A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Tomatillos are a relative of the tomato and member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. Tomatillos provide that tart flavor in a host of Mexican green sauces. In Mexico the fruit is called tomates verdes, tomates de cascara as well as fresadillas. The fruits average about 1 -2″ wide and have a papery outer skin. The tomatillo is actually used when it is still green. Tomatillos have a very tart flavor, not at all like a tomato. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Guavas are common tropical fruits cultivated and enjoyed in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava is a small tree in the Myrtle, native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Guava fruits, usually 4 to 12 centimetres (1.6 to 4.7 in) long, are round or oval depending on the species.They have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar to lemon rind but less sharp. The outer skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or soft and sweet. Varying between species, the skin can be any thickness, is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe. The pulp inside may be sweet or sour and off-white (“white” guavas) to deep pink (“red” guavas). The seeds in the central pulp vary in number and hardness, depending on species. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Rambutan evergreen tree is native to tropical Southeast Asia and commonly grown throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. The fruit is a round to oval single-seeded berry, 3–6 cm  long and 3–4 cm broad, borne in a loose pendant cluster of 10–20 together. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely orange or yellow), and covered with fleshy pliable spines, hence the name, which means ‘hairs’. The fruit flesh, which is actually the aril, is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor very reminiscent of grapes. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Who knew there was a plant with a flower like an explosion of flame, which produces a beautiful but short-lived fruit with the appearance of a brilliant pink rosebud? This is the pitya or dragon fruit, indigenous to Central America but is also grown and exported from several Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam. Obtained from several cactus species, its succulent stem provides the uniquely delicious fruit with moisture in the arid climates where it grows. Some dragon fruits have red or yellow skin (which looks a little like a soft pineapple with spikes) and white or red flesh, but always the beginnings of overlaid leaves, similar to an artichoke, and an abundance of small, black, edible seeds. The flavor is mildly sweet, like a blend of kiwi and pear, and it has a crunchy texture. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Cucumis metulfierus, horned melon or kiwano, also African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, melano, in the southeastern United States, blowfish fruit, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family. Its fruit has horn-like spines, hence the name “horned melon”. Ripe fruit has yellow-orange skin and lime green, jelly-like flesh with a tart taste, and texture similar to a cucumber. The one and only time I tried a horned melon I was totally surprised by the bright green interior and the taste was not to my liking.  Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.