20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alan Dunn Does it Again!, September 4, 2000
This review is from: Exotic Sugar Flowers for Cakes (Hardcover)
This book is a gold mine of information! Creative, beautiful cakes in the European style, gorgeous gumpaste flowers, plenty of photos, and easy to read instructions make this book a perfect addition to your cake book collection. Grab this book and you will be inspired!!
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25 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 stars for the flowers ... a few less for the cakes, September 2, 2004
This review is from: Exotic Sugar Flowers for Cakes (Hardcover)
Although, in all fairness, he is not writing this (or any other book) focusing on the cakes. However, most of us who are practicing cake decorators rather than competing sugar flower artists eventually want to end up using these creations on or around a cake, and that's where this book, or any book by Alan Dunn, is unable to inspire.
He's clearly a botanist at heart who's simply chosen a rather unusual medium in which to pursue his calling. His floral sprays are amazingly life-like and I can't imagine anyone criticising his talent in that regard.
However, his work, and Lesley Herbert's work, need to be tempered somewhat by someone wild and loose like Anna Von Marburg. Rolling all of their talents into one decorator would result in cake decorating as close to perfection as one might want -- cakes which are not only a thrill to look at but also appetite whetting as well (a much-overlooked facet of professional cake decorating). Alone, however, Dunn and Herbert produce technically stunning but somewhat sterile work.
Still, I own many of their books and wouldn't be without them!
Many American designers must simply be puzzled by their work -- the fondant purity with the stiff floral spray is so unlike what's coming out of the States. I suggest cake decorators get ahold of books from all parts of the world to really get inspired and certainly as far as English design goes, no collection would be complete without Dunn's work.
By the way, all of his books are handsome, carefully-produced, well-edited, high-quality, and full of generous, honest tips. He should be applauded for this indeed.
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11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Even If You Never Make the Flowers, March 23, 2003
This review is from: Exotic Sugar Flowers for Cakes (Hardcover)
This is a beautiful coffee table book even if you don't ever try to make the flowers. Of course, like most sugar flower making books, this one makes it look easy, but it is extremely difficult and time-consuming even if you have all the tools and have an artistic bent. I bought all the stuff and it just sits in a drawer since the learning curve is great... and I can do almost anything artistic or creative.
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