“To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature.” Auguste Rodin
When I started to clean the oven after a baking mishap, I paused to look at what I scraped up.
It is burnt sugar from an apple spice cake. At fist glance it looks black, nearly ash. On closer inspection it has a lovely texture of holes and craters.
In the past I used sugar as a stiffener and in molds. There is a history of folks using sugar as a stiffener for crochet. I had been using microcrystalline wax, shellac, and varnish to stiffen and age my work. Wondered if sugar might work as a substitute.
This is my first test piece, made in 2006. It is constructed of cotton baker’s twine. I immersed the cotton vessel in molten raw sugar. The sugar impregnated twine collapsed. I wrung it out and place it over a foil covered coffee can taller than the vessel. Placed the lot on a plate to collect the sugar run off.
The piece is still strong and not in the least bit sticky. And no insect activity.
I also made a series of cast sugar vessels. I used several recipes for sugar glass. One recipe was 3 1/2 cups of raw sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, 2 cups of water, and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar. I used a silicone mold for the casting.
Clearly I did something wrong. Raw sugar rather than granulated. Possibly the thickness. Temperature.
But it was fun to watch the sugar cup melt.
Will I try it again? Sure. Will I have success? Maybe.
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” Auguste Rodin