Stormie rolls up to help Manu
When celebrity chef *Manu Feildel *was looking for an artwork for his latest restaurant venture in Melbourne, he knew to look no further than famed *Perth * street artist *Stormie Mills *.
The two met several years ago - Mills is a friend of Feildel's *WA *-raised fiancee *Clarissa Weerasena *- and reunited for a dinner last year in Sydney, where the My Kitchen Rules judge revealed his plans to open his first restaurant in Victoria, Le Grand Cirque, with longtime friend and MasterChef rival *George Calombaris *.
When Mills, whose signature characters can be seen on various walls around Perth, agreed to paint a custom artwork for the trendy new venue, Feildel told _AAA Weekend _he was flabbergasted.
"I said, 'Are you kidding me'," the TV personality said.
"He did a few examples and sent them to me last week and I said 'Oh my God, this is perfect'. He came in last Sunday and spent three days on the wall. It looks bloody amazing."
The result was two circus clowns flying on a trapeze in Mills' unique style inspired by a single statement - "the joy of life".
Even though preparations for the French-themed restaurant's launch on Wednesday were forging full steam ahead, Mills said Feildel still made the time to regularly pop in to see how the work was progressing.
"He said he loved the concept from the beginning and then he would just come back and watch," the artist said.
"I don't understand that because it's literally like watching paint dry but it was hilarious working with him."
Mills added he could not wait to head back over east next week for the opening to try some of Le Grand Cirque's dishes.
Feildel's entrance into the Melbourne restaurant scene comes after he closed the doors on both of his Sydney establishments, Aperitif and L'Etoile, in the past two years.
He cited the changing nature of the dining scene and dwindling customers, though some speculated his busy TV schedule was the cause.
