An homage to Wayne Thiebaud, an important American artist
Born: November 15, 1920
Died: December 25, 2021
Wayne Thiebaud Cake Painting Artist
Wayne Thiebaug’s pop art paintings ushered Americans into a different decade.
For those with a sweet tooth, Wayne Thiebaud is the painter of cakes. His paintings of cakes and other desserts are famous, and his timeless portrayals capture the everyday joys we find in things we eat.
Born in Mesa, Arizona on November 15th 1920, Thiebaud was very fortunate to be born into a family with a strong artistic tradition.
A third-generation artist, Thiebaud’s grandmother was a painter, and his grandfather was a painter and sculptor. Thiebaud grew up in San Diego, and his career began when he was just 16 years old. In 1938 he graduated from the San Diego School of Fine Arts and started working in advertising.
In 1946 he married Lee McAllister, a bridal make-up artist, and the couple had three children. In the 1950s he began producing his first pop art paintings.
I had a dream that one Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of visiting the Wayne Thiebaud Bakery. It was an unassuming building with a single window illuminated by neon pink and white signs reading “Wayne Thiebaud Bakery” in swirling red lettering on cream white signage. The interior of the store was very small and there were only one or two people present at any given time. The walls were painted with Thiebaud’s signature paintings which vary mostly in size from 5×6 to 8×10. It was hard to find a picture that had not been painted on the wall at some time. A typical Thiebaug pop art painting consisted of a large, colorful, circular shape that was usually one of his cakes or a slice of cake. There were also other works that were more abstract, like the one that I have in my photo essay. I was shocked to see the Thiebaug bakery’s prices. The cakes were priced at $1.50 each and the cookies at $1.75 each. The bakery was started to help support underprivledged children with budding artistic talent. It was snowing outside. The smell of steaming hot, fresh brewed coffee mixed perfectly with the sweetness of the bakery.
The paintings of Wayne Thiebaud
- Cakes
- Pies
- Pastries
- Ice Cream Cones
- Lollipops
- Everyday items
Websites where Wayne Thiebaud’s Cake Paintings can be seen include: