2.24.2012

Tjalf Sparnaay


When I first laid eyes on these colorful oil paintings by Dutch artist Tjalf Sparnaay, I was instantly struck by their unusual beauty. Working in the hyperrealistic style, Sparnaay takes mundane objects and recreates them in a manner that is on one hand realistic, but on the other hand, not. It is reality with a little extra something special. He is not simply reproducing the food that we eat, but recreating it, adding humor and emotion to everyday objects. I’m partial to the dessert pieces, of course, but there is much more to see on his website. Click here to check it out!

2.11.2012

Inspiration Board: Icingless cakes

Momofuku Milk Bar

I’ve been noticing a trend developing lately. Perhaps, you have too. What is this trend, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Icingless Cakes. Yep, that’s right, cakes without an exterior layer of icing. Frankly, I’m not sure how I feel about this trend. The part of me that loves innovation is loving it, but the other part of me, the part of me that licks excess icing off my plate, isn’t completely sold on the idea. I know that there are plenty of delicious icingless cakes in the world (bundt cake, crumb cake, etc), but a wedding cake without icing? Will it be dry? Boring? Tasteless? I just don’t know! But, really, the flavor issue aside, there is something else that worries me about these cakes, a purely aesthetic problem that arises when you remove the protective outer layer of a cake. Take away the icing and what you’re now dealing with is, essentially, a nude cake and every flaw is exposed for the world to see. Icingless cakes just look messy. Even when created by professionals, they still look messy. Yes, there is something charming about their rustic appearance, but do you want to spend hundreds of dollars on a wedding cake and have it look sloppy or undone? Don’t get me wrong. I’m anxious to try one of these cakes and part of me thinks they’re awesome, but I’m just not sure if I would shell out a lot of money for one. What do you guys think?

Image by Natalie Bell
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...