An Ode to Package Design

During my freshman year of college, I switched my major from nursing to graphic design. As drastic as this was, it felt semi-fitting; I had always wanted to be a painter or illustrator and dreamed of a career in art, but I liked the job security of a graphic design career. Cue the beginnings of a long term journey to discovering my true passion. Flash forward to the present day, I am now living the best of both worlds; I’m an award winning designer, and have an active and fulfilling career as a painter. 

This painting series, “An Ode to Package Design”, is composed of 8 individual paintings that display contemporary foods in unique packaging. I chose these particular foods, the type you’d see on a charcuterie board, to showcase my personal appreciation for them. I also wanted to pay homage to my first package design project which was for a decadent cannabis-infused chocolate.

As far as the colors in this painting are concerned, I mimicked the constraints of a typical brand identity project wherein you would not use more than a 5 color palette. Every color in these pieces stems from a handful of primary colors that are then mixed to create a harmonious and visually appealing color scheme. The blue shadows on the tables represent the color blocking and use of shape commonly found in design.

The sparkles I added to each package are a nod to my personal career, how dazzling it has been in such a short time- I have Santa Fe to thank for that. Lastly, the angles of the tables hint at my complicated relationship with my career where there is both gratitude and doubt. The harsh, sharp, and awkward turns of the tables reflect these internal struggles, although I am learning to let these go, slowly.