Pastry Chef, Acrylic & Hard Pastel
on 100% Cotton Rag Paper, 22” x 30”
Some person, place, thing or event
sparks the memory & emotion that become a painting. Pastry Chef
was inspired by my memory of the first time I ever saw Jen McCrystal,
partner in the restaurant Jen’s Garden in the town of Sisters, Oregon. Many
years ago I was at a friend's birthday party and I saw this very
slim, lovely woman walking barefoot across a polo field carrying a
giant wedding-like cake. It was iced with white butter cream and had
4th of July sparklers poked into the top cake layer! (The cake was
her gift to the birthday girl.) What an amazing image!
In my painting this pastry chef dances
joyfully, her artistry sings from her pan, as she balances lightly on
the ever-changing flow of her creative process, inviting us to enjoy
the abundance of her creation. This painting also conveys my love of
most everything to do with cooking. Pastry Chef is one of the images
published in my book, Paint Happy! (North Light, 2002©, 2004©).
August 11th I’m teaching a week-long
workshop with Art In The Mountains ( Bend Oregon ) sharing my Paint Happy techniques
with beginning and intermediate artists.
Cristina Acosta – April 1, 2008
To inquire please call High Desert Gallery at 1-866-549-6250 x 3 or visit: Pastry Chef.
About Cristina Acosta : Cristina Acosta
is a life long artist. A painter, writer and designer, she’s
garnered national acclaim for her artwork. Born in Los Angeles,
Cristina earned her BFA in Painting from the University of Oregon in
1988 and resides in Bend, Oregon. She paints original oil or acrylic
paintings for exhibits, sales and commissions. Taking her art off the
easel and into life, she is a color consultant, designing interior &
exterior color palettes for homes & buildings; illustrates and
writes books & articles; loves to cook and create recipes,
teaches, makes presentations and more.
Her career has included: A two-year
stint as a billboard mural and lettering artist. Five years teaching
college art classes. Nine years as an artisan tile designer &
production artist for her nationally distributed signature line of
ceramic tile during the 1990’s, and more.
Her artistry is featured in a variety
of books and magazines, including her successful art book, Paint
Happy! (North Light Books, ©2002,2004). She illustrated the
children’s book, When Woman Became the Sea (Beyond Words Pub.,
©1998) and contributed to many other books and periodicals
including Artist Magazine, Pure Inspiration, Better Homes and
Gardens, House Beautiful, Latina magazine, Latina Style, Good
Housekeeping, and Woman’s Day home design publications.
Cristina continually paints and writes
from her studio at her home in the rain-shadow of the Cascade
Mountains. She creates three distinct series of paintings: Paint
Happy series, Hispanic Heritage series (Madonnas) and her oils
including her Animal Spirit series. Despite the different styles, her
work is typified by her lush use of color, dynamic design and the
presence of joy.
Museums, galleries and collectors
nationwide collect and exhibit her work.
About High Desert Gallery: High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing, The Art & Soul of Central
Oregon™ is an award winning fine art gallery with retail locations in
Bend (Opening December 2008), Redmond and Sisters Oregon specializing in
Central Oregon Artists & Beyond™ and Stellar Custom Framing. High
Desert Art Gallery's online sales gallery can be found at www.highdesertgallery.biz.
Original artwork by Cristina Acosta. All rights reserved and copyright 2008.
Use of image is restricted and prohibited without prior written
permission. High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing of Central
Oregon content copyright 2008. The Art & Soul of Central
Oregon™ and Central Oregon Artists & Beyond™ are trademarks
of High Desert Gallery & Custom Framing of Central Oregon. Subscribe to High Desert Gallery Feeds: Follow us on Twitter,
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