IGOTW: @leesamantha Tells Us About Creating Food Art Masterpieces And Her Dream Vacation
Samantha Lee needs no introduction. With 700k followers on Instagram, the stay-home mom's adorable and stunning food art has skyrocketed her to international fame. We had the privilege of interviewing Samantha where she revealed to us her process of creating food art amongst other stuff. Read on!
By John Lim — 17 Aug 2015, 04:49 PM
Every parent knows how important it is to make food fun and interesting, especially when it comes to veggie - coz you know, kids, especially the picky ones hate all things veg
Or you could always trick them with chocs, but that totally defeats the purpose of eating veggies..
Back in 2008, Samantha Lee was just another mum who had problems making her daughters eat independently and healthily. So, she decided to spice things up a bit, by making edible food art for her daughters.
Little did she know her cute food art creations would skyrocket her to international fame! Now, Samantha has close to 700k followers stalking her Insta profile, with also articles on DailyMail, ABC and Huffington Post.
Samantha's passion for food art has also become a full-time career, by giving her opportunities to work with top brands and agencies from all the world. We had the privilege of interviewing Samantha where she revealed to us her inspiration for food art and ingredients she uses. Read on!
SAYS: Tell us a little bit about yourself, Samantha!
Samantha: I am a stay-at-home mother with two daughters, I am also a Mass Communications graduate! I would say my favourite hobbies are eating and travelling, especially wandering around cities! I think I am more of an introvert as I really appreciate my quiet and personal time. My dream vacation would be to have ample time to explore any city, but at the moment I would really love to head over to New York as I have never been there!
How did your passion for food art start?
When I started a family I realised that cooking for my family at home was better than eating outside as I could control the ingredients and adjust the flavours according to my family’s specific taste. From that, I wanted to encourage my daughters to eat healthily and independently. So I started making food art at the end of 2008 when I was heavily pregnant with my second child and started posting them up on Instagram in 2011.
What was your first food art creation? What are some of the common ingredients used?
My first food art creation is Hello Kitty! As for ingredients, I love to work with fresh ingredients such as rice, vegetables, fruits and poultry. These ingredients provide the best colours, and there's no need for food colouring!
Where and how do you find inspiration for your next food art?
Honestly, I get inspired from everything - from the ideas that my kids share with me, from my travels and random sketches as well as creative art pieces I come across every day.
What's the process of creating a food art?
First, I sketch my ideas before I make them into food. This is to stay organised and to prevent food wastage. Secondly, I try to execute with different types of ingredients. I personally feel that food art has to taste as good as it looks and it has to be practical too! Lastly, the fun part - cooking and creating! It takes about one to 1.5 hours of cooking from scratch to finish (depending on the recipe and complication of the food art). I usually shape the food while cooking and make sure everything is done at the same time.
How has Instagram helped you in your career?
Because of the exposure I've received from Instagram, I now have a career doing what I love! I am very thankful for all the opportunities I have received so far from both local and international brands such as Turkish Airlines, Mastercard, ESPN, Sustagen, Samsung, Barbie and more. But I do want to continue inspiring people through the food art that I do, by exploring opportunities in publishing book as well as starting a food channel to share my passion.
Do you use a camera or phone to take photos of your food art? Also, what editing apps do you use?
I use both phone and camera to capture my images. As for editing, I use VSCO Cam!
If there's one advice that you would give to an Instagrammer who aspires to be like you, what would it be?
To differentiate yourself from others, you have to find a topic for your profile - it could be something you're passionate of and interested in, because there's nothing better than using pictures to tell a story!
More amazing food art from Samantha!
Looks way too good to be eaten. But, we're pretty sure it taste as good as it looks!
Samantha has over 700k followers on Instagram. She uploads photos throughout the week, with an average of 20k likes per post.
PS: Help us find the next Instagrammer that we should feature! Feel free to tweet us or drop us a message on our Facebook page.