Daily Painting Pear#1

I have begun a series of daily paintings in oils and I hope you enjoy this new project of mine. These paintings will be for sale but at the moment we are still developing the website. I am hoping to launch this series on Leap Year – the 29th February. These means that you will be able to give a friend an original oil painting as a special gift at an affordable price.

You may have seen this painting before, but keep scrolling…

This conference pear looks though it is illuminated by soft morning sunlight. I have used a mixture of thick impasto strokes and thinly applied glazes. I want the pear to have the feeling of a beautiful piece of fruit, carefully chosen and lovingly painted.

and a nugget:
This is an added extra to the daily painting – a technique,  background information  a story, or this time, a recipe.

Cauliflower and Pear Soup
The cauliflower becomes a delicate flavour with an indiscernible sweetness – if you let your guests try to guess what it is. Serve cold in summer or hot in winter

a small head of cauliflower
2 conference pears, peeled and cored
a few shallots or spring onions ginely chopped
1 Tbs oil
500ml good chicken stock (e.g. Knorr)These containers are great for painters when you need a teeny bit of something, so wash it out and keep it.
200g Cambozola Cheese mashed – it is like a blue Brie-style cheese
200ml cream
seasoning
chopped chives for garnish

Lightly Saute the onions and the cauliflower to develop the flavour. Add hot stock and the pears and cook until the cauliflower is soft. Add the cheese and cook gently until the cheese is melted. Whizz it up in the blender then add then cream and seasoning. Return it to the saucepan to reheat gently, or to a beautiful white porcelain bowl and refrigerate. If you serve it cold, it should be just below room temperature for the flavours to be appreciated.