In her two-dimensional media, mostly batik painting and other resist work on silk, Joni Eisen has been a chronicler of everyday events, inspired by immediate surroundings: family, house, garden. A maniacal organic gardener, she has done many portraits of people eating food. Joni sees her bas-relief cake portraits as the next logical step: from 2-D to 3-D, from people eating food to people as food, from portraits of eating to portraits for eating. Here too her garden has served to inspire her. Beets provide a brilliant fuchsia frosting color unequaled by commercial food colorings, and she grows several kinds of edible flowers to add color and distinctiveness to her cake designs. She has created hundreds and hundreds of portraits over the past two decades, delighting clients with her wildly original, edible art.
THE PROCESS
Q: Do you paint the face on?
A: No. This is not an air-brushed, computer-generated “painting” on a cake. This is original, freehand, one-of-a-kind, bas-relief sculpture. I build the sculpture first, then use a palette of frostings to color it.
Q: Where did you learn to do this?
A: I made it up.
Q: Do you have specially-shaped baking pans?
A: No. I use regular sheet-type cake pans. After I do a preliminary drawing, I cut out a foamcore cardboard base following the flat outline of the design, then cut the cake to fit that. Then I work upwards from that, layering and carving the cake to build the sculpture. I also use various fruits sculpturally when appropriate, e.g., a strawberry to emphasize a cheekbone.
Q: What are the teeth made of?
A: Yogurt-covered raisins, unless a subject has absolutely perfect, “piano-key” straight teeth. Then I just use white frosting with lines drawn into it.
Q Do you work from a photo?
A: Yes and because the portrait is 3-dimensional, I prefer two or more photos of the subject.
Q: How do I order one of your cakes?
A: Call me at 415-648-6740 to discuss your request. Please give me at least two weeks advance notice. When you call, I will ask for at least two photos of the intended subject, preferably from different angles and a deposit of half the total amount.
Joni Eisen
Portrero Hill
San Fransisco
415-648-6740
http://www.jonieisen.com
