Sweet spot

Alice Toomer has found her artistic groove by capturing some of New Zealand’s favourite lollies and desserts on canvas

- Caroline Moratti

Working from her sunny studio nestled in Wellington’s coastal suburb of Island Bay, Alice Toomer brings confectionery to life on canvas. Her work is painstakingly intricate, the results nothing short of sugar-coated, photorealistic illusions. The young painter says she is “compelled by the impermanence of food, so I choose to immortalise it in my own way, with paint.”

Her most recent creation, Double Scoop Chocolate, took four separate photo shoots to get the final shot – and Alice admits she consumed “a shocking” amount of melted chocolate ice cream in the process. “I love the depth and the summery aura that the warm, natural sunlight provides. The texture of ice cream is difficult to paint, so I’m proud of how it came to life,” she says.

Alongside painting, Alice works as a director of photography on local music videos and short films, which she says helps her to approach her photo shoots with greater intention. While confectionery and desserts have been her focus so far, the young creative says she is eager to delve deeper into the traditional still-life genre and explore a wider range of culinary areas and subjects. “I’m in a really exciting phase of exploration at the moment, where I’m challenging myself to take more technical and creative risks to evolve my style. It feels like my works are maturing alongside me.”