'Guanabana' Original 8x8 Painting

My original 8x8 painting, 'Guanabana', is part of my Signs of Life collection and was created using Watercolor, Ink, and Thread on gallery wrapped canvas. Comes signed and in a secure package, ready to hang. Please note that the sides are left white.

Inspiration Story:

It was my first trip to Puerto Rico. I was 7 years old. We were staying with my great-grandfather for a few days. I'll never forget arriving in the little town he resided in - there were people still riding horseback as their main mode of transportation.

My grandfather lived in a modest two-bedroom home with a garden in the back. He didn't have a car, and his church was across the street - so there was no need for him to go anywhere. He grew all of his food from his garden.

I'll never forget that garden. To me, it looked like pure paradise. It was on a hill and COVERED in amazing fruits and vegetables. For my grandfather, his garden was his life. That, and sitting and watching the Discovery channel on his front porch, the only channel he could get on his small tv.

One morning, I woke up early and snuck out into the garden before dawn. There had been a fruit he had showed me the day before - a giant guanabana - that was nearly ripe. In the dark of the early morning, I picked the fruit and stole it back into the house and into my suitcase.

For the next week, it stayed in my suitcase. I remember asking my mom if we could bring fruit with us back to the mainland, and her saying no. I was so scared about what would happen if I took the fruit to the airport in my suitcase that I took it out in the middle of the night and hid it under my bed at my grandmother's house.

In my mind, that fruit is still under that bed, just waiting for me to come back and claim it, and to say sorry for taking it from that lush garden that didn't belong to me.

About the Collection:

The assembly of paintings in the Signs of Life collection showcases the vibrant essence of Puerto Rico, my family's home island, capturing its soul and spirit through an evocative blend of colors, textures and storytelling.

Press Quote: "Rokita’s art leaves a visually emotional space to reflect on internal interpretations. Time spent contemplating her use of watercolors, ink, and thread evokes geographic space, movement, and the impact humankind has on our environment. Most notably are the questions she evokes around our impact on shorelines and coastal transits with references to her Puerto Rican heritage."

10% of the sale of this painting will be donated to the Nature Conservancy's work to protect nature in Puerto Rico.