La Plage, Promenade des Anglais

A row of beach umbrellas crowds the sand along the French Riviera in this bright scene by Scottish painter Jennifer Irvine. The title nods to the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, a famous seaside walkway that has drawn sunbathers for well over a century. Irvine gives us umbrellas in every shade of blue, plus a sunny yellow one and a few crisp white ones near the water. Thick, quick brushstrokes shape each canopy, and behind them the sea shifts from deep navy to a pale turquoise. A short white fence and a small red and yellow flag break up the blues with tiny pops of contrast.

The charm here comes from Irvine's loose, easygoing style. She skips the fine details and lets big patches of color carry the mood, which gives the whole picture a warm, laid back holiday feel. A striped umbrella tilts at an angle, a stroller sits parked in the sand, and the whole scene hums with the quiet pleasure of a summer afternoon. Painted in 2010, it captures that simple joy of a day at the beach with no plans and nowhere to rush off to.