SUGAR SUGAR — Sally Schluter Tardella

Featured

Hidden Cake

Oil on found wood box with wood scraps

14 × 8 x 4.5 inches

Rocket Torte

Oil on wood tray and found wood scraps

13 × 8.5 × 6 inches

Matcha Cupcake

Oil on wood and found letter “e” type

3.5 × 4 x 4 inches

Split Cake

Oil on wood panels and wood scraps

6 × 6 × 3 inches

Two Cake Fetish

Oil on wood scraps

12 × 10 × 3 inches

Brazilian Carrot Cake

Oil on wood and canvas

12 × 12 × 3 inches

Featured

Babka Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Burnt Sugar Coffee Cakes

Oil on wood

8 x 5 x 2 inches

Chinese Ginger Syrup Cake

Oil on wood

6 x 6 x 6 inches

Chocolate Crater Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 5 inches

Chocolate Mint Decadence

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Chrysanthemum Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 6 inches

Cherry Nut Pound Cake

Oil on wood

9 × 6 × 3.5 inches

Cupcake Graveyard

Oil on wood

8.5 x 5 x 3.5 inches

Death by Chocolate Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Double Peppermint Fantasy

Oil on wood

15 x 9 x 4 inches

Epiphany Cake

Oil on wood

10 x 8 x 4 inches

Extra Light Angel Food Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 5 inches

Festive Ribbon Cake

Oil on wood

10 x 8 x 4 inches

Fresh Fig Cake

Oil on wood

14 x 11 x 6.5 inches

Gâteau de Mariage

Assemblage, oil on wood

12.5 x 12.5 x 6.5 inches

German Stollen Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Grape Pistachio Bundt Cake

Oil on wood

7 x 7 x 7 inches

Greensboro Praline Pound Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Groom's Torte

Oil on wood

7 x 5 x 7.5 inches

Harvard Beet Spice Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3 inches

Harvey Wallbanger Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 7 inches

Ho Ho Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Hummingbird Cake

Oil on wood

9 x 7 x 4 inches

Hungarian Tea Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Ice Box Fruit Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Irish Cottage Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Italian Fresh Purple Grape Cake

Oil on wood

11.5 x 9 x 4.5 inches

Key Lime Rum Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 7 inches

Le Weekend Cake

Oil on wood

10.5 x 10 x 5 inches

Mama's Mocha Creme Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 5 inches

Featured

Margarita Bar Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Marmalade Bundt Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 6 inches

Mint Chocolate Leaf Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Mocha Amaretto Bundt Cake

Oil on wood

14 x 14 x 6.5 inches

Old Fashioned Dark Sweet Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Peanut Butter Lava Cake

Oil on wood

5 x 5 x 6 inches

Petite Fours

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Pao de Lao Sponge Cake

Oil on wood

11.5 x 9 x 6 inches

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Avocado Fruit Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Strawberry Rhubarb Torte

Oil on wood

11.5 x 9 x 4.5 inches

Toronto Upside Down Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Oil on wood

11.5 x 9 x 3 inches

Viennese Apricot Dumpling

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Apricot Pine Nut Tea Cake

Oil on wood

9 x 9 x 3.5 inches

Apricot Pistachio Honey Cake

Oil on wood

13 x 9.5 x 5 inches

Best Yellow Cake Ever

Oil on wood

10 x 10 x 5 inches

Blue Button Pound Cake

Oil on wood

6 x 6 x 5.5 inches

Butter Me Up Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Carmelized Apple Spice

Oil on wood

11 x 11 x 4.5 inches

Cherry Cream Cheese Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 4 x 2 inches

Double Espresso Chocolate Bake

Oil on wood

10 x 10 x 4 inches

Double Luck Torte

Oil on wood

9.5 x 8 x 3 inches

Egyptian Mound Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 6.5 inches

Egyptian Orange Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 5.5 inches

Florentine Easter Cake

Oil on wood

5.5 x 11 x 4.5 inches

Freezer Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3 inches

Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 4 x 2 inches

Chocolate Chili Cake

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 3 inches

Chocolate Earthquake Cake

Oil on wood and canvas

8 x 4 x 2 inches

Featured

Coca-Cola Cake

Oil on wood

10 x 10 x 4.5 inches

Cold Oven Pound Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 3.5 inches

Haunted Black Forest Layer Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 4 inches

