Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network November 2015 | Page 108

You have met and worked with a
myriad of amazing cake decorators
and artists over the years. Who
inspires you with their innovative work
or their work ethic?
There are many great artists out there
who avoid the social nonsense and
get on with creating and leave the
politics out of it. My first would be
Karen Portaleo USA a sculptress in
a league of her own, Alan Dunn UK
is unmatched in florals and foliage,
Ceri DD Griffiths UK & RL Clement
Sri Lanka, both for royal icing; then
brilliant all rounder Australians, Pam
Archibald, Shayne Greenman, Patricia
Simmons, Marie Sykes, Kerrie Walsh,
Kath Swansbra, Eileen Scriven, John
Quai Hoi and Pam Leman and that is
a limited list there are many more. Be
proud of your own and those that made
it happen to pave your way.
How did you enjoy the event this year?
Were you happy with how everything
went and how the competitors
interpreted the theme ‘Fashion Week’
and composed their entries?
Always happy overall, some
competitors lost their way and missed
the interpretation of theme boat, which
alarmed when they reviewed their
scores. I thought I had given them
an easy pass, but sadly they created
cakes that didn’t have much to do
with Fashion Week anywhere. Miss
the theme and it can be costly. That
said, I am but an e-mail or a phone call
away so clarification is easy. I temper
the seriousness of it all (the stakes
are very high) with “Kerry’s Cake and
Candy Toss where I hurl these goodies
into the crowd and people start
begging me to throw them something;
lots of laughs and letting off steam.
Oklahoma LIVE is also an
entertainment for precisely the same
reason; competitors dress up and
create showpieces in front of a large
audience and surprisingly in a short
period of time they create remarkable
cake artistry, sometimes a bit rough,
but they only have an hour and half so
that is expected.
Choosing the presenters each year
is also a challenge. I must find
spectacular artists and this year was
no exception, Dark horse, Michael
Lewis-Anderson baker extraordinaire
to the Belgian royal family extended
aristocracy and Corps Diplomatique.
(He not only earned the royal warrant
for his bakery but was personally
recognized for his devotion to pastry

and the sugar arts) and he has
great personality. Michael created a
royal tableau dedicated to the pomp
and pageantry associated with the
upcoming 90th birthday celebrations
of HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.
On the other hand Creative food
stylists, New York Times best-selling
authors Alan Richardson and Karen
Tack famed for Hello Cupcake, What’s
new, Cupcake? Cupcakes & Cookies
& Pies Oh My! and now, Cake my Day!
dazzled with ‘A Few of HIS Favourite
Things.’ Seriously fun groom’s cakes!
They have sold over six million books,
launched their latest at the show and
were inducted with the OSSAS Medal
of Honour.
Your work at the OSSAS is completely
voluntary. You also have so many
volunteers that work tirelessly to
prepare and look after the show each
year, simply because they love you
and the legacy of the show. You gave
away over $200,000 USD this year in
cash and prizes – how do you get such
an amazing array of prizes, Sponsors,
competitors and support for the show?
No one is paid to work at the OSSAS;
we do it because we love our art.
My 2016 job started the moment the
current show wrapped. Plans are made
to sign hotel contracts and determine
room block numbers, write the rules,
choose themes, revive relationships
a