Beach art

Lolita Harper

Among the quaint storefronts and trendy restaurants that line 31st

Street, Newport Beach native Kristen Vitti has found her niche. The

29-year-old Corona del Mar resident followed her heart and opened her

own gallery in her hometown.

“I have been painting since I was young,” Vitti said. “I just

never really thought of making it a career until now.”

Art has always been her passion and at the base of her

professional endeavors. Whether teaching at inner city schools or

working for Glamour magazine, creativity and expression were her

driving forces, she said. She spent a considerable amount of time in

art school in Italy, painting in Florence. Vitti also consistently

commissioned work for family and friends.

Vitti has been “all over the place,” but inevitably, couldn’t

resist coming back to Newport Beach.

“I was gone for 10 years and lived in 10 different cities,” she

said. “I decided it was time to come home and just be settled, so I

did just that.”

After some time spent back in the family home, Vitti discovered a

quaint little space in the 400 block of 31st Street. Realizing the

empty storefront was a chance for her to fulfill her lifelong dream,

Vitti jumped at the opportunity.

“The space became available and I took advantage of it,” Vitti

said.

The room is now filled with original oils and the works of five

other artists. The walls are decorated with colorful paintings,

touting deliberate strokes and rich texture. The artist’s passions

come alive on the canvas.

Vitti also deals in consignment, where she will buy paintings from

people and mark them up to make a profit, or contract with the

sellers to split the profits. They get 60% and she takes 40%.

For now, her small business is bringing in enough to pay her rent

but not much more, Vitti said.

“Art is tough because it doesn’t sell on a daily basis,” Vitti

said.

Her works are priced between $500 and $3,000, so selling a larger

painting means guaranteed shelter for the next three months. Vitti

has noticed she is missing out on walk-in sales from tourists because

many of her paintings are so large, she said. A change in her

business plan may be in order, at least for the summer.

“Being down by the beach, I think I need to start making some less

expensive pieces because of the tourists,” she said. “I have to

figure out what is going to sell and what is going to work. It’ll

take a while to start making some money.”

In addition to painting, creating and selling, Vitti is hustling.

Handing out business cards, spreading the word. Traffic is tough in

the congested area of Newport Beach, but people are willing to go to

lengths to get the best.

They just have to know where to find it, she said.

“It’s all word of mouth,” Vitti said. “The time will come.”