Amy Stevens’s Confections series started when she turned 30. She was having a go at baking birthday cakes for herself — 30 cakes, to match the birthday — and photographing them. That was the premise of the project.
In 2002, when Amy began her baking journey, Martha Stewart was a big deal and the whole DIY concept was exploding. Amy was intrigued by the notion that "you can make something beautiful, too" and she aspired to it. So she ordered a cake decorating kit and charged forward, but it all went wrong. Amy came to realize that her cakes were not going to look like the spectaculars she'd hoped to emulate. She decided the whole effort would be much better if the cakes were made, photographed and shared in their exuberantly imperfect state — funny, wonky, over-the-top — glorifying their unconventional appearance to bring out their beauty.
