Salli Swindell, co-founder with Nate Padavick of They Draw & Cook – the internet’s largest collection of illustrated recipes created by artists – speaks to us about ‘hearted’ recipes, witty illustrations, and the power of cats…
What was your first featured recipe/illustration?
We launched They Draw & Cook in February 2010 with a collection of eight recipes by Nate, myself and half a dozen artist friends. It was a unique collection, all very different stylistically.
How do you select artists for your the site?
We like featuring both professional and amateur artists. Being very community oriented, we post 95% of submissions, of which our weekly Featured Collection showcases the best of the best. Sometimes the collection centres on an ingredient or theme, while other times we like to feature the work of one artist.
What has been the hardest recipe to design?
Recipes with a lot of instruction and text can be tricky because there isn’t much room left for illustration, which for us is the fun part.
What is the most searched-for recipe?
The category of Cakes/Pies/Muffins is the most popular, with our most ‘hearted’ recipe being Banana Puddin’ Ice Cream by Betty Turbo.
What is the wittiest illustrated recipe in your opinion?
There are so many witty and wonderful illustrated recipes on the site! Comic illustrator, Tomek Giovanis using his iconic characters to create entertaining illustrated recipes, Stephanie Flor’s version of The Dirty Girl Scout is awesome, Pasta Spa by Evan Thomas is cheeky, and we love everything crafted by Betty Turbo!
How is it funded?
It costs us thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours a year to maintain. To help offset those costs we sometimes host sponsored contests and charge for advertising, splitting profits 50/50 with artists on print sales. We also sell our own handmade fonts, teach online classes and accept donations. That income helps but doesn’t nearly cover all the expenses. We justify this expenditure as the cost of maintaining a strong voice within the illustration community. Our online presence not only helps us make new friends (and clients!) but it allows us to be in a position to help aspiring illustrators and ensures that we stay informed of, and even help influence, new trends within the illustration world.
Can dishes be art?
Yes! Most of the illustrated recipes on our site can be purchased as prints or canvases. We recently started a collection called ‘FEAST’ which features great food illustration without a recipe. Lucile Prache’s ‘Grilled Eggplant’ is a work of art! Artist Heegyum Kim creates recipe masterpieces! One of favourites from the holiday season is ‘Feast of the Fishes’ by Mitzie Testani.
Do your five cats ever feature in illustrations?
Why yes, they make an appearance. Cats seem to be a big theme here. ‘Meow!’
What is most interesting/charismatic feedback you’ve received?
The most valued words come from the artists themselves. Almost every week we receive an e-mail from an artist telling us their work was spotted on our site by an art director interested in hiring them for a project. Spectacular!
