Sorry mom and dad, but we say: play with your food. Why? Well, just look at the beautiful artwork a 21-year-old Vancouver woman produced when she did just that.

Ingredient, Leaf, Leaf vegetable, Produce, Herb, Dishware, Vegetable, Fines herbes, wild carrot, Whole food,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell

A life-long food and art enthusiast, Lauren Purnell, creator of these "culinary canvases," explains how she got started: "I cooked Spaghetti Carbonara for a few of my friends and had spent quite a bit of time locating the ingredients, prepping and cooking the food, then plating a presenting the dish. Despite the time and effort put into making said dish, the meal disappeared pretty quickly, without a moment given to appreciate its appearance. After dinner, I kind of zoned out and started playing with the leftover bits of food on my plate, eventually deciding to manipulate them into the shape of a tree — the 'spaghetree'. It became my first 'food art'."

Though she, like the rest of us, was frequently reminded as a child, "don't play with your food," she was also, as she says, "encouraged to admire, appreciate, and enjoy my food. My father loves cooking…and I always admired that he often had a vision of how the food would look when it made it to the table; he'd call it 'painting'."

Purnell has experimented with and created all sorts of different arrangements — a hummingbird made of basil, mint, avocado, parsley, and raspberries; a tree of rhubarb and kale; peacock feathers born from fennel, kiwi, apricots, and blueberries. The results are truly impressive!

Have a look at some of Lauren's clever creations and head over to her blog to check out more of her incredible work.

Dishware, Red, White, Plate, Tableware, Carmine, Kitchen utensil, Cutlery, Dessert, Fork,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Yellow, Birdhouse, Birdhouse, Dishware, Pet supply, Serveware, Circle, Garnish, Still life photography,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Food, Red, Dishware, Carmine, Garnish, Coquelicot, Plate, Serveware, Recipe, Produce,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Garnish, Culinary art, Flowering plant, Dishware, Dish, Recipe, À la carte food, Artificial flower, Cut flowers, Side dish,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Dishware, Toy, Ingredient, Serveware, Plate, Circle, Recipe, Beak, Finger food, Garnish,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Red, Pink, Bird, Magenta, Beak, Carmine, Dishware, Flamingo, Greater flamingo, Galliformes,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Leaf, Botany, Dishware, Flowering plant, Herb, Artificial flower, Rose, Rose family, Floral design,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Dishware, Leaf, Botany, Herb, Serveware, Porcelain, Pedicel, Plant stem, Still life photography, Artificial flower,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Dishware, Green, Ingredient, Food, Tableware, Serveware, Plate, Leaf vegetable, Produce, Vegetable,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Organism, Photography, Evergreen, Fish, Circle, Illustration, Dill, Oval, Drawing, Conifer,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Petal, Flower, Dishware, Magenta, Pink, Cut flowers, Flowering plant, Botany, Violet, Serveware,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Dishware, Carmine, Fruit, Petal, Flowering plant, Serveware, Artificial flower, Still life photography, Rose family, Coquelicot,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Dishware, Melon, Fruit, Ingredient, Paint, Citrullus, Tableware, Produce, Serveware, Plate,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell
Dishware, Food, Leaf vegetable, Serveware, Ingredient, Vegetable, Cuisine, Plate, Garnish, Recipe,
Courtesy of Lauren Purnell

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