DECORATIVE SUGAR ARTWORK

When syrups are boiled until nearly all the water is evaporated, the sugar becomes solid when cools. This process enables us to make decorative pieces out of sugar that is boiled to 149˚c or more and shaped while still hot.

Sugar that is boiled in a syrup undergoes a chemical change called inversion; which a molecule of double sugar combines with molecules off water and changes into two molecules of simple sugar (dextrose and levulose). Invert sugar resist recrystallization, and plain sucrose, (granulated sugar) crystallize easily.

The temperature to which syrup is boiled is also important. The higher the temperature, the harder the sugar will be. The temperature ranges recommended is 155˚-160˚c, and the actual temperatures used for the pulled and blown sugar was 160˚c.

Cooking the sugar to a higher temperature makes it harder and more brittle and thus more difficult to work.  Cooking to a lower temperature makes softer sugar that is easier to work, but the pieces may not hold up as well, especially in humid climate.

Guidelines:

         i.            Use pure white granulated cane sugar.

       ii.            Place the sugar and water in a clean, heavy pan. Place the mixture over low heat and stir gently until the sugar is dissolved.

      iii.            When the sugar is dissolved, raise the heat to moderately high and do not stir anymore. To prevent crystallization, use a clean pastry brushed dipped in hot water to wash any sugar crystals down the side of the pan. Do not let the brush touch the syrup.

    iv.            Always use a sugar thermometer.

      v.            Add coloring and tartaric acid solution at the temperatures specified in the recipes.

    vi.            Liquid colors in an acid solution should no be used. For the best results, use powdered colors and dissolve them in a little water or alcohol. Good quality paste colors can also be used.

TOOLS FOR SUGAR WORK:

Sugar lamp, sugar thermometer, rubber gloves, blowpipe, cut off wire whip, blow torch.

1.   Spun Sugar

Spun sugar is a mass of threadlike or hair like strands of sugar used to decorate cakes and showpieces. Spun sugar should be made just before it is needed because it does not keep well. It gradually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and becomes sticky.

Procedure:

a.     Prepare the syrup. When the correct temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to stand for a few minutes until it is slightly cooled and thickened.

b.     Dip the cut off wire whip in the syrup and tap lightly to remove excess. Wave or flick the whip vigorously over the wooden rod so that the sugar is thrown off in fine, long threads.

c.     Repeat until the desired amount of spun sugar is hanging from the rod. Carefully lift the mass from the rod.

d.     Coil the sugar, or shape as desired for decoration.

e.     If the syrup cools too much to spin, simply rewarm it over low heat.

2.      Poured sugar

Poured sugar also called cast sugar, is boiled sugar that is allowed to harden in various shapes. Usually it is cast in flat sheets like glass, although like nougatine, it can be bent and shaped while it is hot and pliable. The syrup can also be colored before it finishes cooking.

An easy way to make a mold of any shape is to roll heat resistant plasticine into a rope and work it to the desired shaped on and oiled marbled slab or silicone ma. Whatever mold used, it should be lightly oiled to prevent the sugar from sticking.

Once the edges of the sugar shape have hardened enough, remove the mold. When the entire shape has hardened enough, slide a palette knife under it to detach it from the work surface.  To bend cast sugar, remove it from the work surface while it is still soft enough to be pliable. If it gets too hard, simply place it on an oiled baking sheet and heat it in an oven just until it is pliable. Then bend as desired, or use and oiled mold to shape it.

Procedure:

a.     Prepare the syrup as in the formula. Color the syrup as desired.

b.     When the syrup reaches the proper temperature, briefly plunge the base of the saucepan into cold water to stop the cooking. Let stand for a moment.

c.     Place a lightly oiled mold on a sheet of parchment. Pour the hot syrup into the mold to the desired thickness.

d.     Before the sugar cools, it can be marbled with another color.

3.      Pulled Sugar

Pulled sugar is a sugar that is boiled to the hard crack stage, allowed to harden slightly, then pulled or stretched until it develops a pearly sheen.

After it has been heated to the proper temperature, it must again be pulled and folded until it is cooled to a workable temperature and even in texture. Test the sugar by pulling a bit from the edge of the ball with thumb and forefinger and attempting to break it off. If it breaks off cleanly, the sugar is ready. This pulling and folding procedure is called pearling. If this is not done, it will not be possible to work the sugar properly.

