Knowing What You Don’t Know – Lining, Flooding and Artistry – A Great Day with Gail Dosik

 

  my goal: le papillon

Last year my obsession with butterflies entered my repertoire of photography in earnest.   It is no secret that I am enthralled with the beauty and intricacy of their bodies as they float and swirl around, seemingly in some curious state of combined rapture and work, in their days.  I love to watch them float, dip and soar, land and, seemingly attack their blooms almost in a most determined state of near frenzy. These are very determined creatures.  If you take the time to watch them, you will be amazed.

Last week I actually had a battle of wills of sorts with one on my patio, as it came at me many times, trying to warn me off as it went about its business and I tried to get a great photo.  I was curiously intrigued at its aggression toward me, having never encountered this from such a seemingly docile creature.

Anyway, one thing led to another last Summer and I decided to attempt to translate my love of butterflies to the cookie medium.  Ha!  What I actually thought wouldn’t be so hard turned out to be one of those humbling experiences that teach you exactly how little you really know, exactly how little experience you have and how talented other people who do this are.  In spite of my abject failure,  I was not deterred in my mission and though it took another twelve months to get back in earnest to my pursuit, I finally did yesterday. So it seemed that regardless of my half-century + of baking experience and my mid-life foray into the rigors of Pastry School at ICE, I knew that I didn’t know how to make decorated cookies – at least on a level I wanted to be at.

I realized that very clearly, I needed a major-league primer on the fundamentals of working with royal icing: texture, color, lining, precise handwork, flooding and artistry. Who better to study with than a real pro who’d caught my eye a long while ago.

I was very fortunate to spend the day with Gail Dosik of One Tough Cookie fame. I had contacted her several months ago to ask for a class.  Last Summer I attempted to make some butterfly cookies – and in doing so, I realized that I needed a refresh, if not an all out start-over.  Who better to study with than Gail?

Yesterday is what I shall consider to be the beginning of my formal training.  I happily trekked into the Village on the brilliant pre-Fall day that it was.  To say that I am exuberant these days is an understatement.  I am so enjoying this refreshing prelude to Autumn and, as in You’ve Got Mail, I am looking forward to the “don’t you just love New York in the Fall” days to come.  It was one of those days, rare in August, when the city dazzles.

Anyway,  here’s a little summation of what I learned must be mastered before you can pursue this work on any respectable level – in my case beginner:

1. must know how to properly mix and store royal icing to get stiff and flooding consistencies
2. must learn how to properly color
3. must learn how to work on wet and dry
4. must have steady hand
5. must master letting the stiff drape upon the cookie, can’t draw with royal icing
6. must know how to flood
7. must work quickly when embellishing as the icing starts to harden quickly
8. as always, weather affects your work
9. must practice, practice, practice: lining, flooding, design
10. must have a great cookie recipe with bands on your rolling pin to get impeccably even dough
11. must have patience and perseverence
12. must plan out your images

Gail knew from my inquiry that I wanted to try butterflies.  She had gathered several images to work from and I shared some of my photos.  Magically, in a few moments, she knew where to go and voila:

Here is Gail’s magical off-the-cuff mastery of le papillon – in a moment.  You can see how cleverly she translated the images, beginning on the right side and moving to the left, instantly knowing how to improve.  I have no idea how long it will take me to get to some level of proficiency……….

 

and here was my sad, untutored attempt from last summer:

  Yikes!  at least I know now what I did wrong!  too large a tip first of all!

and, free-form experimentation:

Ok, so in about 4 hours time, I came a very long way in my understanding if not my technique.  We began by using stiff Royal Icing with a number 2 pastry tip and practiced lines, squares and circles.

Learning how to work with the stiff to get a clean, unbroken line is not so easy.  Squares require making neat but definitive corners.  Circles are hard!  We worked at this for a couple of hours.

Then we went onto flooding.  She, of course, is “at home” with all of these steps and makes them look easy.  Flooding, as it turns out is not as hard as it may seem but you do have to get comfortable with it.  We practiced flooding and embellishing with simple dots and lines.

Of course, I brought up my passion for morning glories.  Gail began to teach me where to start while I practiced dots (my speed, aka crawl):

     I love Gail’s cat eyes peering out from behind!

  wonderful !  sorry I smudged it on the way home so this photo isn’t so hot!

She showed me several simple techniques using very simple designs and enhancing them into something special.  She maintains firmly that she is not an artist.  I would beg to differ.  You should check out her website and her work.  Amazing.  She is definitely an artist – as an artist is someone who can translate a mental image into another medium.  She does this wonderfully.  Some of the work she showed me was amazing.  I especially loved the cat she did for Davie Leite.  A real beauty.  (Callie watch out – I am going to make you pose! – um, like she doesn’t already?)

She, like any great teacher, sent me off with a project in hand – a tin of cookies to experiment with.  While Ryan ate a few on the way home in the car, I still have enough to get started.  I can’t wait.  Gail is a pro, a great teacher and lots of fun to spend the day with.  She was very positive with me about my skill potential (so kind).

All in all, I had a great day – and came away with a renewed confidence to go forward.  Can’t wait to go back to have a next lesson – if she can take it!  Thank you Gail!

Practice Time: