5 available paintings of Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach has a special place in my heart. I lived there for some time, and have taken my family to the beaches countless times. Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Island, Ruby’s on the pier, walking boardwalk, the cliffs of Corona Del Mar, the list goes on. This place is beautifully magical, and there’s no place like it on earth.
As a resident of coastal Orange County, I’ve painted Newport Beach countless times, with the Back Bay and Corona Del Mar as my favorite places to paint en plein air or to take pictures back to the studio for larger paintings. The Back Bay is a peaceful estuary, a place of solace among the hustle and bustle of metro Orange County. While it’s in the jet path of Orange County airport, it feels worlds away. I often exhibit at the Back Bay art show and other painting shows in Newport Beach throughout the year. Newport Beach is a perfect slice of heaven in Orange County – to both live full time, to have a vacation home, or to visit in the summer (or any time of year).
Here are a few of my favorite paintings of Newport Beach that are available, I do have more so please reach out if you’re interested in a specific scene!
“Back Bay Mustard” 30×40″
“Back Bay Mustard” 30×40″ original oil $2800
This oil painting of the Back Bay has rich gold colors and moody blues and gray violets. I have painted the Back Bay many times and in this piece I exaggerated the wild mustard-ish looking foliage that was there at the time. I loved the mood of the marine-layered skies and the early evening light which hovered over the distant bluffs.
“Crystal Cove Beach Day” 16×20
“Crystal Cove Beach Day” 16×20 original oil $895
“Crystal Cove Beach Day” depicts a bright, busy, sun drenched day at this state beach in California. With loose impressionistic brush strokes I painted the gist of the busy scene. If you have been here before you know how crowded it gets. I love the way the cliffs at this beach create a unique and protected beach spot.
“Newport Back Bay Bluff” 16×20
“Newport Back Bay Bluff” 16×20 original oil $895
The bluffs at the Back Bay have different lighting throughout the day. On this day it was slightly breezy with clouds drifting. The yellows, ochre, and golds contrast the muted pastels in the sky and bluffs. This painting has a calm and relaxing feeling.
“Crystal Cove Cottages” 20×24 original oil $1,800
This one is a very impressionistic portrayal of the Crystal Cove Beach cottages. These cottages are not for rent like the regular cottages you can rent above on the bluffs. But I thought they looked so beautifully scruffy and dilapidated I had to paint them. I added some “wood” and “structure” to hold them up. (You can rent cottages through Reserveamerica.com)
“Shredding” 12×16
“Shredding” 12×16 original oil $695
While watching surfers from the shore I was inspired to paint this scene. It’s fun to try to capture the movement of the waves while getting the right gesture of the surfer on the board. This dude is “shredding the nar nar.”
Bluffs and Cactus 12×16″
This painting of back bay in Newport Beach, CA captures the majestic colors and natural vegetation of the area. The back bay is one of the most painted regions of Newport Beach. The coastal chapparel meets the natural estuary for a beautiful combination of vegetation and sea life. Many locals walk and hike the Back Bay to get their daily dose of vitamin sea.
Kathleenmrobison@yahoo.com
Oil Paintings of California Beach Scenes: Paintings of Surfers, Beach Bums and Sunsets in Orange County, CA
California and especially Orange County are synonymous with surfing, beach life, and all that comes with it. Many of us admire surfers enough to hang painting of them on our walls for inspiration, but we’re not necessarily jumping to freeze in the cold water and become shark bait.
Many of my family members surf in San Clemente, and San Diego, and I’ve lost dozens of hours of help around the house with chores to them chasing some tasty waves. The upside is some great content for paintings and inspiration.
The beaches of Southern California host surfers, beach bums, vacationers, and lifeguards in the peak summer tourist season, but with our amazing climate year round, you’ll always find someone on the beach doing something. I find scenes of relaxed activity to be the most interesting – beach dwellers hanging around with their boards and umbrellas, enjoying some light conversations and tales of the big one that got away.
“Surf Camp” 16×20
“Surf Camp” 16×20 oil painting. $1400
In this San Clemente scene I was inspired by the activity of the group at this “surf camp”. A few kids are having a conversation on the life guard tower, another is waxing his surf board, and others are huddled together following the instructors direction. Just getting the gist of the scene… with the crashing waves, and excited students…this scene has a certain beach energy. Such a fun way for kids to spend a summer vacation.
