About the Artist
Giorgio Baldini is a 17-year-old Northern California high school student who began taking commissions for portraits of pets from his friends and family members during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a self-taught artist whose work was selected for display at the Yountville Art Museum Exhibit “Know No Barriers.” Giorgio was also awarded Artist of the Month by the Arts Council Napa Valley Education Alliance in October 2022 for excellence in studio art. He uses colored pencils, watercolors, pastels, graphite, charcoal, and acrylics in his artwork, which can be viewed on his website at giorgiobaldini.com.
In addition to painting and drawing, Giorgio is a dedicated runner and member of the cross-country team, and he competes in track and field at Justin-Siena High School. He thrives on art and athletics and works hard academically, having received several outstanding academic achievement awards.
On the Cover: “Stomi”
The artwork on the cover of this month’s issue of Diabetes Care is a commissioned piece created with watercolors and colored pencils. Stomi is a 2-year-old Australian cattle dog mix. Rescued from a farm in Texas, Stomi now spends his days hiking and swimming in the streams of Colorado with his owners.
Dogs are heroes in the history of diabetes research. The first recipient of insulin was a dog with diabetes named Marjorie, in the research laboratory of Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best. It was 1921, and until then people (and dogs) with diabetes had low quality of life and short life spans.
In the century since, various breeds have been trained as diabetes service dogs. Their acute sense of smell enables dogs to detect compounds released when blood glucose is dangerously low or high and alert their owners, and some are additionally trained to retrieve life-saving diabetes supplies.
While the artwork on the cover is not a portrait of Marjorie or a diabetes service dog, it is meant to express boundless gratitude toward dogs and highlights the talent of a bright young artist and student.
