Los Angeles artist sculpts Michigan landmark out of fudge
A big Michigan landmark just got a sweet, tiny tribute, CBS Detroit reported.
Los Angeles-based artist and internet star Christine McConnell created an ultra-detailed miniature sculpture of the Grand Hotel made completely out of homemade fudge.
Two years ago, McConnell visited Mackinac Island. The idea of making the hotel out of fudge seemed obvious so she asked the owners if anything like that had been done before. Turns out the answer was no, CBS Detroit reported.
The famous hotel has been around for nearly 130 years, but this appears to be the first tribute of its kind.
How many hours does it take to make a pint-sized hotel out of fudge?
"A lot," laughed McConnell. "When I get excited about something I can work 14 hours in a day."
Measuring 1.5′ by 1′ and weighing between 15 to 20 pounds the sculpture took four 14 hour days to complete.
McConnell is on a book tour and has a stop planned at Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel on July 7. She posted photos of the sculpture to her Instagram account Tuesday to promote the trip.
The hotel served as the backdrop of one of her favorite films -- the 1980 sci-fi drama "Somewhere In Time."
The Grand Hotel owners asked if the sculpture could be shipped to them, but the fragile piece wouldn't survive the trip from Los Angeles. The fudgy art is resting peacefully in a deep freezer at McConnell's home.
More than 249,000 people follow McConnell on Instagram where she often poses in the photos with her creations including sugar cookie face huggers from the movie "Aliens," chocolate tarantulas and whimsically decorated homes.
All the photos are also her own work with the use of a tripod, timers and burst mode, CBS Detroit reported. A chair or a broomstick serve as a stand-in to get the focus and lighting right.
If it's not obvious enough, McConnell is very busy.
CBS Detroit reported that she is currently working on a creepy pin-up calendar for the upcoming Tim Burton movie "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." And she's not ready to share too many details, but there's a television show in the works that she describes as DIY Peewee Herman, where she plays a Marilyn Munster type-character.
Her Do-It-Yourself book "Deceptive Desserts" is highly rated on Amazon and a top 25 seller in its categories.
McConnell's inspirations combine the works of Tim Burton, Wes Craven, Alfred Hitchcock, and Vincent Price with Stepford Wife twist.