Tools For Pulled Sugar:

a.     Sugar thermometer, for accurate control of the temperature of the boiling syrup.

b.     Sugar lamp or other warmer, to keep the stock of sugar warm and soft.

c.     Scissors and knife, lightly oiled, for cutting the sugar.

d.     Alcohol lamp, for melting sugar in order to fasten pieces together.

e.     Blowpipe, for blowing sugar; a pipe with a bulb for inflating is easier to use than one that is blown with the mouth.

f.        Silicone mat or oiled marble slab, for pouring out the cooked syrup.

g.     Hair dryer or fan, for cooling sugar items.

h.     Rubber gloves, to protect from burns when handling hot sugar.

Stages Of Doneness In Sugar Cooking:

STAGE	TEMPERATURE (˚c)
Thread	110
Soft ball	115
Firm ball	118
Hard ball	122-127
Small crack	130-132
Crack	135-138
*Hard crack	143-155
caramel	160-170

Pulled Sugar

Quantity	Unit	Ingredient
500	Gm	Sugar
250	Gm	Water
100	Gm	Glucose
A few drops		Strawberry essence
A few drops		Red coloring
A few drops		Banana essence
A few drops		Yellow coloring
60	Gm	Icing sugar
60	gm	Potato starch

Method:

1.      Bring sugar and water to boil to dissolve the sugar.

2.      Add glucose, bring to boil over medium high heat.

3.      Divide the syrups into 3 saucepan to color them.

4.      Allow to boil without stirring until it reach 132˚C.

5.      Remove from heat immediately and pour each color into different silicone mat.

Spun Sugar

Quantity	Unit	Ingredients
300	Gm	Sugar
150	Gm	Water
60	Gm	Glucose
A few drop		Coloring

Method:

1.      Bring sugar and water to boil to dissolve the sugar.

2.      Add glucose, bring to boil over medium high heat.

3.      Allow to boil without stirring until it reaches 132˚C.

4.      Remove from heat immediately.

Pour Sugar

Quantity	Unit	Ingredients
500	Gm	Sugar
250	Gm	Water
100	gm	Liquid glucose
A few drop		Coloring

Method:

1.      Make syrup of the sugar, water and glucose.

2.      Boil to 125˚c and add coloring if desired.

3.      Continue to boil to 165˚c. if desired, a few drops of another color could be added at this point without mixing to create a marbled effect.

4.      Stop the cooking immediately by plunging the base of the pan into cold water. Remove from the cold water and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly.

5.      Pour into desired mold until approximately 5mm thick.

6.      Once edge has set enough, remove rings. Score lightly with an oiled knife.

7.      Use a little reheated sugar as glue to attached pieces together.

 ICE CARVING

History

The history of ice carving begins with the harvesting ice. The earliest known record of an ice harvest is found in the Shih cheng or “Book of Songs” written at about 600 B.C. This collection of stories describes the everyday life of the Shensi warrior-farmers as they lived in the highlands of northwest China, and mentions their winter routine of flooding their fields with water. When the water had frozen, the ice was cut into blocks and stored in icehouses. The ice was used in the warmer months to keep their fish fresh.

In the 1600s, native hunters and fishermen of the Chinese province of Heilongjiang, on the border of Russia, designed ice lanterns for dark winter nights. They filled buckets with water to make ice, then slid it out, and put a candle in the hole to make a lantern. The trend spread, and people started hanging decorated lanterns from homes and parading them in carnivals. In 1897, the Transsiberian Railway was extended through the small Chinese fishing town of Harbin in Heilongjiang, once occupied by Russia. As a result of the traffic, Harbin grew into a cosmopolitan city. With below freezing winds from Siberia, and ice from the frozen Songhua river, Harbin became the home of the annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

Currently, this festival features the work of thousands of artists from all over the world. The first well-documented ice palace was built as the setting for a monstrous joke. On the frozen River Neva, in the winter of 1740, a shivering bride and groom spent their wedding night in a building of ice. The palace was commissioned by the Empress Anna Ivanovna, who like Peter the Great, had a malicious sense of humor. In St.Petersburg, to distract the people from the bitter cold, Empress Anna had an ice palace built as the stage for a wedding. Anna forced Prince Mikhail Golitsyn to marry her exceptionally ugly servant. After the church ceremony, the bride and groom, covered in furs, seated in an iron cage fastened to the back of an elephant, headed an elaborate procession including horses, camels, wolves, & pigs. Guards posted outside made sure that they spent the whole night in the frozen mansion.

