Putting the art in party

Last year, Raymond Otis became the first “artist laureate” for Newport Beach. This year, he scored another first.

As the city’s “centennial artist” at least he won’t have to worry about someone taking his place soon. He can hang on to this title for another 100 years.

Otis’s art was on display beside the work of several local artists along a small street near Balboa Pier. The other local artists were also invited to take part in the city’s centennial closing day celebrations, “100 Years Between the Piers.”

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Art Walk on Washington Street in Newport Beach featured painters, photographers, chalk artists and those who dabble in a little bit of everything.

Kathy Kehoe Bambeck, known for her sketches of Balboa Peninsula homes, was invited to the centennial festival by Dayan Pettit, one of the event’s organizers.

The Newport Beach resident often finds herself using one inspirational piece as the source for several works. Paintings and sketches, sometimes from the same photograph, were displayed along with the inspiring photo at the artist’s booth Sunday.

Bambeck also found time Sunday to get in a little work.

“It’s not hard to get the right shots here,” Bambeck said. “There are so many great views.”

Historic buildings and the variety of residential architecture make the hunt for a shot easy and fun, Bambeck said.

Otis agreed.

“Outward Bound,” the work that earned his artist laureate title, captured a moment from the 2006 Newport Ensenada International Yacht Race in May. The vessels battling it out through the harbor, the wind whipping their sails and crews hurrying to catch the wind all came across to the viewer, even in the smaller scale.

The original measures nearly 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall, Otis said.

Otis, who has lived in Newport Beach for 30 years, dove full-force into his art in 2000. The mediums he mostly uses are pastels, acrylics and watercolors.

“I love the beauty,” Otis said. “It’s a very special place, the harbor, the boats, the beaches, and that’s what I paint.”

Art permeated the activities of the centennial celebrations. Along with the Art Walk and chalk-art areas, coloring books were handed out.

On 15th Street, the art of the classic automobile was honored in the Antique Motorcycle and Woodie Car shows.

Sidewalk chalk drawings offered more improvisational tributes to the city’s birthday.

For $5 anyone could rent space in one of 100 squares to make a chalk drawing. The spots were framed with tape in a parking lot in front of Ocean Front East.

Chalk drawing organizer Penny Rodheim wanted to give a piece of art back to the city she and her husband Ralph Rodheim love so much.

“The whole idea was to set up [the] squares as a centennial tapestry,” Penny Rodheim said. And at the end of the day, everyone can enjoy it.

The Dime and Pin Girls, six elementary school friends, take one trip together every year as tradition. Although spread across the country from Pacific to Atlantic, the girls found the time to trek from their distant homes to leave their marks on Newport Beach.

Friends since 1957, the girls each drew a symbol representing each of them, in one of the 100 centennial chalk squares.

“It’s beautiful here,” Lois Jean Pitrone said. “Everyone’s so friendly.”