Havana Jelly Roll

Oil on wood

10 x 8.5 x 2.5 inches

Italian Cream Stud Cake

Oil on wood

14 x 10.5 x 5 inches

Jewish Apple Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 2 inches

Lightning Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 4 inches

Lynchburg's Favorite Chocolate Groom's Cake

Oil on wood

9 x 9 x 5 inches

Mississippi Mud Pie

Oil on wood

8 x 8 x 6.5 inches

Mocha Majolica

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 4 inches

Moon Mountain Torte

Oil on wood

12 x 9 x 4.5 inches

Lollipop Garden Torte

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Orange Slice Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Red Velvet Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Singing Hinnies Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Spanish Bar Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Spice Chai Tea Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Spicy Persimmon Bunch Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Sticky Date Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Tres Leche Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Two Egg Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Zuppa Inglese (Italian Tipsy Cake)

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Fig Garden Party Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 6 x 3.5 inches

Dobos Torte Cake

Oil on wood

12 x 12 x 3.5 inches

Baby Cake

Oil on wood

8 × 5 × 4 inches

Blueberry Lace Torte

Oil on wood

7 × 7 × 4 inches

Cake for Fumi

Oil on wood and deconstructed handle

10 × 8.5 × 4 inches

Campfire Cupcake

Oil on wood and chair parts

10 × 7.5 × 4 inches

Carrot Patch Cake

Oil on wood and Lincoln Log pieces

7 × 9 × 6 inches

Gilded Epiphany Cake

Oil on wood panels with handle piece and screening

8 × 8 × 6.5 inches

Featured

Cheddar Caramel Chicago Mix Cake

Oil on wood scraps

11.5 x 9 x 4.5 inches

Chocolate-Spin Cupcake

Oil on laser-cut wood scraps

6.5 × 4 inches

Chocolate Flan Cupcake

Oil on salad bowl and wood discs

7.5 × 5.5 inches

Hummingbird Cupcake

Oil on wood scraps

8 × 5 × 5 inches

Key Lime Cupcake

Oil on reassembled laser-cut scraps

4 × 6.5 x 4.5 inches

Nico's Cake

Oil on reassembled laser-cut wood scraps

6.5 × 4 x 4 inches

Pavlova Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Oil on wood and canvas

8 × 8 × 6 inches

Peach Cobbler Torte

Oil on wood panel and chair remnant

9 × 4.5 × 13 inches

Pina Colada Cupcake

Oil on laser-cut wood scraps

4 × 4 x 5 inches

Pirouette Pound Cake

Oil on wood scraps and salad bowls

11.5 × 5.5 × 5.5 inches

Purple Velvet Cupcake

Oil on wood salad bowl and knob

6.5 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches

Rising Bundt

Oil on wood blocks with toy ladder

9 × 4 x 4 inches

Sonic Cone Cake

Oil on found wood objects including embroidery ring

15.5 × 8.5 × 8.5 inches

Summer Cake

Oil on found wood box with wood panels and toy parts

10 × 9 × 3.5 inches

Texas Sheet Cake

Oil on laser-cut wood scraps

4 × 3 × 6 inches

Whirligig Cake

Oil on wood discs with pegs and beads

10 × 7 × 7 inches

SUGAR SUGAR

I intend Sugar Sugar as a play between language and formal elements. I dismantle discarded toys, random home décor, and kitchen tools, putting pieces together to make a sweet dessert. I color the structure, using paint like icing to unify and empower the new form. The re-purposed domestic bric-a-brac and dessert title allow for a new read, a mnemonic intention for a sweet that may honor a significant event, religious rite, or cultural celebration. I return obsessively to this project — since 2008, I have made more than 100 cake sculptures. Thirty-one are included in a current exhibition at University of Michigan's Gifts of Art Galleries, where a portion of sales proceeds benefit patient care.

Click here to visit the exhibition page