“Umbrellas and Surf” 16×20
“Umbrellas and Surf” 16×20 oil painting. $1400
In “Umbrellas and Surf” 16×20, I was inspired by the many vibrant colors of the beach umbrellas. I loved this scene because the activity of swimmers, walkers, and sunbathers seemed to vibrate with the sparkling water and warm sand. Instead of trying to render each beach goer, I just placed the people in with very simple strokes of paint. This painting has warm ochres, Naples yellow, periwinkle, blues, and a variety of orange and reds. The bathers at a distance looked like tiny dots of peach in the water. And the wind, on this day, kept the waves coming in quickly one after another.
Zen Surfing 11×14
Impressionist oil painting of a California surfer coming out of the water after sunset. He looked so relaxed and spent after surfing I was inspired to paint it. My family members that surf say the period after surfing is almost better than dropping in on some tasty barrels. The combination of vitamin sea, magnesium in the ocean, and physical exertion leads to pure relaxation rarely found in other sports. Maybe there’s a physical reason surfers are so chill after all.
“Sunset” 12×24 oil painting. $1200
On this evening the colors of the sunset were glorious and beautiful; yellows, pinks, and oranges. Using thick textured paint I was able to sculpt the billowy clouds into the deep grey-blue sky. Little bits of orange reflect sky into the water. Sunsets are heavenly…every time I go to paint one, or photograph one, there is always good amount of photographers and on lookers there enjoying it with me. Whenever I see gorgeous color in the sky and I am in the area I try to go to the ocean and get a quick sketch or take a photo. Once I get there I am reminded how peaceful and centering it is to just sit there and observe nature……and I am thankful for that.
Need some beach art for your beach house? San Clemente Beach Day 16×20 Oil Painting
This oil painting is a San Clemente Beach scene near the pier looking south. The buildings in the background/hillside are Casa Romantica and some condos/houses. This piece has vibrant color and movement. It was a busy beach day with bright sunlight and lots of beach goers. Bright colors….. sand, blues, greens, pinks, and pastels depict this scene with loose brush strokes. I simplified the figures in an impressionist manner so the viewer could relate to the scene.
16″x20″ original oil $850
The activities in the scene are folks reading, sun bathing, surfer walking by, colorful umbrellas shading beach goers……..
Coastal California Oil Paintings 16×20
…Painted this scene after a sunset coastal walk. The deep nocturnal blues and multi-sunset colors inspired this painting with crashing waves along the shoreline. Reminding that nature is powerful and soothing at the same time. I always feel clear headed and refreshed after walking along the ocean. 
…beautiful Laguna Beach 12×16 oil painting. This scene I painted on location in previous blog. Capturing the sunny, breezy day with a variety of sea blues and earthy greens on the hillside. The figures in the scene look dwarfed by the bluffs.
……this Corona Del Mar 12×16 oil painting has clean, clear colors…no muted tones. This was a bright sunny day near the tide pools looking south in Newport Beach, Ca. I was inspired by the contrast of warm sand colors and clear blue-green water. The leaning tree on the bluff is a particular that identifies this location.
Kathleenmrobison@yahoo.com
California Coast 36×48
Moody sunset of California Coast, 36×48 original oil painting. Available. This impressionist painting has a nice soft feeling of a coastal California sunset. Beautiful blues, browns, and sunset colors.
Windy Hill Preserve 40″x60″
Painted this view from the top of Windy Hill Preserve. Lots of lush greens after the spring rain in California. The grey road in the scene is highway 35, Skyline Blvd. On the forested drive up to this location there were two huge sink holes on the small road which Cal Trans was working on. The view is gorgeous up there you can see the ocean on one side and San Francisco bay on the other. A few purple wildflowers and orange poppies sprouted here and there but mostly a riot of greens covered the landscape. A completely majestic view with a few hikers reaching the top of a trail that begins at a lower entrance.
“Windy Hill Trail” 16×20
This trail leads to Hamms Gulch, a beautiful meadow with views of densely forested hillsides and open fields of lush green grasses. The lighting on the pathway caught my eye…..so I had to paint it. This oil painting on canvas has many greens with dappled purples, reds, and ochre. This Preserve is a day hikers dream.
