Beautiful large oil on canvas painting Picasso and Apple by Canadian artist Carmelo Sortino. Measurements: 48" X 30"' purchased from the artist in 2001. A Sortino painting of this size sold for $4800 at the Keith Alexander Art Gallery in Vancouver at this time. Artist: Born in 1939 in the small town of Francofonte on the Island of Sicily. He came to North America in the early 70s, spending some time in New York and Montreal before finally settling in Vancouver where he owned and operated several successful Pastry shops and restaurants. His namesake "Carmelo's Ristorante Italiano" is still operating in West Vancouver. He slowly but surely began to appreciate the strong connections between his two great passions, food, and art. Carmelo lives and paints in Sechelt BC, "I use fruit as a metaphor for sensuality, each piece of fruit is individual in colour, shape, and texture, and that is what I strive to achieve with each painting. A unique work of art, a total visual and sensory experience for the viewer". Sortino's vibrant, larger-than-life luscious paintings prove that life is indeed a veritable feast for the eyes. Sortino's work hangs all over the world in many private and corporate collections as well as museums