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Saturday, May 12, 2007
by Jennifer Bush
OC Home
The Orange County Register
jbush@ocregister.com
FAMOUS FACE: A portrait of singer Nat King Cole by local artist Kirk Miller, who was deCarion's career mentor, anchors a wall leading to stairs.
PHOTO: CHAS METIVIER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Early plein-air artists painted on the beach at Woods Cove just steps from Suzanne deCarion's historic home in South Laguna.
But the storybook-style residence offers yet a deeper connection to Laguna's art world, which deCarion uncovered when she purchased the house two years ago. The home was built in 1937 by an unknown artist as a combination studio/residence, although the legacy was never fulfilled. The artist sold the home upon completion to the Salomon family, which lived there for 67 years.
 True to the home's original purpose, deCarion operates an in-home gallery modeled after the concept of the 19th century art salons of Paris.
"The furnished home environment provides an intimate setting for artists to show their work," deCarion said. "It's an alternative to the white-box gallery."
Art flows throughout the hallways and bedrooms of the two-story structure with the greatest number of pieces concentrated in the gallery, situated at the entrance of the home. The open windows and vaulted ceiling in the space provide an abundance of natural light and wall space to display select art pieces with styles that range from plein-air to contemporary.
Designer Jeanette Kyser captured the glamour of old Hollywood in the gallery through the use of art deco-style furnishings. An oversized jeweled chandelier and lamps set the tone. A tufted leather sofa and low-back chairs add comfortable seating along the walls of the open space. An area rug in a geometric pattern softens the look without covering the original wood floors.
"The furnishings are glamorous, yet simple, so they don't take away from the art," Kyser said.
Kathleen Jewell of Color Coach, a color consulting company in Orange, provided assistance in returning the home to its original 1930s splendor. A palette of warm and cool colors from Benjamin Moore Paints used throughout the home provides different backgrounds to enhance the art. A lath-and-plaster finish returned the walls to their original texture before painting. A rich gold hue used on the gallery walls and ceilings with dark brown moldings were among the period colors chosen.
The opening of the salon last year drew hundreds of art enthusiasts.
 DeCarion's work hangs in the gallery along with those by artists Gavin Sewell of New York, Patrizia DiDiomete of Vancouver and local artists Iris Bourne, Kirk Miller and Jeff Yeomans.
Miller was deCarion's career mentor. In addition to studying art with Miller for 10 years, deCarion worked as his sales representative promoting Miller's work in Laguna Beach galleries.
The art salon provides an "ideal setting," Miller said. "Most fine art is primarily for the home. While galleries can be rather cold, the salon shows buyers what a piece might look like in their own home. They can move it around and see what it may look like above a couch, for example."
Future artist openings are in the planning stages. The gallery is open by appointment for interior designers and art collectors.
DeCarion's goal is to promote a small number of sponsored artists at the salon and in select galleries nationwide. In addition, the salon provides space for the sponsored artists to work. Some have already taken advantage of the ocean-view balcony of the art salon for painting. Others from as far as New York have stayed in the salon.
"The location provides our artists a beautiful environment to stay and work," deCarion said. "And it's an environment that's conducive to creativity and inspiration."
Contact the writer: 714-796-5020 or jbush@ocregister.com
copyright © 2006 deCarion Fine Arts. All Rights Reserved.
All artwork displayed at this site are copyright of the respective artists.
Reproduction in any form, electronic or print, of images on this site are strictly prohibited.
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