Delicious Landscapes - Nathan Wyburn Q&A

Tell us a bit about yourself?

"I’m an artist who specialises in creating art using everyday materials, such as old clothes, newspapers, make-up, garden materials like soil, but most commonly food stuff. I usually focus on portraiture, which is why I was so excited about recreating some of the UK’s best loved landscapes."

Tell us about how you started using food as a medium for your artwork?

"I was always a fussy eater growing up and my mother used to tell me not to play with my food - that’s a good start! I’d constantly be drawing smiley faces in my ketchup or writing my name in the sand at the beach. It’s like everyday things like that where the spark began. Then in college I began experimenting with food stuff - mostly toast, spreads and melted chocolate - and fell in love with it. It was also a LOT cheaper than oil paints and canvas’ at the time, which is always helpful for a struggling student."

What’s the process / method of creating these Delicious Landscapes?

"Well, since my ‘paints’ are quite particular and more limited than some artists have to play with, the first step is choosing a great, contrasted image - for example one where Clifton Suspension Bridge pops out in Avon Gorge, or the stone in Stonehenge to ensure it pops out. I then sketch the outline of the landscapes onto a black board which is my blank canvas and from there I begin crafting it out of food. The Delicious Landscapes took 48 hours to craft using fresh organic produce including Yeo Valley Organic’s soups, yogurt and butter to bring to life the beauty of these iconic landscapes."

Out of our four Delicious Landscapes, what is your favourite and why?

"My favourite changed every few hours as I crafted the artworks. I loved the orange and yellow sky in Giant’s Causeway made using Yeo Valley Organic soup sprinkled with mature cheddar cheese, or the intricate detail of Ribblehead Viaduct using Yeo Valley Organic Natural Yogurt and Kefir Yogurt. The thick textures of broccoli, fresh herbs and kale in Avon Gorge is also beautiful. Although I think Stonehenge takes the top spot. The way the chunks of Yeo Valley Organic butter and cheese sculpt the edges of the iconic stones, but also the whipped double cream creates fluffy clouds in the sky - delicious enough to eat!"

How have you found the process of creating these Delicious Landscapes? Any challenges or highlights?

"The variety and textures of the fresh organic produce and Yeo Valley Organic products have been lots of fun to play with - plus so many beautiful colours and tones too.

I think the biggest challenge - which can often be the case when working with food stuff - is creating them fast enough before thinner liquids begin to merge together ruining the impact of the artwork, but thankfully this didn’t happen!

I’m also really pleased that the ingredients were repurposed afterwards. We gave some Yeo Valley Organic products to a local Scouts group, Chef Ali created some delicious treats and unused ingredients were donated to food charity City Harvest, helping to deliver 143 meals to families in need across the country."

Was there a goal you wanted to achieve from these Delicious Landscapes?

"My main goal in all of my artwork - including these landscapes - is to show and inspire people that anything can be made into art. There are beautiful textures and colours in nature, but also in the fresh, organic produce we consume, and that’s something I really wanted to reflect in these Delicious Landscapes."

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

"Mostly Pop Artists such as Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, however I also love the messaging behind the works of Banksy, Damien Hirst & Vik Munez."

What inspires your artwork? Where do you find the inspiration behind the textures and colours used?

"I try to create and bring to life a message between the subject matter and the materials I used to create the artwork. I could read a news story and be inspired by a headline or I could be walking down a supermarket aisle and think WOW that’s the perfect medium for a certain character."

Do you have a favourite Yeo Valley Organic product?

"If I was to choose my favourite it would have to be between the Yeo Valley Organic Super Thick Creamy Natural Yogurt and Crème Fraiche. Not only do they taste amazing, but it was also a great ally when I needed to create ‘white paint’ to mark out lines and create contrast throughout the art."

Do YOU Fancy getting a little closer to nature?

To celebrate the launch of our Delicious Landscapes campaign here at Yeo we have put together an activity book packed with loads of fun family activities, from gardening and exploring, to crafting and baking, find out more here.