Geraldine Dahlke

April 2006

My sugarcraft is experimental, innovative and creative with a strong emphasis on artistic expression and design. Nowadays I try to think of myself as an artist rather than a sugarcrafter, and am often more interested in creating works of art than decorating cakes. However, any cake  I do decorate does tend to have a strong artistic influence!

Recent work includes the publication of ‘The Book of Patterned Pastes’ explaining how to quickly and easily create pretty and dramatic patterns in marzipan, sugarpaste and flower paste. I have also been lucky enough to act as consultant for the BBC programme Smart, exhibit sugar pictures and sculptures with the ex-sugarcrafter and now fine art painter Terri Mansell in The Fountain Gallery, Hampton Court, and delighted to have had two sugar sculptures accepted for the exhibition ‘Eat Art’ which took place at The Robert Phillips Gallery, Riverhouse, Walton on Thames last year.

Meanwhile I am still teaching foundation courses in cake decorating and wired sugar flowers on a Monday at Brooklands College, Weybridge, taking workshops to Japan every February, demonstrating and holding workshops around the U.K. and giving individual and small group tuition here at home in Surrey.

Past Achievements in Sugarcraft:

Publication of ‘The Book Of Patterned Pastes’ March 2006 

Regular contributor to 'Cakes & Sugarcraft' magazine

Taken innovative workshops to Japan on a yearly basis every February from 2002

Consultant to the BBC programme Smart, broadcast 1^st December 2005, sugar picture in the style of Charles Rennie Macintosh

Exhibited two sugar sculptures in ‘Eat Art’, at the Robert Phillips Gallery, Riverhouse, Walton on Thames, 23^rd November – 17^th December 2005

‘Will It Keep’, an exhibition of sugar art at The Fountain Gallery, Hampton Court, 9^th– 21^st August 2005, and where the painter Terri Mansell shared the gallery, exhibiting her lovely pictures.

5 pieces of sugar art, all pictures, accepted for display at the Bowes Museum from1st June 2002 until 22^nd September 2002.

Coordinated and helped with the delivery of exhibits to the Bowes Museum, County Durham as part of the contemporary section of ‘Royal Sugar Sculpture 600 Years Of Sculpture’

Coordinated the exhibition Taste of Art 3, staged in Guildford House, High Street Guildford during the whole of March 2002, together with compiling and editing the catalogue.

Creating 10 works of sugar art for Taste of Art 3.

Founded Taste of Art and coordinated the group since 1995, which included arranging and publicizing ‘Taste of Art’ (1996) ‘Taste of Art 2’ (1999), Taste of Art 3 (2002) and numerous ‘Taste of Art’ tables within sugarcraft exhibitions.

Held a days workshop at the Sugarcraft Guild’s Summer School in London 2002 Painting with royal icing using stiff bristle brushes

Royal icing and petal dusts.

Exhibited on the ‘By Invitation’ table at ‘Cake 2000’, ‘Cake 2001’ ‘Cake 2002 and 'Cake 2003'  ‘Cake 2004’ at the NEC and ran the workshops: ‘Techniques with Taste of Art’ jointly with Taste of Art members before hosting my own workshop in 2002.

Two Gold Medals at International Competition and numerous Silver and Bronze Awards

The Tate and Lyle Refiners Challenge Trophy for Free Style Sugarcraft (1995 and 1997)

Contributed to sugarcraft magazines, and the book ‘Sweet Charity, A Collection of Sugar Works.’

Relevant Sugarcraft Qualifications:

Joint winner of The City and Guilds Silver Medal for Excellence 1997 (highest British award given for sugarcraft)

Brooklands College Gold Medal for Student of Excellence 1997

Studied sugarcraft with Chris Jeffcoate at Brooklands College, Weybridge 1992-1997 gaining;

City and Guilds Creative Studies 7900 Part 2 Design and Extended Techniques in Sugarcraft

City and Guilds Creative Studies 7900 Part 1 Sugarcraft

Footnote

Until sugarcraft became much more than just an interest, my life had been shared between family life and primary school teaching. The latter career included a Cert Ed., B. Ed and a M.Ed. and  Deputy Headship in London's East End. (You can see the school on the map behind the titles for the BBC programme ‘East Enders’ when you know where to look!)