Harvesting natural ice increased throughout the world until the mid 1800’s when Ice manufacturing began. In 1834, Jacob Perkins, obtained a British patent for the first ice making machine using ether. In 1859 Ferdinand Carre invented an ice machine that used ammonia, a much more volatile liquid. Cans of water were lowered into a 15 degree brine (Calcium Chloride) solution chilled by an ammonia system. Air was bubbled into the center of the can to make clear ice for carving. By 1920, 750,000 blocks of ice were made every day in the United States alone!

In 1892, Nellie Melba was performing in Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. The Duke of Orléans gave a dinner party to celebrate her triumph. For the occasion, Escoffier created a new dessert, and to display it, he used an ice sculpture of a swan (swans were featured in that opera). The swan carried peaches which rested on a bed of vanilla ice cream and which were topped with spun sugar. The Sapporo Snow Festival which began in 1950 is one of Japan's largest winter events. Every winter, about two million people come to Sapporo to see the hundreds of beautiful snow and ice sculptures.

In 1964 Virgil Clinebell invented a machine that produced 15 lb blocks of clear ice. This lead to the CB300 which makes crystal clear 300 lb blocks of ice. Modern carvers use crystal clear ice to make ice carvings. In recent times Ice carving has become more specialized. Because of this specialization more and more professional chefs are leaving ice art to the modern ice carving company.

Since 1989, Fairbanks Alaska has hosted the annual World Ice Art Championships. Over 100 sculptors come from around the world each year to sculpt large blocks of pristine natural ice. The competition is broken down into two main categories: Single Block and Multi-Block and each competition is further separated into Abstract and Realistic sculptures. In the late 1980’s there was a tool revolution lead by Mark Daukas. By winning numerous competitions he brought attention to the die grinder & angle grinder. Steve Brice has invented numerous tools including many ice carving bits & the nailboard. The art of ice sculpture is continually evolving; ice is spun on lathes & cut by routers controlled by computers. Affordable ice makers are now available that make 300lb. crystal clear blocks in your own freezer.

TOOLS 

SYSTEMATIC STEPS

Systematics Step Purpose:

1. Consistency : By creating a path for your mind to follow, a more consistent product will emerge.

2. Efficiency : Always using the same steps to make different carvings will create efficiency in motion.

3. Confidence : You will gain confidence through repetition.

The 7 Systematic Steps:

1.       Design : Using a template, transfer your design to the ice.

2.       Punch out :  Using a chainsaw cut out the silhouette.

                      Keep all cuts at 90 degrees.

                      Be very precise, avoid overcuts.

                      Use a die grinder for tight turns & spaces

3.       Blocking in : Most difficult step to learn

                      Push in reference lines with a die grinder

                      Use a chainsaw to push back levels

4.       Rounding  : Cut off the corners using a combination of these 3 tools:

                     i.Chainsaw

                    ii.Chisel

                   iii.Die grinder with a shaping bit   

5.       Sanding   : Using an angle grinder or pistol grip sander, sand the areas you would like

                   to have smooth & free of tool marks.

6.       Detailing : Apply detail with a Vee bit or similar.

                   Add textures for contrast

7.       Cleaning :  Clean all slush, drips, snow, & small tool marks. 

PERSONAL AND SURROUNDING SAFETY

It is extremely important carvers are aware of safety practices. Many of the rules and regulations are common sense, but, even so, being proactive and applying due diligences pay off.

A good example is the use of hand power tools and chain saw. Read the operator’s manual for any of these products and it clearly stated “Do not expose power tools to wet or damp conditions”. That is difficult in our industry. But you can take precautions.

Safety falls into THREE basic categories:

1. Personal safety :

a. Set up a clean, safe working station and when carving make sure chain saws and sharp tools are directed away from co-worker or spectator.

b. Always keep electric cords in good repair. Cracked, cut, nicked and scuffed cords with bare wires showing are a source of electric shocks.

c. Keep long hair pulled and tied back from the face and remove all loose jewelry.

d. Never wear scarves or loose clothing when working with power tools.

e. Don’t forget to wear safety clothing that are designed for ice carving purposes; steel toed rubber boots, gloves and jacket.

