My Orange for Orange Aid Project-Riverside

The Riverside art Museum is having a fund raiser called Orange Aid and has asked local artists to paint a large fiber glass orange,a riverside icon. They provide the oranges and we are free to do whatever we like. These basketball sized oranges are a perfect size for display in a home or business. This year they are asking for sponsors and if someone sponsors they are guaranteed to get an original hand painted orange, done by a local artist. On the night of the Gala, on November 9th, the sponsor will be randomly assigned an orange through a lottery process, they do not choose. It should be a ton of fun and I can't wait to go to the Gala. There are a total of 125 oranges being painted and must be turned in by October 5 where they will be on display at the museum until the night of the Gala. I love to be able to help out the Arts and the museum all at one time! Here is my orange.

I first debated whether to fill the whole thing and cover the dimpled pattern but opted to leave the oranges texture which makes painting a bit trickier. I started by laying in my design with pencil.




I then laid in my background color, I chose to do a teal and tangerine color way.










I then added some of the color to my Poppies and stems






Now I am getting a feel for how it is coming together and so far I like it! I also have gone over my lettering with white so I can define the shapes. I then added color to the lettering, more details in the poppies and decided it still needed something. I had wanted to do something different on the top by the stem and hadn't worked out what that would be yet but then it came to me, a metal hinged faux top. I wanted it to look as though you could open the top. Here are the results.















I also added polka dots to the background and I am really happy with it. I have a week to make any additions or changes as I await the varnish I had to order. This has been such a fun project, thank you RAM and here's hoping for good homes for all the orphan oranges in Riverside!

To see another amazing Orange turned in by Reuben, another Riverside Artist, check out his blog. I love his orange and the great way he displayed it for all of us to see every side. I wish I had thought of that!!

- Desiree