Artist Paints Iconic Beach Landmarks

Artist Bill Anderson Captures Disappearing Landscapes

Anderson Art Gallery
16812 Pacific Coast Highway
Sunset Beach, CA 90742
(562) 592-4393
billandersonartgallery.com

Bill Anderson has spent more than 50 years capturing California's landmarks, in many cases rushing to get them on canvas before a wrecking ball arrives to forever erase all but fading memories.  

In three art books about Orange County's northernmost beach towns -- Seal Beach, Sunset Beach and Huntington Beach -- the famed artist depicts slices of life in vivid colors, portraying people and places millions have visited and fondly recall.

"The beach is such a unique place. It's what brings people to Southern California. You can stand on the edge of the United States and look inland as well as out toward the rest of the world," said Anderson.

"The beaches, linked to the Pacific Ocean, have different character as do the towns featured in three books:

• SUNSET BEACH - The uniqueness of Sunset Beach has the character of Old California, with historic homes and the little red and white cottages.
• SEAL BEACH - It has that old town atmosphere, like Carmel once had, an atmosphere which has largely disappeared.
• HUNTINGTON BEACH - As a major tourist destination, Huntington Beach attracts people from around the world and it always has. I remember living in my native Minnesota in the 1950s, watching ABC's Wide World of Sports, featuring the National Championship of Surfing next to Huntington Beach Pier.

"I've been lucky to capture what's gone--the old piers, the Golden Bear, the aged downtown. I've really worked to capture the old feel of these cities, especially the buildings, many of which are gone."

"The Big Red Car used to run through Seal Beach, Sunset Beach and Huntington Beach and it tied them together."

"I plan on doing other art books on Newport Beach, Long Beach and Coastal California--from San Francisco to San Diego."