Recently, in Jamaica, I had the pleasure of spending a day at a Farm to Table experience, up in the hills of St Ann. On the reception terrace, on a hand-hewn slab of a table, displayed proudly, was this enormous Jackfruit! I like to give this mammoth fruit a wide berth, generally, since, although they are highly nutritious and apparently taste quite nice, I cannot get near enough for that, as I really dislike the smell! So, against my better judgement, I was drawn in by the intriguing shape, the unusual colour and the shadow, cast by the elegant stalk. I could not decide if this fruit was beautiful or ugly, but its sheer size (a good 18", plus the stalk) and the stark simplicity of the setting, warranted a few photos.
I decided to paint the Jackfruit in contemporary, blocky brushwork, focussing on the lighting and elegant shapes of the stalk and its shadow, in contrast to the bulky, lumpy body and surface texture of the fruit, itself.
I chose the background colour to complement the strange green-gold/ochre of the fruit, without losing the earthy mood of the piece. Hopefully, the viewer may be curious enough to overcome the 'assault on the nose' and get to taste the Jackfruit, if given the opportunity.
