Doing the walk of art

Young Chang

A mile of paintings and other artistic goods, the water at your back

and artists for company.

This will be the scene at the Balboa Island Artwalk, which happens

from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. More than 85 artists will set up shop from

Marine Avenue to the Ferry Landing at Agate Avenue for a stretch of

culture along the South Bay Front frequented for the last six years by

area artists.

They will sell oil paintings, water colors, pastels, high-end

ceramics, glass, jewelry and photography. Each artist will demonstrate

how they work, taking visitors through the steps of sketching, sculpting,

painting, whatever the craft calls for.

“I think that’s a really important part, and it’s what makes us

different from a lot of shows,” said Debra Huse, an artist and organizer

of the Artwalk. “So it has an educational factor to it.”

When Huse first began the Artwalk, she had only 30 artists and hardly

any local publicity. Today the buzz has spread among artists, visitors

and even musicians, as five bands will provide music Sunday.

“It’s just grown like crazy,” Huse said.

As owner of the Debra Huse Studio Gallery, which is on Balboa Island,

the artist will showcase her oil paintings. Her display of plein air

scenes -- most of them local -- will be in the middle of the Artwalk.

“There’s no theme really,” she said. “[Artists] can show whatever they

like.”

Richard Kent, a painter from Irvine, will also sell local art. He has

painted many scenes of boats, bridges and garden yards on Balboa Island.

Some of them are sold in a gallery on the island, others at one on the

Balboa Peninsula.

“It has a very human scale to it,” he said. “With all the walking

that’s done. And all the beautiful yards down by the boardwalk . . . It’s

a very small island and friendly.”

Kent’s display will include about 30 pieces -- some of local scenes,

others of Crystal Cove.

“I paint wherever I go,” he said.

Leslie Avalos, a Mission Viejo artist who does plein air water color

painting, also paints on location. She creates pieces specifically for

the shows she’s involved in.

“I just think it’s one way for me to kinda have a theme,” she said.

“They have so many paintings, so take those that are gonna relate to

people who are going to be seeing the show.”

Her scenes depict the boats on the island, the Back Bay and Crystal

Cove.

George Watts, Avalos’ 82-year-old father and a painter of ocean-themed

works, will set up a booth right next to his daughter’s.

“I think it’s great,” Avalos said. “We are all trying to help each

other and all the artists want to support one another. We share

information, some of us are painting together and I’ll see other artists

who do plein air work down there.”

FYI

WHAT: Balboa Island Artwalk

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: The South Bay Front (the walkway that goes all around Balboa

Island)

COST: Free

CALL: (949) 723-6171