by J. D. Stone

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: March 28, 2011

Creating a whimsical piece of artwork with your fruits and veggies is not as hard as it sounds. I know you've probably heard it before but all you need is a little bit of imagination. All things, from an artistic standpoint, are created from nothing more then a group of positive and negative shapes put together into a cohesive form. In its simplest definition a positive shape is one in which an object exists, for example the ear of a cat is a positive shape. It has shape and dimension. However, the cat's nostrils, the holes that is, are a negative shape, there is nothing there, but when it is combined with the form of the nose it creates the cats nose. Negative shapes, with few if any exceptions, cannot exist without positive shapes. These are the two principals to keep in mind when trying to create a piece of art from your fruits and veggies. Let's take an example and see if you can surprise yourself.

This example is a delightful surprise at a young child's party or at a family barbecue. Everyone seems to get a kick out of eating a part of the "pig".

What you need:
1 Large Watermelon (not the round ones, the long ones)
1 Large, Unpeeled Plantain
1 Orange
2 Grapes
2 Raisins
1 Baby Carrot
1 Small box of Toothpicks

What you do:
1. Cut away of the watermelon.
a. Turn the watermelon so that the long side is facing you.
b. Using a long serrated knife begin to cut the watermelon along the short axis. Don't cut all the way through! Cut to only the middle of the watermelon.
c. Now remove your knife and cut along the middle, from the end of the watermelon to the center cut that you just made. This should create a wedge which you should be able to remove now. Save the wedge!

2. Scoop out the melon flesh.
a. Use a melon ball scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out the flesh from both the wedge and the larger part of the watermelon. Save it to make a great fruit salad!

3. Create the "Pig Parts"
a. Slice your Plantain into five equal length pieces, a little shorter then a toothpick length.
b. Cut your Orange into quarters.
c. Use a peeler to create a carrot curl.

4. Create your "Pig".
a. Take four toothpicks and push them about - inch into the rind of the watermelon where the pig's feet would be. (The "bowl" of the watermelon is on the top of course) Select four plantain pieces and place them on the toothpicks with the inside of the plantain flush against the skin of the watermelon. If any toothpick is still visible push it further into the melon rind until it is flush with the surface of

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>