"Everything's Coming up Roses"

I want you all to meet Ben.  Ben is 12 years old and likes to make cakes.  The thing is, he's really good at it.  When his mom contacted me about setting up a class, I had no idea what to expect.  We spent and hour and half together on a recent Saturday afternoon, and it still brings a smile to my face. 

Over the years, I've come to realize artistic abilities don't always come naturally for people.  Likewise, art can be expressed in so many ways, whether you sketch, paint, weave, or make cakes.  One can learn the elements of an eye-catching, pleasing composition, studying size, scale, balance, the color wheel, but others seem to those concepts innately inside of them.  Being one of those people, I immediately recognized it in Ben. 

Ben got to decorate a 6" cake however he pleased.  I pulled out all of my colors, fondant, chocolate, buttercream, cutters and tools.  We talked about a design concept first, which went from fall, to winter, to Christmas, to spring.  He selected a really pretty palate on his own, and we got to work learning some icing and fondant skills.  You have to know that I helped ice and cover the cake in fondant, and made a couple roses, but after that I did not touch the cake!  It was all Ben!

Attaching fondant flowers with simple syrup.

Painting on gold luster dust, which he was very excited about.

Surveying his work...

The finished masterpiece.  Wow!

Working side by side with Ben was such a rewarding experience.  He has a bright future ahead of him, no matter what career path he takes, but with such natural talent, I hope he sticks to cakes!  He also has some slick dance moves.  Thank you, Ben, for sharing your personality with me!

-Rachel

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