I am an illustrator based in Hamburg, Germany, and specialize in food, lettering and pattern design. 

I come from a family that abounds with restaurateurs and farmers. Tending vegetable gardens and orchards, raising animals, milking and butchering them, as well as foraging, making wine and baking bread have been woven into the fabric of my childhood. The connection to the land and the animals has always been there in my life. My mom trained my cooking skills early on, because she was convinced, that being able to prepare your own food and knowing where it came from, was something every person should know.

Although I chose not to embark on a career in the restaurant industry, food and cooking where always evident. It turned out that it was an excellent way to connect with people. So everywhere I went, I made friends over preparing meals together, sharing and enjoying them together and talking deep into the night. I collected recipes as reminders of friends and countries. They enlarged my horizon and I am forever thankful for each one of them.

I have always been a creative person and was forever occupied with the creation of one thing or another. But the two constant creative outlets in my life have been cooking and drawing. Combined with an insatiable curiosity they feed and drive each other and enrich my live every day. I love to draw and create, but I also love the rich textures and colors of vegetables and fruits - well of all things food. It fills me with joy and wonder. So it is no surprise that I ended up as food illustrator and writer. 

Before becoming a mom I worked a couple of years as food stylist for a German food magazine. This taught me not only skills in magazine planning and production, but it formed my understanding of cooking and recipes. Apart from the visual appeal every recipe should have, I always like to make it as easy to understand as possible. And even though I don’t develop recipes for a living anymore, this informs my work as an illustrator as well.

I am self-trained in as much as I had no formal education at a university and don’t hold an official degree. But there were a boat load of people who shared their knowledge in online classes, wrote books about topics I wanted to learn, or supported me on social media. I took what they taught me and put in the work to learn and practice like any other self-respecting creative person does, too. 

I would be thrilled if you like my work and want to work with me. If you are interested to commission work, just send me an email, then we can talk about your project. 

Cheers

Cornelia