Cupcakes on a Checkered Cloth

Cupcakes on a Checkered Cloth

11"x14" Acrylic on Board

© Barbara Sistak Baur

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3 Chocolate Cupcakes

3 Chocolate Cupcakes

9"x12" Acrylic on Board

© Barbara Sistak Baur

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TipsyCake Cake Shop II

TipsyCake CakeShop II, 11"x14", acrylic,  © Barbara Sistak Baur. All rights reserved.

Here is the second painting of the TipsyCake kitchen featuring a baker at work on multiple cakes.  This painting tells the story of a busy shop.  There are many cakes in progress, multiple bowls of frosting are about, various tools are on the counter, there is something simmering on stove and trays of goodies are in the racks.  Yet, this baker is focused on the single task of completing her cake.

This is a small, acrylic painting, just 11"x14." Unlike many of my pastry paintings, I use standard paints with no extra gels or media (see the close up-remember you can click the image to see a larger view).  My personal challenge was to keep this painting warm and colorful in the midst of the  cool stainless steel. In addition, I wanted it pair nicely with the first painting like this. Whenever I paint in a serious like that, I keep the first painting in view in my studio.  It keeps me on track.

-- Barb
www.SistakBaur.com

TipsyCake Cake Shop

TipsyCake Cake Shop, 11"x14", acrylic, framed © Barbara Sistak Baur. All rights reserved.

There is an actual cake shop in Chicago named TipsyCake and that was the inspiration for this painting. The TipsyCake Cake Shop shows two bakers at work with bright colors against the stainless steel background drawing you into the scene. There are many elements that attracted me to this painting -- the setting, the colors, the figures. And the challenges were many-fold: capturing brightness in an indoor setting, bringing color to a stainless steel environment, having the two figure-shapes interplay correctly and adding enough detail but not so much as to overwhelm.  I am very satisfied with the level of detail that is balanced by the looseness of the strokes. Click on the close up image for a larger view. And, of course, I love this the story this painting tells.

I created a second painting like this and it is on my web site.  Click here to go to the galleries.

-- Barb

www.sistakbaur.com

By the way, I want to tell you that TipsyCake creates the most fabulous cakes and desserts.  They look fantastic and - better yet - they taste like heaven.  And that isn't always the case with lovely desserts -- I know.  I have visited (and sampled) many bakeries near and far.

If check out the web site, you'll find wonderful examples of the "cakes the dreams are made of" And, if you ever get a chance, this is the place to go for true taste delights!

Thank you, TipsyCake, for allowing me to visit your shop to find inspiration for my latest series of pastry paintings!

Elegant Selection

This is a smaller painting, 9" high and 12" wide ,and putting so much diversity into a small space was a challenge.  Each pastry is unique with its own chocolate-like color and texture. They are almost tumbled one upon another creating an enticing display. In the close up, you can see some of the individual textures in the desserts.  Look for the differences among them. Click on the image to see a larger view. In addition, this painting is one of three I created that feature glass plates. 

A plateful of lovely desserts suggests a story of an elegant day of entertaining, beautiful guests and delightful company.
--Barb

February is National Pie Month

You know February is National Pie Month, don't you. You didn't? Well, it seems that it is. Not only that, some folks say it is National CHERRY Pie Month because Washington's birthday is in February. The facts on National Pie Month are a little vague. When I googled, I couldn't find any definitive information, just a lot of "In Honor of…" recipes and articles. So I don't know who started it, why they started it or how long it has been in force. If anyone comes up with a good link, pass it on, please.

Let's Have Pie!, 9"x12", acrylic, framed, © B Sistak Baur. All rights Reserved.

No matter because it just so happens that I just completed a cherry pie painting this very month! And, I didn't even know it was National Pie Month until a couple of days ago!

This artwork is part of a small "glass" series I completed this winter. There are three paintings on three different types of glass plates. Glass is always a challenge but a fun one. In fact, I even like doing it! I always thought I wouldn't like it thinking it would be too tedious. But that is not the case at all.

This pie sits up proud and high on a tall glass plate. The background is textured with a soft yellow, a perfect back drop for the bluish glass and shadows. The pie filling drips over the sides of the pans. It is made with a gooey concoction of paints and syrup-y gels. The pie crust is a combination of thicker gels and modeling pastes to represent the stiff, baked crust. Color is dry brushed across the top for the "browning." The texture is very apparent in the close up (you can also double click on any photo for a larger view).
--Barb

3 Chocolate Cupcakes

Inspired by three cupcakes in the front row of a long tray in a bakery case, they appeared to be very merry and ready to dance together as if they were in a Disney movie.

3 Chocolate Cupcakes, 9"x12", acrylic, framed, B. Sistak Baur. All rights reserved.

The textured ground is the first step to give them a proper backdrop. The paper cups are created with modeling paste applied with a long, shape palette knife. The knife is sliced through the paste to make the ridges. A heavy gel is selected for the frosting. Then, very carefully, I drag a saw-toothed edge across the surface to create the swirls. This is topped with a star-like decoration. Shadows and highlights provide depth and more color adds interest to background. You can really see the texture in the close up. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)
--Barb
www.SistakBaur.com

New Year and New Work

The new year is underway! Re-energized and invigorated, a new year is my opportunity to stretch my skills while creating new works. I have much new work underway in preparation for the new art fair season. Here is a sample:

On a Triangular Plate, 9"x12", acrylic, framed, © B. Sistak Baur

Inspired by a friend who brought me these cookies, I arranged them on a lovely glass plate that I found in a rarely-opened cabinet. The foundation of the cookies is a mixture of molding pastes. After they are formed and dried, I work on the toppings. The fruit fillings are created from media is that carefully mixed to achieve the right consistency -- creamy and thick. The whole painting is covered up except for the cookies, so I can "sprinkle" paint to create the powdered sugar. More details can be seen in the close up below.

--Barb

Red Berry Tart

Red Berry Tart, 9"x12", acrylic, framed. © B. Sistak Baur. All rights reserved.

A sweet little painting with plenty of poppin’ berries. Each berry is created with red acrylic paint mixed with a textured media that has ground stone in it. Each berry is dolloped into place. After they harden, a drizzly creation is made that is dribbled over the top of each berry. Each berry sits in a custard-like cream that holds them to the the cookie-like crust (with is made with a modeling paste.) Sounds good.

Sweet Bun II & III

Sweet Bun II, Acrylic on canvas on board, 9”x12”, © B. Sistak Baur

Raw canvas is cut a single bakery shape which sits on an abstract shelf also make of canvas. All is of is painted abstractly and other medium is drizzled for the “glazing.”

Sweet Bun III, Acrylic on canvas on board, 9”x12” © B. Sistak Baur

Sticky Buns

Another experiment with the raw canvas, bold strokes and dripping glaze resulted in these two lovely buns. The texture in the background is created using a mixture of different paints and painting mediums. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 9”x 12”, acrylic, framed and ready to hang

Sweet Bun

A lovely roll is sitting sweetly on a shelf. Here I used the raw canvas technique and broad brush strokes for boldness. Nothing dainty about this painting except for, maybe, the translucent glaze on the roll that is just barely visible. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 12”x 9”, acrylic, framed and ready to hang.