Artist impressively matches tons of tasty treats with Pantone colors

Lucia Litman likes to play with her food – but in the best, most creative way possible.
After getting her start in social media by working with various food companies, Lucia was one day inspired to start her #pantoneposts project: a series that matches delicious foods with their respective Pantone colors.
“I started my #pantoneposts project almost a year ago – initially, it started as a way to clear my mind. I had a frustrating day at work and, at the time, wasn’t feeling very creative, so I came home and arranged a box of fruit loops I had sitting around by color,” Lucia tells us. “I woke up the next morning, and it was pretty neat to see a rainbow of cereal on my table, and so I put corresponding Pantone cards I had sitting around (from a previous work photoshoot that weren’t used) and matched the cereal.”
She adds, “I started off actually Pantone-ing cereal, but eventually when I moved to California and was surrounded by all of this amazing produce, I moved on to other foods.”
Though it may look like a time-consuming process, Lucia actually has her #pantoneposts down to a science (a yummy-looking science, that is). She explains, “It’s really not difficult! Nature is pretty amazing and gives us foods of every color and shade! What amazes me is the variety within each type of food – a lime can be about a dozen different colors depending on the type and how ripe it is.”
As for her creative process, the artist likes to begin brainstorming at one of her favorite places. “Usually, I go to the farmers market on Saturday mornings and am inspired by what’s in season and around me,” Lucia reveals. “I’ll come home, put on some music, and get going! My process is putting all of the foods on a baking tray, sitting by my window for natural light, and matching them one by one. It usually takes about 15 minutes to get the right colors.” (Yup. We’re definitely talking to a Pantone expert right now.)
When discussing the response her #pantoneposts have received thus far, Lucia tells us that her unique project has brought together a bunch of different people who love a bunch of different foods. She says, “It’s interesting – there are people who really like the natural foods that I match and think that’s interesting and cool and appreciate that I’m showing the beauty of real foods, but then there are people who love when I do donuts or bagels. Since those foods are processed, they often have brighter colors which makes them visually interesting.”
As for her own preference, Lucia divulges, “I actually prefer nature’s colors! My favorite post I’ve ever done was a mushroom post that had the most vibrant, beautiful colors.”
While Lucia does use these tasty treats for creative purposes, we can rest assured that none of it goes to waste once she puts her camera down. “I eat all of the food after!” Lucia exclaims. “It’s become a fun hobby – learning how to use up all of the food that I buy in interesting ways. My salads have gotten a lot more colorful by adding edible flowers that I have leftover and, one week, every dish I ate for 4 days had swiss chard in it.”
As for her end goal, Lucia concludes, “I want viewers to see the color and beauty in what they’re eating. So many people just eat what’s in front of them without looking at it, but food can (and should be!) beautiful. I really just hope people start to see and appreciate the colors in their food!”
All photos reprinted with permission from the artist. Connect with Lucia on Instagram and Twitter.