Sky, sea and sand: absolutely the essence of a California day along the seashore. The painting contains an element that Elanor Colburn is best known for employing in her artwork, the use of striking colors slipped within the traditional hues of nature. The seemingly infinite horizon pushes past the sea, creating a block of sky that the artist heavily stroked with her brush to create the ethereal sense of the direction of the wind.
Fourteen people are relaxing at the renown Southern California shore of Laguna Beach wearing various summer clothes; four hats, some in skirts or shorts, a man in the center wearing a strong blue shirt that leads the viewer to and from the surf. The water holds mysterious flashes of brief reds, spot white, and some somber grays among the predominant soft blue and pastel sea-green. The darkest heads of hair, some body shapes and the two vertically parallel beach umbrellas have Fauvist touches to their outlines.
An instrumental figure in the Laguna Bach Art Association in this era, including selecting their site at Coast Road and Cliff Drive with William Wendt and Thomas Hunt, Colburn exhibited in Los Angeles and San Francisco. This American Impressionist painting shows her unique strengths and style.
