Just Plein Fun. My week in Balboa Island

I was very excited to be invited as a participant in this event organized by the Debra Huse gallery in Newport Beach. Specially because this year I had cancelled all plein air events in order to focus on my solo show at Segil Gallery in Monrovia. April 2013 everyone! . A week painting in Balboa Island sounded too wonderful to pass. The subject matter is so plentiful I had to take hydrating and nap breaks. Children playing in the sand, boats and quaint-till-you-faint gardens and cottages. True, it is all a bit "prettified" and very very one percent and mostly blond but you can't argue with children playing in the beach, just can't.

While on the beach walkway one of the older kids offered me 2$ for a painting. He had a know-it-all sneer. I didn't budge, I said 400$. He retorted "good luck finding somebody that pays you that." ha ha. Funny smartalec. Good luck is right (sigh). I wonder how much his dad makes...anyway... sailboats, can't deny their beauty either.

Here are most, not all, of the paintings I did  during the week. I did an average of two a day. I tried to capture every subject and mood. Not sure if that was a  good thing but I am not going to argue with my impulse.

"Garden Island" 11"x14"

"Molten Hour" 8"x10"

   "Molten hour" was a tonal experiment. It turned out pretty nice and I might try pushing the tones more in the future.

"Dredging the bay" 11"x14"

Once an urban painter, always attracted to industrial stuff. The dredging machine was a wonder to observe and always in contrasts to the peaceful beach. What first appealed to me was the smoke coming out of the exhaust. A very impressionist theme.

"Closing time" watercolor sketch

 

"Window Sailing" 10"x8"

"Closing time" is a nocturnal watercolor sketch I did on the "Fun Zone" by the ferry docks. It wasn't added to the show but I dig it enough to make it part of the collection. The painting. "Window sailing" is completely hinging on that model boat I way in the window in the morning sun.

"The collaborators" 11"x14

 "The collaborators" is an attempt at taking mental snapshots of kids playing. I scrubbed as many figures as ended up on the canvas. I am extremely happy with the immediacy of the  result.  I was a bit influenced by a Hinkle show at the Laguna art Museum. I took a small trip to visit it during the week.

 "Sand Serpent" was an attempt at capturing kids building a sand castle in the shape of a serpent during a competition. I didn't finish it more on purpose. I liked leaving it suggested.

"Caffeinated" is a quick morning study of the main street Starbucks' (on Marine) in Balboa Island. I like its energy.

"Beauty is where you find it" The construction workers on the Grand canal were painted from exactly the same point where I painted "Lucky enough(to live here)" I just turned around and started a new painting. It's one of my favorites in this looser, more figure oriented style that took over me. 

"Sand Serpent. 8"x10"

"Caffeinated" 10"x8"

"Beauty is where you find it" 9"x12"

 

"Lucky enough" 12"x9"