“Coconuts” by Paul McGehee. Beautiful Coconut Palm trees, which can grow as high as 100' tall, produce a seed, a 'fruit' known as the coconut. Each tree can produce as many as 75 coconuts a year. Coconuts derive their name from the Portuguese “coco”, meaning “skull”, as the three dark patches on the hard inner shell resembled eyes and a nose on a bone-like exterior. Despite the hard shell covering (itself covered over by a thick, greenish-tan “husk”) coconuts are not technically “nuts”. Coconut Palms are found in tropical areas of the world; the one depicted in this artwork is from the Eastern Caribbean island of Nevis. The coconut meat is delicious and can be eaten many ways, from raw, to cooked in soups or with seafood and meats, vegetarian dishes, cookies and cakes, and countless other dishes. The young, green coconuts contain a tasty gelatinous flesh within, called “jelly” by the islanders. The cloudy to clear liquid inside a coconut is the “water”, and has a lovely flavor all by itself. The coconut water is sometimes erroneously called “milk”, however “coconut milk” is a separate product produced from the processing of the flesh, pressing the juices out of the grated coconut meat. Coconuts, as well as the Palm Tree they spring from, are used in the production of many products besides food such as fabric, rope, fiber for doormats and brushes, even coconut fiber for stuffing mattresses. The dried “copra” from the seed can be used in the production of oils used for cooking, cosmetics, soap, hair products, and more. The husks can be used for fuel and making charcoal. The hard shell of the coconut can also be made into bowls and other implements. Where would radio's “Lone Ranger” be without coconut shells providing the sound of the “thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver”? And where would a future President have been, had he not written a message on a coconut shell regarding the 11 survivors after the sinking of PT-109 in the World War II Pacific? John F. Kennedy and his crew were rescued when the coco-note was found...and years later, that shell with the inscribed message for help sat on the President's desk at the White House...and is now to be found in the John F. Kennedy Library. Coconuts...having nothing to do with “cocoa” or “nuts”, but the world depends upon the tree and the fruit for countless things, from ancient times to today. “Coconuts” is faithfully reproduced as an archival-quality print from McGehee's original color pencil and acrylic artwork, each hand-signed by the artist. Print image size: 11" x 14 1/2".