Day 18 - Avocado

Today is Day 18 of the 30 in 30 Day Challenge!

Okay, I admit it I am getting a little antsy.  I like painting a variety of surfaces and sizes and subjects.  For this challenge I have narrowed my painting to still life paintings on 6 x 6 canvas panels.  I thought well small size can be quick...not too much detail right...wrong.  It seems to take longer for me to paint smaller...guess that is because I am using a smaller brush.

So I thought, okay there must be a solution.  Today I painted a single Avocado which changed it up for me.

"Avocado"

6 x 6 - oil on canvas panel

There are a lot of facts about the Avocado I found interesting and I would like to share a few of those
Wikipedia facts:

• The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree native to Central Mexico,classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel.

• Avocado or alligator pear also refers to the fruit (botanically a large berry that contains a single seed) of the tree.

• Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, it ripens after harvesting. 

• Trees are partially self-pollinating and often are propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.

• About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat.

• On a 100 g basis, avocados have 35% more potassium (485 mg) than bananas (358 mg). 

• They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K.

• Avocados have a high fiber content of 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.

• High avocado intake was shown in one preliminary study to lower blood cholesterol levels. 

• Avocado is under preliminary research for potential anti-cancer activity.