Oranges with Chinese Vase

I worked on this piece for close to ten years. It began as a studio class painting: a set up of a table and chair in front of a window, a plant and plastic dinnerware from a mismatched collection of props. I actually hated the setup, but there was something there, something worth pursuing. Over time, I expanded the plants, built out the brick wall and eventually replaced the items on the table with things to my liking. I got to enjoy my favorite orange and blue combinations, pump up the orange, elaborate on the light interacting with the plants, play with the reflective light of the fruit on a luscious Chinese vase which I captured quickly with paint augmented by linseed oil, and incorporate an Alice Neel-like enveloping plantscape. It is one of my favorites.