Rosa Maria

oil on wood, 16x16"

Rosa Maria, original artwork by Mike Geno

Rosa Maria is a cheese I fell in love with immediately after seeing it. The rind is textured with a fascinating basket pattern that reminded me of a sea urchin shell. Charuth Loth, of Shadow Brook Farm's Dutch Girl Creamery agreed to send me some so I could paint this beautiful Spanish-style cave-aged goat cheese... and also, so I could add Nebraska to my list of painted cheese states!

The challenge of the painting was in the complex pattern on this beautiful rind. It was a type of torture, though a wise artist friend confirmed it was worth it and suggested it looked like it's part of a Caravaggio still life". I can't get better compliments, Im sure.

Here's some of the back story of this cheese, direct from Charuth:
"Rosa Maria has a great story. Four years ago (2010) I worked for two months in the aging rooms at Neal's Yard Dairy in London. It was a huge education for me on aging and ripening cheese. I made great friends there and fell in love with many cheese rinds. I aspecially loved the basket formed, natural rinded cheeses at NYD.
One day I was discussing this fact with Mary Holbrook who makes amazing Goat cheese. I was telling her that I loved her Old Ford goat cheese, and that I really wanted to make a Nebraska version of a hard aged goat cheese but that I wanted to find a cool basket mold to distinguish it in the market. She said 'well, I have just the molds for you! They are sitting in a shed on my farm covered in dust'. 'All they need is a good soak in acid and they will be perfect . I will donate them to your cause'. She brought them in to London the next week, and we shipped them to Nebraska from there. Rosa Maria was born...I decided on a Spanish recipe because although I am a Dutch citizen, I was actually born in Spain. On La Costa Brava in a small town called Rosas. My full name is Maria Charlotte Ruth van Beuzekom. So Rosa Maria is named after me!"

Country of Origin: USA, Nebraska

Availability: sold