Wildflowers 16×20 oil
I was inspired to paint this scene because, after some spring rain, there were wild flowers everywhere in Southern California. Hillsides along freeways had beautiful displays of wild color. Near my home we had fields of yellow and purple flowers that lasted about a month before they faded. A lot of that dry bushery (not a word) stuff that looks like soon to be tumbleweed got deeply soaked and produced wild flowers and new color in unusual places. Dried brush and chapparel sprouted wild flowers that popped with color. In this painting I used thick paint and a palette knife to “cake” on the colorful folage. I wanted to create texture and the feeling of some of the plants. Some felt soft and billowy and others were brittle and dry. This oil painting has vibrant colors; mustards, browns, pinks, salomon, yellows, and many shades of green. It was a hazy or cloudy day so I kept the blue hill dark to suggest a cloud hovering over it. I noticed on cloudy days the ground colors look lusher as if the contrast of grey skies intensify the local color. This original oil painting has a slight suggestion of a walkway or trail though the flowers and traveling up the distant hillside. Keeping this oil painting loose, expressive, and impressionistic I chose to simplify the trees and foliage to their basic organic forms. The blues in the background hill have some of the sky color in it…so I added some light grey mauve, greens, and purple to it. It’s so amazing how a little rain water can turns a hillside into a glorious fiest for the eyes. I am hopeful that next years rains will bring many more luscious and juicy scenes to paint. This oil painting has a nice feeling of natures’ bounty.
Malaga Cove 16×20 oil
Impressionist oil painting of Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes, CA. I painted this scene on location a few years ago and this is a larger version of it done in the studio. I am glad I painted it on location first because the direction of the waves and the way the white foam flowed back into the sea is very different from other surfs I have painted. This is a famous surfing spot because of the height and length of the waves. The colors in it are sea foam green, pthalo blues and greens for the ocean, and ochre and burnt sienna for most of the hillside. The focus of this scene is the waves and action of the white water. There is dappled light on part of the hillside where the clouds parted.
“Tuolumne River” 24×30 oil painting
Painting of beautiful Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. Lots of greens and raw sienna in this depiction of a flowing river. Hiking in the meadows and along the river is gorgeous. I painted this for the 100th year anniversary show for the national parks of California. The exhibit is at Wildling Museum in Solvang, California. The exhibit is up until October 3, 2016.
available $2800
Balboa Park, San Diego 30×40 oil painting
This painting of beautiful Balboa Park, San Diego shows the hustle and bustle of tourist season. Lots of vibrant color with the back drop of Spanish-Moorish architecture in the buildings. Keeping the painting loose and painterly I show some details in the buildings while staying impressionistic. Rich ochres in the building hues, blues and olives in the water, and lively pastel colors for the pedestrians.
Available $2400
How Art Collectors Place Art in their Homes
How do experienced art collectors arrange art in a home? Without a professional interior designer, it can be a bit difficult to know the perfect places to hang your art on your. Placing art of all types throughout your home is a learned skill. Below we have some beautiful examples and practical tips for making your home a place of balanced beauty and art.
In this art collector’s home, above, a Laguna Beach seascape graces the entrance of the home above a table. The reds throughout the rustic table match the flowers in the painting, while the shell lamps go with the beach theme. It works so well because the painting is low enough to create a unit with the table. And the items on the table and shelf keep the eye moving around and back up to the painting. There is balance with the two lamps evenly placed and the painting centered over the table, and there is asymmetry with the way the rest of the items are placed on the tabletop and shelf. This creates a full and visually interesting look.
In the above photo the art collector chooses simple modern frames to go with the clean lines of the room. Both paintings are spacious in imagery complimenting the large window view of a lush backyard. Beautiful woodwork throughout the home makes a perfect setting for the landscape and seascape.
In the sunset painting placement, above, the art collector is making a dramatic statement. They put it above an antique family heirloom dresser in the entrance of the home. Placing the painting above the dark furniture with low lighting makes the painting “glow”.
Available painting “Big Sur” 40″x60″
The above is an example of being bold in the placement of art. In this small living room the huge painting (available, big sur, 40×60) makes the room feel larger by placing it over a dining bench. This room has a neutral palette with bronze/black accents which makes the greens and blues of the painting pop.
An oversized piece of art can create real drama and complete the room. Putting a painting above the fireplace finishes the room nicely and gives it a centerpiece. This piece works well with the darks in the room without competing with the florals.
Creatively displaying all original art in the home, the top image shows how well beautiful glass art on tables tops mixes well with original oil paintings. The second image shows an example of beautiful color combinations in the room with original art on walls completes the total look.
“Desert Gold” 24×30 desert oil painting
Available oil painting
This original, desert oil painting, “Desert Gold” is an impressionist painting of a California desert near La Quinta, California. My family and I visit this desert several times a year and go hiking with my sisters’ family who lives there. I live on the coast, so I love the contrast of the warm and relaxing desert air. When hiking in this desert area, you can almost hear the native drums. So peaceful, quiet, and mysteriously healing. On this day the light hit the mountains and bushes in a way that felt soft and airy. I put this feeling of softness and atmosphere in the painting with loose brushwork and thick paint. This original desert oil painting has a variety of vibrant colors: golds, purples, blues, pinks, earth tones, and yellows. I painted this original desert oil painting from a series of photos I took on this day of hiking with family.
