STORY BEHIND THE ART OF SENGMANY PHOMMACHAKR

24th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and Marin Art and Garden Center

Wax Apple

Syzygium samarangense

Travelling vicariously…

I started working on this painting during the first workshop I attended virtually, in October 2020, with Margaret Best. The workshop focused on advanced techniques of portraying a 3D subject; I had to pick a fruit with an interesting shape and volume to study. Due to the ongoing pandemic, I was not able to travel abroad to visit specimens in situ—but fruits and veggies could be imported to my local grocery store! So while plant hunters of the late 19th century had to travel to faraway lands to bring back novel botanical species, I simply had to drive to my neighbourhood Asian supermarket ten minutes away to find this tropical fruit neatly wrapped in the produce aisle.

The wax apple (Syzygium samarangense) is native to Malaysia and South East Asia. Depending on the variety, it has a skin color that can be white, pale green, dark crimson or even black. The skin has a light sheen, giving it a distinctly waxy look that explains its common name. This pear-shaped fruit has four fleshy lobes at the bottom and each fruit can conceal 1-2 seeds. The wax apple has a spongy yet crispy and juicy flesh, and its taste is similar to that of an Asian pear.

I enjoy painting textures; the more demanding and complex the texture, the more I enjoy the challenge. With the wax apple, the main challenge was to faithfully portray the waxy texture and sheen of the skin, as well as the delicate mesh texture in the center of the fruit. I first applied masking fluid to retain the white of the paper for the strongest highlights. I found it helpful to underpaint using a shadow color diluted with water. Careful and attentive observation of the subject was key to achieving the proper texture of the skin and flesh.

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Read more about this artist's work: Abundant Future