Cake art and learning

Sam's birthday cake portrait
from Grade 8
icing on cake
Barbara Muir

The image tonight is of a birthday cake I made
for Sam's 13th birthday. I found this photo
when I was cleaning out my bookshelves in the
office yesterday. Many years later I see that even
in icing I did have a likeness of my boy then. True the
smarties forming the eyes seem to have slipped, and
his skin never had so much texture. It was the last of
his cakes decorated by me. That had been quite the tradition for
his 'school' cakes, and these bits of simple art
in icing were a big hit. Our secret in the early
days, was cake mix cakes, which I cut into the shapes
of Pokemon, or the current superhero. But
when the call came for Harry Potter flying on his
broom stick I graduated to slab cakes from the
excellent bakery at the local supermarket. Un-iced
these were the ideal canvas for icing art, and
required no baking.

Sam took this cake to school in Grade 8, and his
teacher made a cute remark about who would
want the lips. These were the kind of comments
that made us (Sam's parents) find the teacher
difficult to talk to. But the kids loved that guy,
and one of my son's friends said tonight that
he had changed her life. 13-year-olds are not
always easy to decipher, and clearly this teacher
got through to my son and his friend in a lasting
way. His friend said he was one of two teachers
who made a big difference.

Later tonight another friend and I discussed
what helps us to learn. In art I've noticed that
encouragement makes me flourish. That has
been the delight of the blog world for me -- the
encouragement of wonderful painters, and the
stimulating exchange of ideas. But
some teachers feel that it's better to prevent artists
from thinking that art's an easy ride. You know
develop your mettle, get a thick skin, pull up your socks.
And be realistic about how many artists ever "make it."
Does that work?

Or are all the artists I know who hide in their houses, and
are afraid even to doodle when they're on hold on
the phone, people who were squished by an over
eager fan from the "dash-your-hopes" school of
art? I suspect that's at least partially the case.
My point? Thanks to everyone who comments on
my work when they can, and who leaves me to
figure it out when they can't. Not a new theme
I realize, but still important.

Have a coddling-your-inner-artist day.