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Friday, June 26, 2009

Fourth of July Painting

Welcome and Happy Fourth of July. One of my good customers lives on Balboa Island and commissioned me to paint a "summer" painting for her home. She loves red, roses, sunflowers, flags and summer porch living on the island. Put on your walking shoes and join me and Bentley for a little walking tour of Balboa Island looking for summer inspirations for the painting.




Bentley my "studio assistant" is anxious to get started.


Balboa Island is one of my favorite places to walk Bentley looking for inspiration for my art. It is a small island on the Newport Bay located about half a mile from the beautiful Pacific Ocean in Southern California. Most of the cottages are reminiscent of the cottages on Nantucket and Cape Cod Islands.

Finding inspiration . . . . . . . .


Lovely porch with lots of red.





Sunflowers





Here . . . . .
Red roses





There . . . . .







Vintage Picnic basket with flags and red geraniums

Everywhere . . . . .


























We found lots of inspiration on our walk for the summer painting - flags, porches, roses, sunflowers and wicker furniture. My customer has brown wood paneling in her cottage and I decided to paint the porch floor brown in order to tie the painting into her home and bring harmony. I liked the browns in the vintage picnic basket with flags and also added a brown basket of purple flowers in order to bounce the brown around the painting. I also added Catalina Island to anchor the browns ( Catalina Island is a lovely island about 27 miles from Balboa Island in the Pacific Ocean and also a favorite destination of my customer).






The completed summer painting.

Have a bang up fourth.




Thank you for visiting my blog. I love hearing from you and it means a lot to me that you have taken time to leave me a comment and to follow my blog. Please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special.


A big thank you to everyone who participated in the scarf project to help raise money for abandoned dogs.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Erin, your jaunt to find painting subjects looks like so much fun! You're right - it looks very much like Cape Cod or Nantucket. There's nothing like being near the water and your painting has just that atmosphere that makes me wish I weren't so far INLAND! At least we have lakes nearby! ;-)
Diane

Stacey said...

Erin, I just love to look at the photos on your blog and your paintings. You really do have a way of capturing beauty.

Unknown said...

OOOOH ! I'm so glad I came to visit you from Dianes blog. I LOVE your photos and your designs!!! I'm going to go back and take another look around!! Nice to meet you!!! Laurie

bj said...

Dear Erin and Bentley,
What a lovely tour you took us on. I loved it all. Such beautiful sights and, as usual, you captured it all in your amazing painting. I know your client was so pleased with her summer painting. Just beautiful....
So glad you have received more scarves...such a good cause.
love, bj

Kathi said...

Another beautiful painting!
Happy 4th of July to you too!

Rhondi said...

Hi Erin
I saw your comment on Penny's blog and liked the name of your blog so I thought I'd come for a visit. All the photos of inspiration for the painting are so colorful, but oh I love the painting. I hope your client loved it.
Rhondi

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Erin, the photos of Balboa Island are wonderful, but your painting is PERFECT! I want to sit right down in those wicker chairs...
Hugs,
Penny

2 Dogs said...

Yes you do have lots of inspiration there and you did a wonderful job of capturing the beauty of it all. Hugs

Sometimes It's Good said...

I love Balboa Island. I go there on Sundays quite often to my friends in Art of Sax at the Village Inn. Your painting is so pretty.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Your painting is perfection! I love the sailboats in the background and all of the beautiful reds and blues! It makes me feel happy!

Four Paws and Co said...

Wow Erin, this is gorgeous! I bet your client is just beside herself with glee! Loved the painting & the tour. It's a beautiful area!

☺ Diane

Ruth Welter said...

Erin, your new painting is gorgeous, I know your customer will love it.

Happy 4th to you.

Ruth

Marilyn said...

Love the clear, bright red accents. The red doors are wonderful. I have a can of paint to do our front door...just need to get busy sanding and sealing it first! Thanks for taking us on the walk, too!

*Ulrike* said...

All the red, the ocean, sunflowers, wicker chairs, sounds like summer time and relaxation to me!! Thanks for visiting my blog. Didn't know you were a N.C. girl! N.C. was alway summertime to me since that is where part of my family lives.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to visiting you again!!!
Ulrike

Phyllis said...

Wow, what a beautiful walking tour. I sure wish I could go there myself and see! I really like the small flags in the picnic basket. Maybe I can do that before the 4th gets here.

The summer painting is perfect...and that sign is so cute.

Happy 4th to you too!!

Naturegirl said...

Wonderful scenery in the inspirational photos! You are gifted in your talent! Lovely paintings!
Happy 4th..here we celebrate Canada day!I came in via Penny's another gifted artist! :)

Donna said...

It's a beautiful painting, Erin! What a wonderful place and great photos!

Hugs,
Donna

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Charming! The inspiration photos and the painting! laurie

Lallee said...

Erin, you captured this commission so beautifully. I love seeing the world through your eyes! I also love seeing your neck of the world. thank you for the recent birthday wishes!
~Lallee

Coralie Cederna Johnson said...

I happened upon your blog and must tell you, I absolutely love it!!! Your inspiration walk and the your finished painting are wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing...I'm going to sign as a follower this very minute!

Barbara Jacksier said...

Hi Erin

My 4th of July post was a few days late. Thanks for being a part of it.