Red Pears

Red Anjou Pears is my submission for the Rookie Painter Challenge. Three luscious red pears were photographed on a green surface. I wanted to do something other than a still life, so I chose to do the pears on the tree.

We actually have, er had, a pear tree in our neighbors yard, and every year it would have an abundant number of pears. Unfortunately, no one took the pears, which were left on the ground to rot. We could only take so many pears, and the owners of the house with the tree did not live there nor were they interested in the pears. Every summer they would rot in the hot sun, drawing flies & bees. It also attracted various rodents to dine on the fruit.

Every summer, my poor husband would venture over into the yard, equipped with work boots, gloves, large bio-degradeable lawn bags & a snow shovel. And he would clean up the mess by scooping the rotting fruit into the lawn bags & put them out for the yard waste pickup. Eventually, the tree would stop producing & dropping fruit, and we were able to get caught up with the cleanup. But I have to say that on warm summer nights, the smell was overwhelming. And even when there was a delightful breeze at night, we were forced to keep the windows & doors closed to keep the odor out.

Since the owner of the home did not live there, and the tenants did not care, this continued for quite a few years. Then, just this past fall, I was home from work one day when the owner showed up at the house for some reason. I ran over to talk to him and explained the situation. I didn't complain, but I did say that the pears were very good & he should make a point of harvesting them, or finding someone who wants them - as letting them rot on the ground was such a waste. He agreed and told me he would solve the problem.

Well he solved it alright. The very next day, 5 landscape guys showed up & cut the tree down. I felt awful! I felt like I had killed the tree by mentioning it to the owner. He cared little about the fruit or the tree, just wanted to quickly solve the problem, so he had the crew cut it down & cart it away.

So I paint this for both the challenge submission, but also as a way to remember that pear tree with it's abundant fruit which had the misfortune of growing in the wrong yard!

Acrylic on 9x12 canvas