By Jeff Britton | SDUN Art Critic

Is there a better combination than art and food? Jenifer McHugh doesn’t think so, and her first solo show, Artisanal Delights at North Park’s Glimpse Gallery, makes the connection with lustrous colors.

“I’ve been painting my whole life but just for fun,” said the former caterer whose husband is a high-end chef for San Diego State University. “I took an acrylics class taught by Kate Ashton at San Diego Art Department and fell in love with it right away. I knew I had found my passion.”

McHugh started out doing works for friends and family, and then did some group shows at Little Italy’s Art Walk, galleries in North County and Monica’s at the Park in University Heights. Her first subjects were owls and whimsical things inspired by her love of nature.

Most unusual is a fascinating study in McHugh’s collection, “Fleur de Sel,” inspired by the salt beds in the Brittany region of France. The shades go from slightly grey to light pink to white in an undulating progression.

Often she uses recyclable materials, both canvases and frames, adding to a green dimension. Most of the smaller works are painted on recycled canvases or objects found at thrift shops or yard sales for which she finds a new purpose.

McHugh started focusing on fruits and vegetables, slicing them open and placing them next to her canvas so she could mix the paints accordingly to resemble the real deal. There are also a few botanical paintings, such as “Bloom,” a sea of opulent wild flowers, and “Winter Solstice,” a nice mix of green, rust and creamy whites.

In the edible category of her paintings are delicious looking slices of cantaloupe, papaya and apricot representing spring fruits and fig, watermelon and strawberry for summer varieties. On the opposite wall are the winter slice series: orange, lemon and lime. Last but not least, the fall series is represented by kiwi, pomegranate and persimmon, with their shiny surfaces jumping alluringly from the wall.

A ruby red beet dominates a large painting, which is a visual feast of farm fresh fruits and veggies. A pair of red and golden yellow beets is a nice contrast in colors and textures, while in another work some oversized pomegranates from the Catalunya region of Spain are a riot of pinks and reds.

A large work, “Nature’s Balance,” is a compilation of little pieces of nature and life centered by an olive branch which always contains 13 leaves, a symbol of peace. That peace is what drives the artist.

“True bliss is finding harmony and letting life live through you in a way that makes you come alive. This is how I feel when I paint.”

Pairing with this current exhibit are edible works of art by chocolate artisan Beatriz Ledezma of Caxao in North Park. Each of her exquisite creations is unique in taste and visual beauty.

The show continues for a month at Glimpse, 3813 Ray Street. For more information, call (619) 255-8112 or visit www.GlimpseLiving.com