Enjoy the familiarity and the comfort of sitting down to a bowl of udon noodle soup with one of these cheerful designs by DBH artist Mikasenda. Not only does her art showcase famous paintings paired with udon soup, but her brightly colored summer scenes and fun animal graphics are the perfect way to add a little more cheer to your day too.

Mikasenda is currently living in Kyushu, Japan but she believes that home is wherever her favorite things — like a cozy bed and her pour-over coffee supplies — are only an “arm’s length” away. Although she’s enjoyed creating art from a young age, she admits that actually feeling like an artist only came in “spurts all throughout my childhood and into my adulthood.” In fact, when she sees her designs appreciated by others — whether it is her mother or a customer — it affirms the feeling that she is a real artist.

Mikasenda has been working on her “Noodle Series” which was inspired by famous art pieces woven in with the imagery of udon noodles. She jokes that “maybe I was hungry for udon that day” but that the series was something she’s wanted to do since she first imagined Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” standing on an udon noodle bowl.

Mikasenda prefers a little white noise before she can create her art because “a silent room gives too much space for overthinking.” She is very interested in Japanese culture and art styles because “there’s a wonder and humor that the Japanese are masters at” and she tries to incorporate this same style into her own work. She is also interested in the Finnish artist, Tove Jansson, and has fallen in love with the “charm” of her work and even wishes she could enjoy “sipping tea and taking breaks outside in the woods” with the her.

In the future, she’d love to be able to be a freelance illustrator and continue to experiment with her style. She also recognizes that she is her own worst critic and it can “stunt the creative process.” However, she shares her art with others because it gives her “accountability” that pushes her to continue creating.