Gung-Ho Guava!

I thought the title Gung-Ho Guava was fitting, it took a lot of GUNG-HO for me to get this painting finished; from starting with finding good supplies, moving during the creation from S. India to N. India and setting up/tearing down/setting up again, finding the right light and table (in an air-con place!)...but hey, I am pleased to be able to start a new series in my "Collections", this one being the first of my "In India" series.  As the world continues to be in semi-lockdown, I have successfully managed to have 4 more large professional sheets of watercolour paper sent to me way up in the lower foothills of the Indian Himalayas!  Going with the flow of the famous and sacred Mother Ganges River and painting here in the magical village of Rishikesh seems to be how I am being guided now.

India is the place to enjoy Guava, Psidium guajava, it produces 41% of the worlds market, and this Pink Guava is very sweet and tangy!  Choosing Guava to paint was very easy with all the divine fruits easily purchased on street stalls here.  The flowers can range in colour but the basic well-known Guava fruit has delicate white flowers and the fruits can range from greens to maroon-rose to yellow colours.  This species of Guava that I found growing profusely in S.India was green even when ripened with a touch of rose and light yellows showing through.  Knowing when the fruit is ripe to pick is a skill one has to develop since the Guava can drop off the stem and then the fruit flies will "have at it" laying their egg's in the fruit which will be disappointing when maggots are infiltrated into your well expected treat!  So!  Making sure to get the fruit right off the tree or from a trusted Guava seller is always best!

I've added some pastel texture within some of the grooves of this piece, hoping to show some of the soft Indian light and dust on the fruits.  A bit of energetic "hot pink" bounces off the plant in the lower left, as this fruit is highly delicious and brings a tropical feel to any day!  The below is taken from my health blog you may want to browse sometime:  https://healthhappinessharmonysite.wordpress.com-gung-ho-guava-goodness.

Guava, having loads of fiber, being easy to digest, a high Vit A & C content and lycopene, which is a strong antioxidant, this fruit is well worth our respect. For gut health, there are antimicrobial properties and with the level of magnesium in this fruit it can help to relax the body, great for before morning yoga  For mental clarity there is Vit B3 & B6, B6 being proven to help with neurodegeneration.  There are very many varieties of this fruit, some are more sweet than others, some you can eat the skin, some you must peel.  It is all very random what you may find in your own country but one way to tell if the fruit is ripe is just the smell.  Ripe guava’s emanate a divine scent, like a sweet vanilla/strawberry.  When I buy guava’s and they are sitting in my fridge, every time I open the fridge I get a waft of this sweet guava scent and I cannot help but to want to make a smoothie so my guava purchases run out quick!