Historic Balboa

Description

Giclée reproduction of “Historic Balboa” from the original pan and ink drawing by artist Scott Kennedy in 1984.

The original work was done on location in Newport Beach, California, and is part of Scott Kennedy’s Newport Beach Artwork collection.

The Historic Balboa Painting:  How it came about

Shortly after I returned from Scandinavia in 1983, the owner of Balboa Pavilion, Phil Tozer, called upon me. He had come to request a rendering of the bayfront along the historic Balboa peninsula.

After our meeting, Phil and I became friends. Phil disclosed that the Fun Zone and surrounding district along historic Balboa would soon be demolished forever.

This destination was very special to me. It had provided me and countless others with bundles of fun and early memories. In my youth, I sailed here almost every day with my dog, walked ashore, got a burger, and then sailed off into the Pacific.

The Making of the Historic Balboa Painting

This piece would be in India ink and span the Pavilion, the Fun Zone and on up to the Ferry Landing. The old stately Bank of America building and the Balboa Inn are visible along the ocean front. So are the Rendezvous apartments, along with the famous ballroom – which have since burned down.

I had done numerous commissions in seaports of Europe but nothing ever this size before. I purchased a 4 foot long sheet of D’Arches watercolor paper and set up to view from the public floating dock directly across the channel.

While the dock gently swayed with the swells, I captured as much detail as possible with one eye in the binoculars and the other on the paper.

When finished – and before going to print – Phil and I agreed that the print would be smaller than the original and also a limited edition of 200. Not liking the stark white of the paper, I developed a solution of water, coffee and black tea for a slightly vintage look.

More about this Historic Balboa piece…

Many prints sold to Phil’s friends along the merchant row of the zone. The others were offered at the new “Scott Kennedy Maritime Gallery” on the wharf next to Delaney’s Sea Shanty. They quickly sold out.

The image is now available again, this time in full color with Giclée reproductions. The Giclée process provides an incredible likeness, rich with colorfast inks, that was not yet available in the eighties.

And more pieces from historic Balboa…

See the pen and ink drawing “Fun Zone” and the watercolor painting “Dory Fleet: Newport Beach”. Also, check out another watercolor painting “Commodore: Balboa Island Ferry”.