About
About
Marcella Kriebel’s illustrations bring a splash of color and a smile wherever they’re spotted: whether it’s a print in a friend’s home, in the pages of a book, or in one of her eye-catching outdoor murals.
In addition to her well-known food illustrations, Marcella brings her distinctive style and bright watercolor palette to pieces celebrating culture, social justice initiatives, and all things homegrown.
Marcella Kriebel has always been an artist and foodie, with barefoot gardening and bright paints reflected in her earliest memories. A love of art and culture-through-cuisine led her to receive degrees in Studio Art and Cultural Anthropology, a combination that springboarded her into travelling, journaling and cooking in numerous Latin American countries.
Marcella moved to Washington, D.C. for an internship at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and now splits her time between her Native Pacific Northwest, and Washington, DC while continuing to travel to keep the creativity flowing. Her retail shop is located on the Brookland Arts Walk in Washington, DC, and she is an active member of the Arts Community in Hood River, Oregon.
She is the author of the illustrated cookbooks, Mi Comida Latina and Comida Cubana. Both cookbooks feature over a hundred of Marcella’s favorite Latin American dishes captured in vibrant watercolor ready to be explored. Outside of the art world, Marcella is an enthusiastic river kayaker and snowboarder who appreciates the great outdoors as a balance for the busy life of an artist and entrepreneur.
The Process
Marcella works in a variety of media, although she is best known for her dynamic watercolors. With a spark of inspiration for her subject (edible or otherwise), Marcella begins each piece with a rough sketch in pencil on a fresh sheet of watercolor paper. She then defines the contours with an ink pen and illuminates it all in her distinctive palette of rich watercolors. Although she loves a full rainbow of colors, she goes through canary yellow and hunter green at a rate 5 times faster than her blues…no doubt it’s all those lovely green veggies!
A completed original illustration isn’t the final step of the process. While these original works are available for sale, select pieces are available as prints, kitchen towels, greeting cards or compiled in books.
In addition to her retail collection of prints and home goods, Marcella’s dynamic style is expressed in another of her favorite creative pursuits: public art. Her large scale murals range from community driven to specialized client projects, and brighten up cityscapes on both coasts.
Giving Back
Every year, we design an illustrated calendar in a collaboration with a selected non-profit partner and donate 100% of the profits of the calendar’s sales to the cause.
In addition to this collaborative calendar, we are engaged in ongoing partnerships with organizations such as DC Central Kitchen, and N Street Village creating illustrated recipe cards, limited edition prints, and coloring sheets to support their causes. Additional partners include Adelante Mujeres, So Others Might Eat, and the Capital Area Food Bank.
This year we are donating the profits of the 2025 calendar to World Central Kitchen. WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. WCK has served more than 60 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world. WCK’s Resilience Programs strengthen food and nutrition security by training chefs and school cooks; advancing clean cooking practices; and awarding grants to farms, fisheries, and small food businesses while also providing educational and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org.