Odd One Out

This morning I added a photograph of the Cherry Guavas that grow between my yard and the neighbour's.  This afternoon I decided to paint them on a small canvas of 8"x10" (203x254mm). 

They were a lovely distraction from the large portrait that I'm working on and a chance to test out some acrylic retarder that I bought recently.

Acrylic paints dry quite quickly in our hot climate and when working on a large area that requires some blending, it would be great if I had a bit more time.  The Acrylic Retarder keeps the paint fluid long enough to do the blending.