Artist Makes Crunchy Tribute to Rachael Ray

by Jason Best, Posted Jul 29th 2010 @ 2:00PM

Rachael Ray and Jason Baalman with cheeto portrait or Rachael Photo: YouTube

For those who like their kitsch with a bit of a crunch, we give you: Rachael Ray in Cheetos.

In case you missed it, Wednesday's episode of Ray's show marked the unveiling of a larger-than-life-size portrait of the Emmy-winning celebrity chef made entirely from the trademarked cheese puffs. The picture was the handiwork of Colorado Springs-based artist Jason Baalman, whose artistic oeuvre also includes velvet portraits of Elvis done in cheese-puff dust and the Mona Lisa entirely in ketchup.

This is not Baalman's first celebrity tribute in Cheetos. He made one of Conan O'Brien last year, but before he could hand it over to the late-night host on the air, O'Brien was booted off "The Tonight Show."

Baalman uses between 40 and 50 bags of Cheetos for the portraits. The different flavors are what account for the color variations, from mild white cheddar to the preternaturally blazing red-orange of "Flaming Hot." He has to separate hundred of Cheetos by size and shape before he begins and spends hours gluing them down in layers.

Amazingly, he appears rail thin.

Baalman has talent, to be sure, but it's one that even the target of his artistic affections seemed to have a little trouble appreciating. As the portrait is revealed, Ray exclaims (predictably): "I love being this cheesy!" But her expression upon seeing her face the size of a bus ad covered in processed cheese dust seems as forced as a woman opening a package of sweat socks on Valentine's Day.

Cheesy, indeed.