raised by humans, but will always wish to return to the sea. Others say that they are like sirens, and will lure unsuspecting travellers to their doom with their beautiful voices.
Atargatis was a chief goddess during the Classical period of ancient Syria. She was attributed with love and beauty, and had many aspects of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, though she was more closely associated with water and was depicted with the tail of a fish. Fish were sacred to Atargatis, and a surviving pool dedicated to her and her fish survives in the modern city of Urfa.
I would love to illustrate even more fairies and mythological creatures from around the world - I find it so interesting that you can often find similiar tales from places that are culturally and physically quite different, and I love to read the history of these creatures that have held such a special place in folklore from around the world!
