SOLD

Original Oil Painting on Board

Size framed: 41cm wide x 47cm high

Price: SOLD

The sunlit orange of the fruit against deep green leaves, all set into a subdued, neutral background. I strayed away from my usual dark backgrounds that I normally use as I wanted to let the light from a window illuminate the scene. The copper pot anchors the composition—its textured, reflective surface picks up soft highlights and subtle shadows, becoming a warm counterpoint to the cool and restful tones around it. I so enjoyed painting the pot creating the hammered finish making it tactile as if touching it.

Technique for me is always guided by observation. I layered paint to build the delicate, dimpled skin of the oranges, paying careful attention to the tiny shifts in hue where light catches a curve. Leaves required a different economy: broader strokes to suggest volume, finer lines for veins and edges where light touches. The halved fruit in the foreground is a small study in texture and translucency—the segment membranes catching light in a way that makes the fruit feel alive and immediate.

Compositionally, the arrangement is deliberately balanced. A few leaves extend beyond the vessel, interrupting the silhouette and drawing the eye around the piece. The muted backdrop creates a quiet stage, letting light and shadow do much of the storytelling. I aimed for a mood that’s serene rather than theatrical—something you could imagine on a kitchen shelf or in a sitting room, bringing warmth without demanding attention.

Beyond aesthetics, still life has a way of grounding us. A bowl of fruit can speak of abundance, to care, to the small rituals of daily life—peeling an orange, savouring its scent, sharing it at a table. I hope this painting offers a similar kind of comfort: a reminder that beauty exists in ordinary things when we give them our attention.