Icing Bible Modelled By Sugar-Worker

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 683, 7 June 1929, Page 9

Icing Bible Modelled By Sugar-Worker

Exhibit for London AUCKLANDER'S ACHIEVEMENT Beautifully contrived in black. □ old and mauve on a background of white, an exhibit representing an open Bible and featuring the Lord’s Prayer has just been worked in icing by an Auckland sugar-worker for entry in the London Bakers’ Exhibition to be held in September next. MR. DUNCAN STORMONT, decora- * tor and sugar-worker to the firm of Stormont’s Ltd., worked for ten days on this artistic piece of modelling and has reason to be proud of the result. The exhibit, made entirely of icing, is mounted on a panel of golden oak board measuring 30in. by 21in.. which it covers completely. It is done in raised piping, and the lettering of the Lord's Prayer is in “Old English” style. Floral designs ornament the open pages of the Bible and in one corner is modelled a figure of a child at its mother's knee. Every detail has been faithfully carried out. even the edges of the closed pages being delicately worked. The lettering is all in black edged with gold, and a mauve book-mark in the form of a twisted cord lies down the centre of the open pages. The theme was conceived by Mr. Stormont himself, prompted by something similar he saw in an old family Bible. BAKERS’ EXHIBITION The exhibit has been carefully packed in a casket made to measure, and every care taken thar, it will not suffer any damage on its long trip tr> London. It will be dispatched by the first boat. As an exhibitor Mr. Stormont has had great success. His first entry was in the New Zealand Bakers’ Exhibition of 1925, in which he gained two gold medals for decorating before the public and the second prize in artistic display work. In the London Bakers’ Exhibition of 1927 he took the second prize (a silver medal) for artistic modelling and gained a diploma for the same work. On this occasion he beat the teacher from whom he learnt his trade. For "Old English” lettering in sugar he was awarded a diploma in the London Cookery and Food Exhibition of the same year. This was the first occasion on which he competed in an overseas exhibition.

It is noteworthy that the London Bakers' Exhibition is open to the world. Mr. Stormont has shown what New Zealand tradesmen can do in the face of such competition. "One is never finished learning the sugar-worker's trade.” said Mr. Stormont. He showed an array of technical books on the subject, prominent among which were German works on highly artistic modelling and lettering. "New books are continually coming out and. expensive as they are, one must buy them in order to keep conversant with the latest developments.” he stated. MANY NEW IDEAS

“In the everyday walks of life one is continually seeing things that can be modelled or that give one an idea —buildings in particular. I had intended to model my latest exhibit on a portion of the decorations in St. James Theatre, but the work would be two delicate and intricate to withstand the journey Home. "The possibilities In decorative modelling are almost unlimited—practio. ally anything that can be painted can be done in sugar,” he concluded. Among Mr. Stormont’s most noteworthy pieces of work are a model of the Southern Cross, done for the Auckland Aero Club's dinner to tha airplane's crew, a huge and lavishly decorated wedding cake for Miss Alma Baker’s wedding breakfast on April 23 last, and a plaque presented by Sir Thomas Mackenzie on behalf of New Zealand bakers to the president of the Australian Master Bakers’ Association on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of that association held in Scots Hall in 1927.

(A picture of Mr. Stormont’s exhibit appears on. the back page.)