1. After seeing Marty the Sock Puppet Portrait-Maker, I was reminded of an artist I saw a few years back named Travis Louie. I don’t know much about him, except every time I see his work it makes me feel good all over. He’s famous for doing black and white slash sepia-toned Victorian-style portraits of people that aren’t quite… right. This wouldn’t work as well if Travis didn’t have such excellent painting skills. He really captures the misty quality of those early photographs. And he captures it with horns. And fangs.
I’ve really been wanting to make vintage-looking work lately (see failed attempted at pirate tugboat and sea monster) and after seeing the sideshow posters at the Meadowlands Fair and remembering Travis Louie’s work, I’m going to try my hand at something in between the two. I don’t want to talk too much about it, mainly because I’m not really sure what I’m going to do, but keep an eye peeled for stuff of this ilk.
2. A few years ago, I was paging through a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine and I saw a great cake covered with little ferns and mushrooms made of marzipan and buttercream. I absolutely loved the little forest elements and decided someday, if I ever get married, I will have a cake similar to that. The other day, while perusing one of my design blogs, there was a link to something on Martha’s wedding site and I thought, well, since I’m here, I should see if they have that cake I liked. And they did! I was so very happy.
I don’t particularly like how squat the cake is, or how rounded the edges are, but the forest elements continue to be awesome. While I was looking at cakes there, I saw this forest cake as well. I am a sucker for branches (I like them in flower arrangements and wreathes and paintings and jewelry, just about everything) so, sho’ nuff, I liked this cake.
I would now like to amend my earlier statement: If I ever get married, I would like the branch cake, but with fewer branches and with moss and ferns and mushrooms and a couple snails and ladybugs and a few birds on it. Because it will be my special day, and if I want a cake that resembles a compost heap in the middle of the woods, I can have that. Thank you.