Skip to main content

Yet One More Reason Why I'm a Photographer

Starry, Starry Night
Vincent VanGogh

















Our monthly book club was meeting at my house this month, and we'd read a very interesting book by Steve Martin - who knew the comedian could write?  Another interesting fact we learned, he's a very knowledgeable art collector.

An Object of Beauty had an art theme, and we sometimes try to match our refreshments, or decorations, or both, to the theme of our book.  So...what should I do?  Ah ha!  I'll get out one of my favorite go-to treat books and look for the perfect desert. 

To the cupboard!  Open the door.  Pull out Hello, Cupcake, and What's New, Cupcake?, both by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson.  Such delicious and fairly easy creations for almost any occasion, all made with a boxed cake mix and a can of frosting, or two.  Add food coloring, candy and other decorative touches, and a little slight of hand - voila!  You have a very impressive offering.

However, now and then I think you have to have more natural art ability than I possess, and though I was very excited about creating the centerpiece I finally settled on from What's New, Cupcake?, I was also a bit nervous.  The end result was supposed to look like Van Gogh's Starry, Starry Night - one of my favorite paintings.

I baked the cupcakes the night before so they'd be cool.  24 chocolate cupcakes, which formed the base for the "painting."   The next morning I pulled out 4 cans of vanilla frosting and my assortment of food colors.  Then I mixed shades of blue, yellow and green until I got what I thought was "close enough" to what the painting would call for.


When I got to the next step, I froze.  Even though I'd read the directions and thought I understood the process of painting my cupcakes, I realized that here was yet another reason I was a photographer and not a painter.  My mind will tell me what to do, but my hands generally don't follow directions well.

On the day of my book club, I didn't know if I could pull off a reasonable effort at making a work of art.  However, the older I get the more I am saying "get over it," and soldiering onward.  And this I did.

The creation took most of the 4 cans of frosting, all the cupcakes, a good amount of mess (as well as unwanted attention from the cats), a few well-chosen vocabulary words on occasion...and almost 3 hours later my efforts were complete.


When my company arrived I had a nice display and the soft evening light really helped:).  It is definitely one of those deserts you want to eat with friends, as the color of the frosting creates lovely lip tones, with the teeth picking up brighter hues. 


I am not sure I'd make this "painting" again, but I think I say that each time I try a different recipe.  My favorite was done in black and whites.  Which is another post entirely!

Enjoy!

Comments

joyce said…
Thanks for coming by my blog, so long neglected.
I love the idea of painting cupcakes!! I used to be a baker in another life and did a lot of cake decorating, sometimes creating scenes like you did. I never thought of copying a work of art in cupcakes though!!
Sandy K. said…
Well, if I didn't have the photo in front of me there would have been no attempt to do this. It was fun, but it's definitely a special project, not an everyday event!

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Week- being home and loving photography

Roamin Meets the GPS- Stories from the Road Lisa, my favorite Curious Girl , created a wonderful idea for a week of "happy" posts. Share those things which make you happy, bring joy to your life, and generally fill you with happy thoughts (I do love the movie Hook , with Robin Williams). We are just returned from our fabulous 23-day, 5600 mile, 10 state, 4 time-zone adventure, and I am filled with happy thoughts today. I am also aware of the piles of laundry, the dirty car, the grocery shopping, and the weary body. Those are not the things I'll share today! Today it's about the joy of road-tripping. The miracle that we live in such a country that everywhere you go you see something to celebrate. I love driving down the road and seeing something new, or different, or unexpected. We drove for a very long time across the upper mid-west, while following signs for "Wall Drugs." Apparently this is a historic stop, originally a place for those who crossed the coun...

Celebrating 100 Posts - A Challenge

Yes, we are closing in on our 100th post . Truly amazing. Thank you for reading and participating, helping keep the ideas, words and photos flowing. In honor of this momentous occasion, let's have a party. A party where "100" is featured. Do not become concerned if an idea doesn't pop into your head right away. You have one week to come up with something which includes 100 . Think party, celebration and fun. Think creatively. Think challenge. Photography is about expressing yourself, and challenging yourself. Here's a real stretcher! Celebrate with us by posting a photo (or series) which depicts the number 100 in some way. Let me know if you're going to participate and I'll create a way for everyone to link to each other's pages - chuckling, laughing, crying and surprising. You'll be amazed what you see when you start looking. Still at a loss? Here is a non-exhaustive look at the number 100: 100 years ago (something nostalgic- there's wigg...

Hidden Gem

Thank you, Georgia , for helping me focus on the hidden gem, the place we love to go and not be found. Not far from home...it IS home. We call it "out back," and once there we are transported to a private place, not visible from houses or road or the casual observer. I couldn't choose just one photo, so I created a collage of this special part of our world. Enjoy.