By Julia Fairclough Not many city squares contain ethnic restaurants right near the markets that sell particular spices and ingredients. Union Square, however, is neatly packed with restaurants of numerous nationalities, as well as ethnic markets. And now this weekend you can take a tour of both, while sampling delicious recipes and talking about spice and art. Somerville artist Francisco de la Barra, has created a series of portraits of Union Square chefs by incorporating spices with his paints to reflect their cuisines, and he wants to share his process with you. Co-produced by de la Barra and the Somerville Arts Council (as part of their ArtsUnion series), "Spice Union" will take place this Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m., with a reception at La Taqueria Mexicana from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event entails a tasting tour of some Union Square restaurants. People will also tour Bombay Market and the Reliable Market, where de la Barra buys his spices. The artist will talk about the series of paintings of chefs, called "Fragile."

"We will cover a little bit of everything, from cultural identity, to cuisine, and the spices," he said. "But we will talk about food and culture from an artistic point of view."

De la Barra is very thorough. He researched which spices are typical of each country, and interviewed the chefs to ensure that he used the most critical spices of all. He also perused the area's ethnic markets to make sure that he obtained the real thing for his paintings.

"I tried to capture the personality of each chef through the interview, and then looked at spices from a historic point of view," he said.

Through spice, he has learned how to broaden his palette, from the golden brightness of curry and turmeric to the reddish richness of paprika. He takes dried herbs and adds a clear acrylic medium. The result is a piece that is ripe with textures and contrasts; a painting that one can actually run their hands over and feel the richness transposed through touch.

Spice Union is built upon the successful ArtsUnion Ethnic Spice Tours, which entails touring Union Square's ethnic markets and talking to the owners about the rich diversity of the food they sell.

Space for Spice Union is limited. Email: francisco_de@mac.co to sign up. Everyone is welcome to attend the reception.