Artist and author Della vanDokkumburg's new book highlights kitchens in Kitchener businesses
CBC
A new book combines art and blurbs to highlight various kitchens at restaurants, bars, bakeries, breweries and other businesses in Kitchener.
Della vanDokkumburg, who has similar books like Sketching In The 'Loo and More Than a Covered Bridge: Sketches of West Montrose, released Kitchener's Kitchens this week.
She joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris to talk about why she started making books of illustrations, working in downtown Kitchener and connecting to the community.
The audio of this interview is at the bottom of this article.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Craig Norris: Tell us about Kitchener's Kitchens and what people can expect from the book.
Della vanDokkumburg: Kitchener's Kitchens is what I like to call an extensive but incomplete sketch pluralization of 69 of Kitchener's bakeries, breweries, restaurants, and mom and pop grocery shops.
There's actually only 68 sketches because one is stitched together.
CN: So do you have a favourite kitchen that you learned about?
DV: Now I want to be clear, I'm an artist, I'm not a food critic. So I have not actually gone inside many of these places.The sketches are of the exteriors, except for one.
But I'm fascinated by the exteriors and the signage but also the cultures that each individual place represents. It's just fun to learn about them because as you know, in the book, it's not just the sketches, but there's also a little bit of information in there.
CN: What is it about kitchens? Why are they so important to you?
DV: Well, when I sketch, I like to come up with themes. I also like to play with words. So for my book of Kitchener sketches, I just thought it was appropriate to focus on kitchens. Food is community.
When we think about gathering together, there's always food associated with it. So when I created this book, I wanted it to be a book about art, but I also wanted it to be about community and local, all of that comes together in the book.