Toronto artist in the spotlight thanks to The Situation

PopGoesTheNews.com • Toronto artist Celeste Gillis is getting some international publicity thanks to Jersey Shore star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino – and she didn't have to get into a hot tub with him.

Gillis, who studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design, painted portraits of Sorrentino and his reality show co-star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and is selling signed poster-size prints on her website for $45. She says she contacted Sorrentino through Facebook to let him know about the art and offered to sell him a print or trade one for a link to her website. "Any exposure helps," she wrote to him.

Sorrentino posted the image on his Wall and commented: "Painting is pretty cool." But, according to gossip website TMZ, Gillis is "ballistic" because he didn't pay her or give her some publicity. The alleged snub, however, is now giving her publicity.

Painting courtesy CelesteGillis.com.