Italian Pasta Poster

Italian Pasta is painted on a deep red ground with the brush left visible in every part of it. A fork lifts a nest of spaghetti out of the lower edge of the picture, the strands winding up and around themselves and trailing back down in long loops, each one painted as a separate pale yellow line. Shavings of parmesan and torn basil leaves sit on top, picked out in white and green. The fork is rendered in grey-brown with its tines just defined. Above, the words Tutto Pasta are lettered by hand in cream with a casual, uneven stroke. The red behind is worked in several directions so it never reads as a flat fill.

Red this deep wants warm wood: walnut, dark oak or anything with a brown tone keeps it appetising, while black makes it more graphic and white works less well. It is a kitchen and dining room picture, good above a counter, a table or a shelf of oil and vinegar. Pair it with checked cloth, enamel and wood, and hang it on its own rather than in a group so the red stays an accent in the room.