Winter Fury

oil on wood, 10x10"

Winter Fury, original artwork by Mike Geno

This spicy gouda was sent to me by a generous cheese maker from Alaska, Sarah Jepsen. Her offer to send me some of her handmade cheeses to get Alaska on my cheesemap, was more than welcome!

The delicious raw-milk cheese is from Dry Creek, in the southeast Fairbanks area and made from the daily milking of their handful of cows. The "spicy" in this gouda comes from greenhouse grown habaneros that offer some heat in this winter-time cheese. I was impressed with how balanced the flavors are. I expected the peppers to overpower the cheese, but they were just right; adding to the flavor rather nicely and complimenting the cheese perfectly.

I had a great time painting this, loving the shape of the wheel and enjoying the subtle color shifts and the play between translucent and opaque. The smattering of peppers were among the strongest of colors I used, which complimented the smooth, pale cheese. I found myself eating the part I cut from the wheel, the whole time I painted this portrait. It helped warm me up in my cold February studio.

Country of Origin: USA, Alaska

Availability: sold