Sharply Dressed Strawberries

Father's Day, once again! I love my dad/grandad/stepdad/other father figures, but damned if they aren't hard to buy for. It's always the hardest holiday for me because when it comes to man stuff, I'm pretty lost. My saving grace? Chocolate. Lucky for me, that's one thing they all have in common.



These came out beautifully. And they're so easy!

I put them in a pizza box (with wax paper!!!) for easy transport. I had a bit of a drive. 

 

Just a dip into some white chocolate, and two angled dips into milk/dark chocolate. Paint on the ties and buttons with some food color gel and there they are.

To me, ties represent Father's Day. Both what's right and wrong with it. They're the quintessential gift for the holiday. Ties are a symbol of provision, power, organization, and good sense. These are all great things found in many fathers. But the tie is also the easy go-to gift because when we are pressured by Hallmark to "show dad you care" we panic and don't know what he actually wants.

These strawberries were my solution to the tie problem. My dad doesn't really wear ties, (welding instructors probably find them cumbersome) but they still represent all of those things to me. By making these little guys, I was able to use the tie as a convention, while making a gesture that shows I know what he really likes. Plus, no major money was spent. No useless gifts.

Crumbs Art

Had a great turnout at the Crumbs opening. Thanks to all who came to view the art!
For those who didn't get a chance to see it all, here's some of what you missed.

Cupfakes!

 Spray foam and acrylic paint iced with a lightweight spackling compound and topped with polymer clay candies

 They were everywhere!

Swallow or Spit

Banana pound cake with a glaze of powdered sugar, saliva, and semen.

I've gotten a lot of questions about this piece. Mainly, "Is it REALLY semen?" and "How did you get it?" Well, yes. It IS real semen. The title of the piece should give you a clue as to the collection method. If it doesn't, then you probably don't need to know anyway. The donor and the collector's identities are of little importance in terms of the statement I was trying to make. As for what that statement is, I'd rather not come right out and say. Art is meant to make us think. It's about having a conversation. In discussing the work with me you might find out what inspired its creation, but I'm interested in viewers' impressions as well. There's a lot there and what you see is what you get.



Forbidden Fruit

Paper mache and lightweight spackling compound over a chicken wire armature, coated in spray paint, and topped with cupfakes

Off With Her Head

I'd love to know what you think and answer your questions. Post a comment!
If you'd like to purchase cupfakes, you can email me at seray@unca.edu.

CRUMBS!

Hello!
If you are reading this, chances are you've picked up a post card that looks like this:

 Thanks for checking out my blog!

Crumbs is the body of work created in my final semester of college at UNCA. I have been working since late December 2011 on these pieces and they are finally ready to be viewed! As the card states, my work uses cake as a metaphor for consumption. I have tried to put together a show that highlights the problem of gluttony and waste, but also celebrates imagination. Crumbs is on display now and will be up until May 18th. Blowers Gallery is to the left, just past the circulation desk on the main floor of  Ramsey Library.  The gallery is open for viewing any time the library is open. I hope you will check it out. And if you can, please join me for the reception from 3-6pm in Blowers Gallery on Friday, May 4th.

Library Contact Information: 
University of North Carolina at Asheville | CPO# 1500
One University Heights | Asheville, NC 28804-8504
(828) 251-6336 (Circulation Desk)
(828) 251-6301 (TTY - Deaf and Hard of Hearing)

For Driving Directions:
http://www.unca.edu/maps/driving-directions

For a map of UNCA campus:
http://www.unca.edu/maps/campus-map

A note on children:
I am strongly in favor of taking children to see artwork. I am strongly in favor of having children see MY artwork. While there is no nudity or graphic imagery or anything pornographic, one of my sculptures and some of the refreshments I plan to serve are of a sexual nature. I firmly believe in being honest with kids about sexuality, but how you choose to answer any questions my work may inspire is completely up to you. ("I'll tell you when you're older" sounds perfectly legitimate to me!) I encourage people of all ages to enjoy the little world I have created. I am confident that the delight will outweigh any discomfort.

I look forward to seeing you all there! Thank you for your interest and support.

Food That Looks Like Other Food part 3: Chicken Wings

For these little beauties I just crumbled up some cake and mixed it with icing to sculpt the wings. Those got dipped into white chocolate once and then into orange candy melts after that. I topped them off with a sugar glaze and garnished with some green fondant.

Food That Looks Like Other Food part 2: Burgers

Chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes with a dab of green icing and maraschino cherry slices. A little labor intensive, but tasty!

Food That Looks Like Other Food part 1: Sushi

Found this idea on Pintrest. I had a great time doing it. Rice crispy treats, fruit roll ups, Swedish Fish, and Trolli octopus candies. That's all you need.

They actually taste pretty good too. It'd be great to do with kids. It's a little sticky but the mess potential is fairly low otherwise.

Practice

One of my best friends got engaged this December. After telling me this, one of the first things she said was, "You're in charge of the cake." Naturally, I was honored. But I'm kinda new to this cake baking/decorating stuff...so, I decided to practice. This is the first of many experiments. I wanted to play around with the piping set she bought me for Christmas and here's what I came up with. I did cupcakes so I could have a bunch of little canvases.

CupFAKES!

I am graduating in May and my undergrad art show is fast approaching. Looking online for inspiration, I found this exciting recipe on Instructables. I've been working on these little beauties all month long. They are made from Great Stuff  which is a polyurethane foam. Here's a sneak peek!

 

This is only part of one can. Luckily a little goes a long way. I know it's not good for the earth. 

 The icing is lightweight spackle. Aren't they so much fun? 

The fact that the spray foam is not biodegradable really does bother me. So, I ask that if you try this project on your own, please consider that and use sparingly or find a better alternative. And then tell me about it!!

All You Need is Love

Ah, Valentine's Day. Hallmark tells us that we must buy cards and gifts for that special someone. Flowers wilt, restaurants are crowded, and I've never really been impressed with what's in those heart-shaped chocolate boxes. Why should we spend money to prove our love on this ONE day? Shouldn't we show our love every day through actions? And wouldn't the funds going toward fancy dinners and over-priced flowers be better spent on something really important? When I think of how much waste is created by this holiday, it frustrates me. So instead of posting pictures of delightful pink-and-red confections, I will leave you with these cancer cell truffles.

Banana Cake!

I had two bananas that were minutes from going bad. And I needed to make a pound cake for one of my art pieces. I had never heard of banana pound cake, but you can find anything on the internet. I got this delightful recipe from Taste of Home. It turned out beautifully!

Baby Cakes

I bought a couple of these.

They're little.

And they make the cutest little cakes!

I liked the look and taste of these- especially with a little melted chocolate in the center.

Magical Mixer

Back from my holiday break. For Christmas, my wonderful family all chipped in to get me a fantastic present. I've been wanting one for a while now. And I've already used it quite a bit.

Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer! Complete with paddle, whisk, and dough hook attachments. It works beautifully. I made these fun little guys from scratch the other day, just for the sheer joy of it.

And then decorated them with delicious jellybeans.