A Surrey woman has photos to remind her of a world record-setting spice painting she created last summer, and not much more.

A giant butterfly was made by Preethi Vijay using vast amounts of turmeric, paprika, clove powder and other kitchen spices mixed with water.

She has a framed Guinness World Records certificate to show for the 84.39-square-metre creation (908.39 sf), .

The organic nature of spice paintings means the work degrades over time and doesn鈥檛 last, which is why Vijay鈥檚 record-setting painting is now shoved in a cardboard box in her backyard, along with the cotton cloth she used as a canvas.

So is she sad about that?

鈥淎 little bit,鈥� Vijay said in the backyard of her East Newton home. 鈥淏ut I have the photos and some video of the painting. I was prepared for this because I can鈥檛 preserve it, but it is a bit disheartening.鈥�

Vijay says the record-setting butterfly filled her lawn last summer.

鈥淚t was fun but I had some challenges,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淚t鈥檚 powder that I mix with water, so it flies away in the wind a little bit, so I had to rework on it a couple of times because it blows away. I use a regular paint brush for this, and I can鈥檛 move the cloth around much because it gets heavy.鈥�

The Guinness certificate says Vijay achieved the record in Surrey on Sept. 12, 2022.

鈥淧reethi is very passionate about art,鈥� notes . 鈥淪he wanted to measure her abilities by attempting a Guinness World Records title.鈥�

Vijay emailed the Now-Leader a news tip about the record in early March, a few weeks after Guinness contacted her with the good news.

鈥淢y goal was to try for a record but not with the usual acrylic painting, I wanted to do something new and unique,鈥� explained Vijay, who applied for authentication by Guinness.

鈥淲ith kitchen spices, I decided to make a butterfly, which goes well with these colours 鈥� yellow and brown and other things,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 decided on the picture based on those colours, powders to collaborate with it.鈥�

She prefers using 鈥渘atural items鈥� for paintings, avoiding the chemicals of oils and acrylics.

鈥淚 used to work with a lot of coffee doing coffee paintings, so I thought, why not explore with other things I found in the kitchen, for other colours?鈥� Vijay said. 鈥淪o I started working with spices and I also explored taking extracts from vegetables and fruits that give good colour, like beetroot, carrot and other things. Everything that gives colour from natural items, that is how I explore.鈥�

Vijay says coffee painting is quite common in her native India, and that spice painting is getting popular around the world.

鈥淚鈥檓 a self-taught artist,鈥� she revealed. 鈥淚 started as a passion and started exploring other ways to get my art to other countries and expand it in the community. Now I do a lot of portraits.鈥�

Asked if she鈥檒l create another big spice painting this summer, Vijay said she might.

鈥淚 have smaller paintings with coffee and spice, ones I do inside, paper-size paintings,鈥� she noted.

鈥淚 have some things on my mind, other projects to do.鈥�

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on