Inspired by the simple things (freshly picked fruit from her community garden, for example) illustrator Talya Baldwin took the tools of her trade (colored pencils and watercolors) and got to work. The result? These beautifully crafted still life illustrations with some fascinating stories. When asked about the lettering surrounding these life-like edibles Talya painted another picture for us, of the community gardens she supports:
"I picked these fruit from Redacre Growing Project, which is a community garden in West Yorkshire. Our town is right in the middle of the countryside but, oddly, it has a very industrial heritage - during the 19th century literally everyone here would have worked in woollen mills; the houses are still black with soot and many don’t have gardens, because people spent pretty much every waking moment manning the mill machinery. These days Hebden has a reputation for being quite alternative - lots of people grow their own food and so community projects are springing up everywhere to make up for the lack of garden space."
"The Phytology Garden is a project I worked on when I lived in east London. The garden is on a council estate, on the site of a church that was bombed in WW2, and most of the plants are common weeds that are usually overlooked but have proven medical properties. There are gardeners and herbalists on site, so you can come and ask for ways to treat insomnia or eczema or whatever is bothering you, and they’ll help you find the right plants and show you how to use them."
Marshmallow found at the Phytology Garden
Dandelion found at the Phytology Garden
View more of what inspires illustrator Talya Baldwin. Represented by i2i Art Inc.