Colour Symbolism .:. Orange

orange n [ME, fr. MF, fr. OProv auranja, fr. Per narang] 1 a: a globose berry with a reddish yellow rind and a sweet edible pulp b: any of various rather small evergreen trees (genus Citrus) with ovate inifoliolate leaves, hard yellow wood, fragrant white flowers, and fruits that are oranges 2 : any of several trees or fruits resembling the orange 3 : any of a group of colours that lie midway between red and yellow in hue and are of medium lightness and moderate to high saturation –Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary

This is one of the few pieces I have ever created where orange is the dominant colour. I set up a series of shadow boxes - the Colour Series - as a way to delve into all the spectrum colours, and take a few steps out of my comfort range.

Orange is half way between the vibrant red, and the royal yellow, and encompasses so many different hues: peach, copper, terra cotta, coral, butterscotch and on and on.

The first mention of the fruit that gave a name to the colour orange dates back to 500 BC. Oranges had their origins near the South China Sea. From there they were transported and cultivated throughout Malaysia, India, East Africa and into the Mediterranean regions and the rest of Europe. There was literally no word for orange in Europe until the fruit arrived. Oranges became known as the fruit of the gods, of emperors and kings and the hierarchy of the church—exclusively for aristocrats and the wealthy, ultimately gaining symbolic importance in Renaissance paintings. –Color: Messages and Meanings by Leatrice Eiseman

Orange is midway between yellow and red and therefore is the most actinic colour. [Actinic = radiant energy] Lying between celestial gold and chthonian red, the primary symbolism of the colour is that of the point of balance between the spirit and the libido. However, this balance tends to be upset in one direction or the other, so that orange may become the revelation of divine love or the emblem of lust. -The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gherbrandt

As a fruit with pips the orange is a symbol of fertility and has a very positive meaning in dreams: to be given one in your hand means that you will acquire 'the perfect fruit of love, full of sunshine; just as if it had been picked fresh from the tree of life in all its glory.' The Mammoth Dictionary of Symbols

Temperature-wise orange is seen as the hottest of all colours. It is a high arousal colour invariable associated with autumn's burnished foliage or the radiant shadings of sunset - glowing and vital.
In its most vivid intensities, it is perceived as a colour that shouldn't be taken too seriously; a dramatic exclamation point generally preferred by the extroverted personality. -Communicating with Colour by Leatrice Eiseman

I talked yesterday about making friends with the colour orange, and this is my first baby step. I found more orange in some of my work than I ever imagined I had. I have to admit though, that my leaning is toward a golden orange, or a coral, or peach, and not so much the glowing burst of energy that a more pure orange provides.

Orange, my new friend.