Blue moon over Balboa inspires artists

There was nothing “plain” about the images created on the canvases and displayed on the easels set up by local plein-air artists along South Bayfront on Balboa Island Thursday night.

Eight artists — Debra Huse, Greg LaRock, Scott Prior, Jim Woodark, Joyce Pekala, Michael Situ, Dick Rice and Jeff Sewell — were there for a “once in a blue moon” opportunity to paint both the sunset and the second full moon rise to be seen this month.

Most of the artists painting the phenomenon weren’t even familiar with what a blue moon was until Huse asked them to join her in taking on the challenge of trying to paint it — and the sunset — in the small window of time available to capture each event.

Wikipedia defines a blue moon — which has nothing at all to do with the color of the moon — as “the second of two full moons to occur in the same calendar month.”

A blue moon occurs once every two to three years, and the next one here isn’t expected until December 2009.

Huse always wanted to paint a full moon and decided that “there was no better time to do something like that than on a blue moon night.”

The term “plein air” refers to painting that is done in an outdoor environment, and is completed in a single sitting.

Dick Rice, who had set up his easel on the public dock over the water on Coral Avenue, explained that for plein-air painters, the challenge is trying to capture the light before it changes. He, along with many of the others, complete their paintings in about two hours.

Many of the artists had never painted a “nocturne” or evening painting before, and painting the moon rise — which they knew would happen quickly — presented an even greater challenge.

Jeff Sewell had come down to Balboa Island the night before to get a feel for what his palette and lighting should be for the full moon rise the following night.

Sewell was confident when he began the background painting for his blue moon canvas but had to switch gears quickly when Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating.

The moon rise, predicted for 8:15 p.m., was taking its sweet time, and Sewell realized the background colors for the painting he had begun needed to be much darker.

Fortunately, he had another blank canvas handy, and as the moon finally broke over the dark clouds, Sewell had the image he had been waiting for.

Greg LaRock began his sunset painting at 5:30 p.m., and chose to paint the walkway, houses, trees and people along the much-traveled South Bayfront street.

Describing himself as a serious plein-air painter for only the last five or six years, LaRock wants his paintings to “be based on a true story.”

For Mike and Carrie Benvenuti of Newport Coast, LaRock’s painting became their story as they happened on the artist at the “tail end” of his masterpiece at about 8 p.m.

The Benvenutis walk their dachshund, Oscar Mayer, on Balboa Island every Friday night.

The couple just happened to be walking the dog on Balboa Island Thursday night, and Carrie Benvenuti loved what she saw in LaRock’s painting.

“My favorite windows in the houses here are the arched windows,” she said, which were exactly the ones LaRock had painted.

LaRock was done with the sunset painting and was getting ready to begin his moon-rise canvas when the Benvenutis made him an offer he just couldn’t refuse: They offered to buy the painting if LaRock would add one small detail — their dog on the walkway.

LaRock agreed, Oscar Mayer made it onto the canvas, and the painting was christened “Not Just Another Friday Night.”

Once in a blue moon, the expected becomes the unexpected.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Blue Moon Madness exhibit, running through Monday

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Debra Huse Gallery, 229 Marine Ave., Balboa Island

COST: Free

INFO: (949) 723-6171 or www.debrahuse.com