I have been asked that question on many occasions: why pears?
There is so many other fruits or vegetables but for some reason pears appear on my canvases more frequently. There are apples you may notice. There is a lot of apples to be honest but pears are my favourite. Frankly, not sure why but there is something in that shape I can't get enough of. This irregularity, bulkiness, variety of sizes and lengths... and last but not least they are just so delicious.
This fruit remind me of my childhood. My nan had a big pear tree in the garden. Every time we visited her in Autumn my dad used to collect bags of juicy pears and then in the evenings we would sit and wait for him to peal the fruits and and share the pieces with us to enjoy.
When I moved to my current flat in Streatham over 9 years ago I was surprised when I discovered a big old pear tree in the back garden. The fruits from that tree are no longer edible but my neighbour said she still remember the taste of them. Although I can't enjoy the fruits I still can enjoy the blooming of that tree in Spring every year. The view from my window is mesmerising.
Lastly most of still lives with pears are my personal favourites. They were a pure pleasure to create and that definitely reflects in my paintings.
So there is a sentiment, appreciation and very strong need to explore the qualities of the shapes. I have to confess I am currently working on another still life with pears and to be honest I can't see any signs of me being bored of this subject. It's quite the opposite. The more I try to proceed against my instincts and paint a different fruit or vegetable the more excited I feel when I get to paint a pear again.
