ABOUT THE ARTIST, Heather k. sherman
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HELLO! I am Heather K. Sherman, the Cake Artist behind Art2Eat Cakes. My husband and I run Art2Eat Cakes here in Boulder Colorado with our kids, who are responsible for taste-testing, design input, and trend awareness. We are the perfect example of the "New Brady Bunch", and have three kids...one his, one mine, one ours. We live in a rural neighborhood, so when I'm not making cakes or raising children I will also escape into my garden or off into trails into the surrounding foothills.
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Who am I?? Well, I grew up in the shadow of the Continental Divide in the summer-cabin wilds west of Denver, Colorado (Evergreen). I roamed the wilderness, watched birds/animals, I.D.'d wildflowers, read voraciously, crafted & created endlessly. Whole summers would go by where I'd see nobody but my parents. Yes, Socially Awkward, that's me. I also loved to make/invent stuff, from anything. Branches, rubber bands, Dad's old car parts, wire. Life was not all perfect though, and as an adult I've come to realize my father was undoubtedly mentally ill, and really needed help he never got. But just as any Artist needs black in their paintbox, it has been a lifetime fuel to create beauty, light, color and smiles.
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My mother was a traditional artist and an art teacher who taught me many techniques, but soon I started exploring different media. Origami was a major thrill, evolving into pasteboard polyhedra models in hi-skool. I was also a Nerd, in the truest sense, and I took every elective Math or Science my tiny 7th-12th offered. I ended up at Colo. School of Mines, Chem. Eng., encouraged by two wonderful Petroleum Engineer grandparents, but it really wasn't me.
I floated from school to school, job to job. I was a gold mine tour guide, camp counselor, Office Manager, Amusement Park "Art" creator, Engraver, Graphic Designer, Event Planner, etc++. I've also attended 5 colleges (Chem, Fine Art, B.A. in Psy I&O, Graphics, and Pastry Arts). I LOVE to dabble new media...Illustration, Graphics, Photography, Textile, hot Glass, Sculpture, Beading, Metalwork are a few. My personal life was also in turmoil. I had a 15year relationship that ended with both a whimper a bang. I moved out with my 6month old baby, and renovated a century-old house in the old mining town of Idaho Springs, also renovating myself. My daughter and I lived there until 2007, when I met the love of my life. |
Landscape Painting at the "Pink House"
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In 2008 I was consigned to 8months of bed rest during a difficult pregnancy with my second child. It felt like a jail sentence. So like many of you I watched "all those cake shows", being creative vicariously through them. Thank you!! You kept me alive!! :-) But of all my Artworks, my little ones will always be my Masterpieces. And, they are at the beginning of my road to Cake
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I did my first fondant cake, a Grateful Dead "Steal Your Face" for my husband in 2009. I was Hooked. Instantly! In 2011 I did a sculpted Rainbow Pegacorn Mama & Baby cake for my daughter's birthday that I'd bet most of you have seen. I neglected to watermark it, and the cake went wildly viral! I'm still seeing her pop up, and still hear "Oh! That's YOUR cake! I've seen that one!" quite frequently. Shortly after that, I won a local news competition, and then had the honor of making a cake for Blues Traveler. Since then I have had the pleasure of presenting to folks like Crosby Stills & Nash, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Quidam Cirque du Soleil, and String Cheese Incident. It makes me happy when I can make such artists happy, when they give joy to so many. They make some of my favorite smiles. I've also been published by Cake Masters Magazine, Cake Central Magazine, Good Morning America Yahoo, Cooking.com, CakesDecor.com , + a score of blogs, articles, etc. I invite you to tour the Gallery and Awards Pages for a tour of Smiles and Art
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These sculpted Art Cakes, I've come to realize, are simply pure joy. There is something liberating in making sculpture that is not meant to last, but it takes on new heights when the experience goes on, past ephemeral destruction, to actually eating my yummy sculpture! The experience doesn't end there - deliciousness is a must to continue the feeling of wonder. The Enjoyment of the Eater is the reason I do this. I love it when people say "NO way is THAT a cake!", or "I will NEVER forget this birthday" or "I feel so special!". And little kids are the absolute best of the bunch.
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My plan? Keep making cool cakes, cool tutorials, sharing with all my sweet followers. For me the thrill is in the reaction - the OMG, the tears, the excitement. I like to make cake defy expectations, to make the cake "fly". It is the Oooohs and Ahhs that continue into Yuuuuummmms that make Cake Art so satisfying. Sculpted Cake is truly Performance Art; a multi-layered experience for all the senses. Stay Sweet, and Stay Tuned....More Fun is Yet to Come! xxoo Heather at Art2Eat Cakes
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MORE HISTORY ON HEATHER
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Cafepress Store, "Bubblebrain"
Collection of available Artwork I have archived much of my old artwork on my CafePress website at http://www.cafepress.com/bubblebrain You can see the entire "Spellweaver" knotwork collection there, along with some of my photos and graphic designs, printed on any item you can imagine. Handy for gift-giving too. Use the link above or search cafepress.com for "BUBBLEBRAIN" tag. Check back as I also have plans to add Cake Photos here as well |
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In July of 2012 I graduated with high Honors from the August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Pastry Arts Program. I am pleased to have completed this Certification and feel more confident than ever that my cakes are an amazing experience from start to delicious finish.
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In October of 2012 I took the state-required Food Safety Certification required for Managers and received the first 100% test score my instructor had ever seen. I strive to keep your experience fun and SAFE. Food Art can be a prime location for unsafe practices, so I go above-and-beyond to insure a product that has conformed to all food-safety requirements at all times through production. I wear gloves throughout production, and apply extra care when sealing non-food support structures away from edible cake/frosting/fondant - all the way down to the board. Cutting guides are always provided and any inedible supports are clearly marked and counted for removal when serving.
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After years of saving and planning, we finally made it to the Big Island of Hawaii. It was actually more in reach than I thought, if one avoids resorts and chain restaurants! Eat, Stay, Buy LOCAL. If you really want to see vacation pics, here's the slideshow:
"Our Trip to Hawaii" Video |
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