2. Surrounding

a. Be aware of co-workers.

b. Never leave power tools, extension cords etc on the floor. Have a work table or a shelf close-by the work area. Double check the work station is free and clear of any obstructions before start to work.

c. Have a proper place to hang power tools, chain saw when work is finished.

d. Try and dedicate a specific space for equipment repair.

3. Equipment

a. Avoid petroleum-based lubricant, instead, use vegetable based lubricant for maintaining tools and machinery.

b. Do not modify chainsaw by removing a section of the side guard to allow ice to clear the machine.

c. Before start you work, all machines is in place and functioning properly. Note any failures and arrange to fix them as soon as possible.

BUTTER SCULPTURE AND CARVING

The Tibetan Buddhists are said to be the first creators of butter carvings and sculptures. During the 19th century, state fairs in North America became meeting grounds the butter carvers and now remain a popular setting for makers and admirers. It's necessary to work in a cool place to keep your butter creation from melting.


The History of carving food into sculptured objects is ancient. Archaeologists have found bread and pudding molds of animal and human shapes at sites from Babylon to Roman Britain. Butter sculpture is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition; yak butter and dye are still used to create temporary symbols for the Tibetan New Year and other religious celebrations.

During the Renaissance and Baroque periods modling food was commonly done for wealthy banquets. It was during this period that the earliest known reference to a butter sculpture is found. In 1536 Bartolomeo Scappi, organized a feast composed of nine scenes elaborately carved out of food. Each carried episodically centerpieces for a banquet. Scappi mentioned several butter sculptures for the feast, including an elephant with a pancquin, a figure of hercules struggling with a lion, and a moor on a camel.

Another early reference is found in the biography of Antonio Canova (1757-1822), who said he first came to his patron's attention when as a humble kitchen boy he sculpted an impressive butter lion for a banquet. The story now thought apocyphal, though it reaffirms the existence of butter sculpture during that period.

Butter sculpting continued into the 18th century when English dairy maids molded butter pats into decorative shapes. Caroline Shawk Brooks with a butter sculpture basrelief of Columbus for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition.

The earliest butter sculpture in the modern sense can be traced to the 1876 Centennial Exhibition where Caroline Shawk Brooks displayed her Dreaming lolanthe, a basrelief bust of a woman modeled in butter. It was kept cold with a system of layered bowls and frequent ice changes. Brooks had no formal art training but as a farmer she spent years making butter. To make the work more interesting, she began sculpting it, eventually using it as a selling point. Afterwards she studied in Paris and Florence and eventually became a professional sculptor who worked in marble, but occasionally made more butter art.

The heyday of butter sculpting was from about 1890 to 1930. During this period refrigeration became widely available and the American dairy industry began promoting butter sculpture as a way to compete againts synthetic butter substitute like Oleomargarine (margarine). Butter sculpting decreased during the Great Depression and World War II due to shortages but picked up again after the war.

Reference To All Sailors -

i. Tibetan Buddhist is the form of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in Tibet and the surrounding Himalayan region beginning 7th century CE.

ii. Bartolomeo Scappi was a famous Renaissance chef.

iii. Caroline Shawk Brooks, a farmer that have been a well known sculpturer.

TIPS IN BUTTER CARVING & SCULPTING

In butter sculpture artwork, you will really need the proper tools and also the tips to make that your artwork will look awesome.

Tip 1: Work in a cool place (because you don't want the butter melt)

Tip 2: Keep your hands very cold when working with butter

THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED IN BUTTER CARVING AND SCULPTING

R Butter

R Knife

R  Ice Water

R Sculpting Tools

R   Cool Room

Optional tools:

R Food Coloring

R Base with Framework

 STEP IN BUTTER SCULPTING

Step 1: Purchase enough 100 percent butter to create the sculpture you have in mind.

Step 2: Create a wood or wire frame and attach it to a base if you plan on making a large butter carving or smaller carvings can be made of solid.

Step 3: Soak the butter in ice water for roughly 10 minutes. Numb your hands in ice water to prevent the butter from melting when you're working with it.

Step 4: Remove butter from ice water and knead together to remove air bubbles.

Step 5: Attach butter to the base if you made one. If not, simply shape the butter into a vague representation of whatever final product you're envisioning.

Step 6: Use the tip of a sharp knife to carefully carve out sections of unwanted butter. If you make a mistake, firmly re-attach a piece of butter over the error and try again.

Step 7: Place in the freezer once complete to keep your butter carving from melting.