Gonzuela has been spreading magic in cake sculpting since last three years and believe me, I came across some of the most unusual yet extremely artistic cake designs ever in her portfolio.
We are thankful to Gonzuela, who took out some time to talk to us. Catch our exclusive conversation with her below:
Gonzuela, please introduce yourself to E-junkies.
My name is Gonzuela Bastarache and I'm a self-taught cake artist and I specialize in sculpted cakes. I’ve been decorating cakes for just over 3 years now and in that time I’ve baked a lot of cake, slipped on a lot of buttercream, and inadvertently inhaled a lot of icing sugar…A lot! I am also mom to my wonderful son and best friend, Joshua.
Have you always wanted to become a cake artist? How did you get into the world of cake sculpting?
No! I had actually studied Psychology and Political Sciences in university and had planned to continue on to law school. I've always been a bit of an academic bookworm and had never given much thought to cake decorating or any other artistic or creative field until I had my son. His birthday parties have always been my "big event" of the year and I wanted him to have fancy carved cakes like the ones I had seen on TV but was never able to find someone locally able to make them. That lead me to the decision to try and make them myself and looking back; his first birthday cakes were "not so great" but the process reminded of how much I really enjoy being creative. I started reading on-line tutorials and picking up books at the library to teach myself proper cake decorating techniques and his cakes gradually improved. Eventually I began receiving requests from other parents to make cakes for their children parties as well…and the rest, as they say, is history!
What influences the artist within you?
When I was a child I loved to draw and was very influenced by classic artists and would spend hours trying to paint like the old masters. Now as an adult I have a better appreciation and broader range of inspiration - from classic Da Vinci paintings to the latest cheesy horror films, or to the raw beauty in nature. I think great sources for inspiration can be found in weird and unexpected places if you have a willingness to see them. When I come up with designs for clients I tend to steer them away from bringing me reference photos or requesting a replicate of something they have seen – my goal is always to create something unique and personal and not copy someone else’s work. I've had numerous occasions where people have had no idea what their cake actually looked like until delivery (and thankfully everyone has been happy so far!)
You have created some really awesome cake designs. Which is your favorite? (Come on, pick one!)
It’s tough to pick a cake that I really like since I am extremely critical of my work. I think as an artist it’s difficult NOT to look at something you've created and be very aware of its flaws or focus on things you wish you would have done differently. I have a few cakes that I am particularly proud of because they were challenging and once I was finished I felt like I had really learned something from the experience. I learned a lot from Zombie Thriller because of the bent leg internal support structure and for Cleopatra I overcame the challenge of getting the huge sugar headpiece to stand up.
On an average, how many hours does it take you to complete one cake?
Some of the more elaborate cakes I've created have taken a few days – a lot of work goes into the design and building of internal support structures. There's no instruction books for that so it's basically trial an error at times when you're trying to assemble the structure and figure out how to get the cake onto it. Thankfully not all cakes take that long and the usual is about 6 - 8 hours depending on how complex the design is and how much detail I need to put into it.
Share the best compliment you've ever received for your work.
The biggest compliment ever is when children tell me they want to bake cakes like I do when they grow up. It's a huge honour :-)
One moment of your career that you'd always cherish?
One of the terrific things about the cake industry is that cake usually celebrates a happy occasion so there are lots of opportunities for great moments. Some of my favorite memories are of cakes I have donated for different causes. I’ve had little children draw me thank-you pictures and cards and it really melts my heart. At the end of the day the greatest gift you can give is happiness to someone else and it makes all the hard work worth it!
What are on the top shelves of your inspiration library right now? This can be anything from blogs, books and magazines to vintage catalogues/manuals, etc.
I get inspiration from a lot of everyday objects - my favorite sources of inspiration being tacky holiday knick knacks and lawn ornaments! Weird little ornaments often can inspire really fun cool looking cakes! I always bring a camera with me now when I go jogging in case I come across something unusual.
Do you have any dream design that you've always wanted to create? Or you've already created it?
I sculpt a lot of people so one day I'd love to have the challenge of sculpting a life sized action figure or comic book hero or even sculpt something “hyper-realistic”. I had no idea hyper-realism even existed as a term until I recently met a sculptor who went on and on…and on about it. So someday (after much more practice) I’d like to sculpt cakes in a hyper realistic manor – and then kick his butt in competition.
Many other artists would look up to you for inspiration. What message do you have for them?
Being an artist is full of challenges but it also gives you a tremendous amount of freedom to express yourself and interpret things in your own unique way. Not everyone has the same skills or talents and I believe the key to finding success is realizing your own personal strengths and finding your niche in the market. Think outside of the box and go for the unexpected and do what works for you and just keep striving to get better with every cake. Don’t be afraid to be daring and ignore the people who criticize your work – just keep doing what you love and eventually success will follow.
And a final word for our readers?
Sometimes the best thing that can happen to us is failure. Nothing will teach you faster or give you more confidence than overcoming something that was very challenging. Trust me – I’ve been there.
Gonzuela, thank you for the interview. You sculpt really awesome cakes and I wish I could get a chance to taste one on them. ;) Best wishes from E-junkie.
great artlicle!
sister you just keep getting better this last one is so good ,, now to put your talent to the fullest make a cake of yourself
YAY SUPERGONZ!