Being creative is part of being human. We naturally involve ourselves on a daily basis with the work of creating. From building a snowman in the back yard, to choosing the throw pillows to accessorize a room, humans are in the habit of being artistic.
Artwork comes in all forms. It is easy to believe that art revolves around those who have mastered technical painting techniques or individuals who can create realistic figures out of stone. However, art is far more present in our everyday lives. One never knows when they will be struck with an urge to be artistic or be driven by a desire to create.
Hannah Mendelsohn from Juneau, Alaska doesn’t necessarily consider herself an artist. However, her creations are receiving widespread attention from many fans. She doesn’t paint nor does she sculpt. Instead, Hannah Mendelsohn uses something you might have in your kitchen cabinet right this moment: M&Ms!
Image courtesy of http://candyaddict.com/blog/2007/12/06/alaska-coffee-table-serves-as-canvas-for-mm-art/
Mendelsohn, 21, is a medical assistant by day and a candy artist by night. M&M’s are her medium for artistic expression and the patterns she creates are mind-boggling and stunning. She begins by separating the M&Ms by color into gallon size freezer bags and then she sits down to create a pattern.
Interestingly, Mendelsohn says that she doesn’t ever have an exact pattern or plan in mind when she sits down to create. Yet, as indicated by the image above, her patterns are reminiscent of beadwork and display the attention to detail found in needle work. Mendelsohn invests several evening hours a week to her M&M creations, which is to say that her designs are no small feat.
Hannah Mendelsohn has no desire to become a full time candy artist. She is sticking to her dream of becoming a nurse. However, there is a lesson to be learned from this woman’s desire to create. No matter whom you are or what you do for a living, you can still be artistic. You can still create.
For Hannah Mendelsohn the therapeutic practice of arranging M&Ms into patters has generated some stunning creations. This idle pastime, plus a little hard work and determination, has placed her in the exciting world of candy art.
Ideas to Turn Your Candy into Art
1). If you have children, using candy can be a great introduction to the world of art and creativity. While learning their colors and understanding patterns your children are learning how to express themselves creatively and artistically.
2). Use the sweets in your kitchen cabinet to spruce up your home! No matter what season it is or which holiday is coming up, a homemade candy center piece can be a festive and fun addition to a room.
3). Photographing your candy art is also a creative and often eye pleasing endeavor. Candy offers a variety of color options and how you choose to arrange these colors can produce interesting photography projects.
4). Don’t be afraid to let yourself be creative
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Just an update if anyone was interested:
I have been a Registered Nurse in Alaska for a little over 5 years now. I have been married for 4 years and had my first child in October of 2014.
I made a few more m&m art pieces before putting my bags of candy into storage in 2010 and have only made small pieces since. I plan on showing my daughter how to make patterns with her m&ms before she eats them when she’s a bit older (something I still do when I’m eating any colorful round candy), but for now I have a few too many things distracting me to do a large piece like the one in this article.
Oh, and I still have the same coffee table :).