Tuesday 14th November 2017
We’ve just finished another great Emma Jayne Cake Design course in the Renshaw Academy, this time it was her popular French Bulldog class. While Emma Jayne was with us we caught up with her about a busy few months of cake decorating, teaching, and to top it off, being named Cake Artist of the Year at the recent Cake Masters Awards!
Emma Jayne wowed crowds at Cake International again this year with her breath-taking War Horse feature, which Renshaw were proud to sponsor. The eight-foot-long, 240kg sculpture was formed from 50kg Rice Krispies, 50kg marshmallows, and decorated with 70kg each of Renshaw sugar paste and modelling paste, all at her home in Aberdare, Wales.
The Renshaw sugar paste was coloured to be an exact match to Emma Jayne’s friend’s horse, who she spent time with to study features and movements in order to create her own lifelike piece. The shaded details and glossy eyes give the horse a realistic quality that makes it all the more emotional to behold. The base of the board was airbrushed and piping gel was used to create a muddy effect.
Emma Jayne took some of her inspiration from the 2011 film War Horse, and spent many months prior to creating her piece researching the subject, speaking to organisers of the stage version of War Horse, and again familiarising herself with the features of a horse to make it as realistic as possible.
Displayed around the War Horse sculpture were real images taken during World War I, showing the relationship between the soldiers and their horses, which put the sculpture into context and reminds us of our history. Around 8 million horses were killed during WWI, so although the sculpture was incredibly moving for some, it’s an important reminder of the reality they faced and a tribute to those, including animals, who fought and died.
Emma said; “The intention behind this piece is to remember what happened, and show respect for the people and animals that lost their lives.”
What we love about sculptured features, Emma Jayne’s work in particular, is that they are another form of art, not altogether different from sculpting with other materials. The War Horse especially manages to capture a moment in history and evokes emotion, just like many paintings or art features would. Although the sculpture was created with edible materials, the War Horse was designed to last for many years.
We’re already looking forward to Emma Jayne’s next showpiece!
This year, Emma Jayne was a finalist for Best Showpiece for her amazing wedding dress, alongside other finalists, Eat Cake Party, City Cakes and Twisted Sugar Artists. The award went to Eat Cake Party for their Life Size Elephant Cake, but Emma was so surprised when the last award of the night, Cake Artist of the Year was announced and she won!
Emma recalled; “Everyone in that room was so talented and deserved that award, but it was such an honour to be recognised. Thank you to Cake Masters and to Renshaw for always supporting me.”
It’s certainly been an amazing year for Emma Jayne Cake Design and we can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in 2018.
Wednesday 8th November 2017
Well, what a weekend at Cake international! I’m sure we’re not the only ones whose feet are little sore, and have taken a large chunk out of our bank balances! However, would it really be Cake International if not? Talking to the public and interacting with all the amazing cake decorators is a highlight (we’d […]
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