Artists Draw Inspiration from CDM Beach

Corona del Mar is a great place for a lot of different things, but some artists favor it for its inspiration.

Local artists and longtime friends K. Robinson and Anne Steele recently spent a sunny day on the bluff overlooking Big Corona Beach. It's a spot in the village they have grown to love.

“I grew up in Newport and moved to the Northwest, and now I am a seasonal visitor but always with painting on the agenda,” Steele said.

“It is such a privilege to be able to paint outdoors," Robinson added.

That's because she lives in Seattle and only travels to CDM from time to time. Steele, on the other hand, splits her time between Newport Beach and Seattle. 

Both artists said the environment here is perfect. They say it allows them to paint in the style of plein air, which in French means "open air." In plein-air painting, artists use the method of layering paint and letting it dry in between. 

“Plein-air painting is a stronger tradition here in California because of the weather,” Steele said.

Robinson, who is also a studio painter, had to transition into the plein-air style and all of the challenges being outside brings.  “It is exhilarating but exhausting,” she said. "It requires building up stamina, because before you know it the hours have gone by and you suddenly realize how long you have been standing."

Steele met Robinson while attending Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, and although Robinson has professional aspirations and does sell her artwork, Steele says painting in CDM is more of a hobby that she truly enjoys.

“It’s always nice to have one's work appreciated," Steele said. "But right now I’m working on improving my skills and a sense of what art is.”