Squirrel Creek Creations: Feature of the Day #37: The Menu

Greetings!

Honey Bear Earrings - Miniature Food Resin Polymer Clay Jewelry

Today's feature goes to The Menu, Aka Jason and Catrina Donham and their mouth-watering food sculptures. Fair warning: looking at the following pictures will most likely make you very hungry.
Jason and Catrina Donham are brother and sister, working together to share their quirky creations with the world. Jason has been making miniature food for 10 years and sculpting in the more traditional media for over 15 years. Catrina has been working with jewelry for nearly as long, and they both have been working in various media since childhood. Their creations started when Jason had an idea to collaborate on a project and the rest, as they say, is history.

Shrimp Udon Soup

It's hard to know where to start when talking about the Donham's creations. From color to sheen, scale to level of detail, it's all incredibly impressive. Each piece has been masterfully hand sculpted with a variety of mediums including polymer clay, resin, wood, and ceramics. Polymer clay is, "a sculptable material based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC)." Typically, it actually contains no clay minerals and is only called clay because it molds and sculpts with similar properties to clay. Various pigments may be added to the translucent base, which provides a variety of colors. To increase the level of opacity, kaolin or other opaquing agents may be added. Mica is added to simulate pearelscent and metallic effects. Resin is the hydrocarbon secretion of plants, particularly coniferous trees. For example, amber is a fossilized resin from ancient trees. Resins are used in varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents to name just a few examples of this diverse product.
For the adorable product, Honey Bear Earrings (shown above right), the bears were first hand sculpted in polymer clay, then cast in honey-colored resin. The caps and faces were then painted on, followed by a thin layer of resin to prevent them from scratching off. Due to the nature of the resin, the bears have little bubbles inside them that naturally capture the same look of a real honey bear.

I Love You Romantic Alphabet Soup Necklace - Miniature Food Polymer Clay Jewelry

I love you Alphabet Soup

In Shrimp Udon Soup (above), not only was polymer clay and resin used, but the little bowl and plate are made from real ceramics and the chopsticks carved from wood. The ingredients of the soup itself include noodles, a fish cake, mushrooms, snow peas, green onion and a cute little shrimp. Everything about it looks so realistic, one can practically smell the tantalizing soup through the screen. The broth has the perfect level of sheen, and using real wood for the chopsticks was the perfect touch to make this piece come alive.
This level of attention to detail is found in every single item in the Donham's store. The colors are spot-on, and the texture is mind-bogglingly accurate. Pie crust looks like it could crumble, bread looks perfectly toasted, eggs have a sheen of grease, doughnut's powdered sugar is light and fluffy. Even the silverware has enough detail to keep the illusion intact. There also seems to be a level of connection and nostalgia when looking at their food. The tomato soup can conjure up warm memories of a snowy winter day, while their apple pie speaks of summer and vanilla ice cream. It's comfort at its base, simple pleasures and tasty memories. Everything about the Donham's work stands as a testament to their dedication for creating something that is truly head and shoulders above the rest.