Stop Your Bike for Cocos Frescos. 2023.

Watercolor and ink on paper.

9”x12” framed.

On my way home from a morning surf, I cruised by this fruit stand in a South O neighborhood. The guy chopping the fruit had a resting-grin-face. In some form of Spanglish, I asked him if he minded me sitting nearby to illustrate what I saw. Still cheesing, he agreed, but asked me not to draw him specifically. I was like, “good, I can’t draw people anyway.”

I always illustrate scenes like this with a pen. Never pencil. I like that mistakes cannot be erased. With some fresh Tajín seasoned mango, I took the B&W drawing home to add color. The umbrella is central to this painting, showing off the dynamic range in the watercolors and conveying a shady respite from summer heat. I later realized the colorful umbrella is a sort of sign for fresh fruit stands. Nearly all of them use the same one.

I work as a color chemist for a liquid color supplier. A couple days every week, I go into their lab and make paint, implementing formulas that have been around since 1934. Along with the pigments, dyes, dispersants and preservatives, I pour my intentional energy and love into these colors. Then I get to take some paint home and set it free onto my own canvas. It’s like being a farmer AND a chef, cultivating your own food, then cooking it into a delectable meal to share.