The One That Got Away

Chef Cristian by Gail Morrison

Last spring Via Vite opened their doors to School Amici students for our Mangiamo! series and Cristian Pietoso did a great private cooking demonstration.  Gail Morrison, the Pendleton artist best-known for her paintings of Italy as Gaia, took that class.  She asked Michele to forward copies of the photos he took during the event.   This is the one that inspired her and she intended to submit the finished painting  to Cincinnati Dreams Italy, opening next week.

Unfortunately for us, the painting sold before we even had a chance to hang it on the gallery walls.

Gail has several other pieces in the show, so I'm trying not to pout.  But this piece, with the steam rising out of the pots, captures Cristian's steady concentration so perfectly that the painting will be sorely missed even if nobody realizes that it's not there.