“I have always loved the desert, one sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams…..” Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
Laguna Palm Tree, 12×16 original oil painting
Available oil painting
This palm tree painting has thick paint and a pastel color palette. Impressionist painting of Laguna Beach, California. I painted this on location, plein air, at noon-ish. The texture of the paint makes the palm trees look like they are moving in the wind. Impressionist in style allows room for loose, juicy paint. I like to get the gist of the scene and let the viewers finish the painting with their own eyes. When I first started out painting, one of my favorite books was Oil Painting Workshop by Ted Goeshner. The author instructs how we should not paint down to the viewer. Everyone knows what a tree looks like. We don’t need to paint every leaf. I like this approach because it gives more room to focus on atmosphere, mood, and texture. Laguna Beach is gorgeous 365 days a year, even on the gloomy days. With palm trees everywhere swaying in the wind and the sounds of the surf pounding the shore one feels (if you’re a local like me) as if you are on a mini vacation.
Palm trees grace landscape Burst of pink laughter invades Blue sky and water
Dorothy (Alves) Holmes #192 Haiku Palm Trees
Zion National Park 24×36
Went to Zion National Park for the first time on a plein-air painting trip. Wow it was gorgeous! I was painting so I didn’t go on any hiking trails, but there are lots of YouTube videos on the many trails and hope to hike when I go back. Really beautiful campground right in the entrance of the canyon. As a painter there are scenes everywhere to paint, one more gorgeous than the next. Stayed at Bubbleberry Inn in Springdale, Utah. The two paintings in this post are of the same scene; a small “on location” painting and then I used that for color reference to paint large one from photo. There is gorgeousness everywhere in Zion so I felt a little overwhelmed trying the find “thee” perfect location to paint! “Make a #%** decision woman!” I said to myself. This spot was relatively close to a bathroom so decision made! Walking around the location this scene struck me with its slivers of light hitting the cliffs. And the company of other painters and birds singing made it an absolutely lovely experience…. So where do you get good coffee in Springdale, Utah? Deep Creek coffee has excellent lattes, scones, and fresh juice. For groceries we went to Sol Foods which had amazing veggie soup daily in the deli in the back of the store. Lots of cute shops on the main drag in town. Can’t wait to go back!
12×16 Painted on location at Zion National Park
Valley of Fire 12×16
Amazing rock formations at state park in Nevada. Little two lane road takes you all over the park. Feels like you are at a amusement park but the “amusement” is all nature and rocks. The deeper into the park the more amazing. I painted 3 on location and took some photos so plan to paint some larger canvases of this location. Gorgeous scenic state park can’t wait to go back.
8×10 “Colors of the Rainbow” (at valley of fire state park)
Big Sur 40″ x 60″ Oil Painting
Original oil of Big Sur, Ca. This painting was painted from small studies on location and photo reference. This piece depicts the quintessential northern California cliffs of Big Sur. Big lush green pastures and brushstrokes give this piece a feeling of grandeur. Done in the plein air style this landscape capturing the beautiful pastures of coastal cliffs.
Dusk, Avalon, Catalina 12×16 oil
The perfect time of day! Certain times of day can transport you in a meditative way to another place and time. This Catalina scene remains me of my Irish ancestry. On my mother side they were from Cobh, Ireland. It’s a town on the south east side with a small cove and harbor a lot like Catalina in that the hilleside meets the sea and the town is all about the harbor. A must see town with great Bed and Breakfasts.
Catalina Lights 12×16 oil
Wow the night scenery in Catalina is breath taking! The lights look like jewels
Against the dark sky.
Twinkling white, yellow, and gold lights………lit like a Christmas tree!
Avalon Casino 12×16 oil
Recently spent time in Catalina. I always forget when away for a while how blue and gorgeous the water is. A pretty little cove. We found a great cafe with a delicious Indian cauliflower potato soup…..I think its Cafe Metropole…..or something like that. No Starbucks on Catalina, but at C.C. Gallagher they make a delicious soy latte! They also have yummy deserts.
Torrey State Park 8×10 oil
Torrey Pines State Park is a great place to hike. Amazing views of ocean and beach through the pines. Beautiful coastal setting in San Diego, California. The smell of the pines and ocean together is intoxicating? A must see for all travelers.
