I chose watercolor so I could practice working on hues, shapes, and layering. I love that you can look at a pear and when you really "see" it there are all different colors besides just green or yellow. The same goes for the apples as well, but the pears are the most appealing in this painting. The subject was chosen because they are two of my favorite fruits to eat. Here is a recipe that everyone should try for Valentine's day! INGREDIENTS: 2 golden delicious apples and 2 Kaiser pears 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons corn starch 1 egg + 2 yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cloves Sweet white wine 1 1/4 cups milk Cinnamon, both sticks and powdered A few leaf-shaped chocolates, for decorating the finished dish PREPARATION: Peel and core the fruit using a corer, cut the fruit in half, and set it in a pot, covering it with equal parts water and wine. Sprinkle 5-10 cloves into the pot (this depends upon your preference) and 3 tablespoons of sugar; bring everything to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain the fruit with care -- you don't want to damage the pieces. In a bowl, beat the corn starch, yolks, and egg. Next, heat the milk, butter, vanilla, an inch of cinnamon stick, and sugar in a pot, stirring gently until it comes to a boil. Remove the pot from the flames, fish out and discard the cinnamon, and add the egg mixture in a thin stream, whipping the milk all the while. Return the pot to the fire and cook over a low flame for about 10 minutes, stirring gently all the while; the cream will be ready when it has become fairly firm. Let it cool, stirring it frequently to keep a skin from forming over the top. When it has cooled, put it into four elegant bowls.Carefully slice the fruit, arrange it elegantly over the cream, decorate the dishes with a couple of chocolate leaves each (or whatever else strikes your fancy), dust them with powdered cinnamon, and serve barely warm. This will take about a half hour, and serve 4. This dish is delicious and satisfies everyone's sweet tooth after a delicious meal. Makes your house smell good too!