Chef

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Title: Chef
Acrylics on canvas.
12 x 16 inches

I decided to do something that was just for fun and here is an abstract portrait based on a Chef I know.

So what are you looking at?
Starting with the face in the middle of the composition, you'll see that the face is both front on and side profile. The constant refocusing of attention in a busy kitchen. Then we have the knives being juggled referencing the many dishes and serving options offered in a busy serving. 

To the right you have the saucepan, hand and hotplate in a morning breakfast service. The pan is rendered more smoothly and the hand is darker. The breakfasts are less demanding to the evening sessions as the menu is a standard one with choices rather than choices of many quite different dishes. The hand being darker is because there is more reliance on natural light which can sometimes cause more shadows in the kitchen area. The dinner menu is included here because it is put together early in the morning ready for execution later in the day.

On the left side the pan has more grit in the way it is rendered. Also there is the suggestion of more stark light and shadow all coming together to capture the sense of urgency and necessary tensions of making a gourmet dinner service at a restaurant successful for staff and patrons alike. The hand here is quite illuminated and the yellow beneath the fingers represents energy and creativity.

As a final nod to this particular chef, I've also included the flag of his home country.




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