Oranges

Oranges was painted from direct observation. I was captivated by the intensity of the color before me and by its expressive, naturally modernist character. Although the contours of the fruit were apparent, I was more interested in developing modeled, layered masses of color than in relying on outline alone.

The painting became an exploration of immediacy and tactile presence, allowing color to give the fruit both physical substance and expressive energy. Its interplay of color recalls aspects of Impressionism while maintaining the structural clarity of modernist form.

Created in the early 1980s, Oranges reflects my growing confidence in using color to define not only the tangible qualities of an object but also its emotional and sensory atmosphere.

Richard L Tuck, Oranges, oil on canvas, 14×18" ,1982