Gingerbread Gables

A Deliciously Cozy Place - to Dream, Rest, and Begin Again

Sketch

This Gingerbread House began as a little sketch — a gathering of ideas, textures, and small details waiting to find their place. I wanted to go beyond your garden-variety Gingerbread house and create one I would absolutely love myself. I finished it slowly after many pauses, which felt especially fitting as this year came to a close - but really, the thought behind the work was developed over many years, as with all artists, in the life experiences we accumulate.

When I lived in New Zealand, I learned a great deal about cooking — and about developing creative sensibilities in general — simply by watching early seasons of MasterChef Australia. There was something deeply formative about observing how flavors, traditions, and techniques were honored and reimagined. That way of learning has stayed with me ever since.

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As from my Quarterly Article, the materials list-- Sweets that compose the dream:

- Delicate Hazelnut Pirouline

- White-chocolate and Mint Christmas trees

-  Jewel-like Pastilles and Melty Fruit Jellies

-  Walls of Crispy Feuilletine

- Pistachio, Mango, and Strawberry Mochi balls

- Buttery little cone-shaped "Trdelnik" from Prague

- Cinnamon Tuiles heavy on the Cinnamon

- Fluffy Snow ice-cream

- A Fine Cotton Candy mist in the air

- Madagascar Vanilla Crystal-Candy windows ....And the look of Various flavored Caramels integrated into the structure

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Many of the sweets woven into this piece were inspired by European confections and pastries I’ve admired over the years. Truthfully, I haven’t even tried many of them myself. I live simply — but I still love sampling something new on occasion, or admiring these beautiful traditions from afar, whether through books, programs, or sites like Taste Atlas that celebrate regional food and craftsmanship.

As this artwork took shape, it became less about realism and more about warmth — the feeling of peering into a glowing window on a winter evening, where something beautiful is always being made inside.

Creating this reminded me that creativity doesn’t move in straight lines. Sometimes a piece needs to rest before it’s ready to be finished. Returning with fresh eyes — informed by curiosity, observation, and the passion to push it just a little further (with restraint at just the right time) — can be just as important as the work itself.

As I step into a new year, I find myself wondering if this might become a tradition — creating one delicious Gingerbread House each year.

Here’s to gratifying completions, fresh beginnings, and allowing ourselves the freedom to dream!