Bill Ogden - Godfather of Surf Realism / Giclees on Canvas

Artist Biography

Bill Ogden was first published in the early 1960's, and has made an indelible impression on the surf art community. Called, "one of the most influential and imitated surf artists of all time," Ogden's work can be seen in magazines, rock posters and various other forms of commercial art.

It was during the 60's and mid 70's when Ogden became known for his original nouveau style of graphics, lettering and figures – a style known as "the Southern California look." Some of his more well-known works during this period include four color illustrations in the L.A. Free Press for Timothy Leary, a series of calendars for the Sound Spectrum in Laguna Beach, and the art for the classic film, The Forgotten Island of Santosha. Also during that time, Ogden's art could be seen every month on the back cover of Surfer Magazine as the main focus of an ad campaign by Jantzen swimwear company.

From the mid 70's to the early 80's, Ogden traveled and painted oils on location in Hawaii, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru. In 1980, he published one of the first posters of the "Above and Below Water" concept used by many Hawaiian and Southern Californian artists.

During the 80's, Ogden perfected the "Master Techniques," creating large works on canvas by layering oils. One piece, “The Wizard Merlin," took three years and 30 layers of glaze to complete.

In 1997, Ogden was prominently featured at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach having designed the festival poster and t-shirt. His art has also been used by companies such as Volcom, Burton and The Triple Crown of Surfing, as well as a twenty design signature series by Quiksilver.