Scenes of the coast

Lolita Harper

Artist Bill Ogden bellied up to the bar of the Little Knight in Costa

Mesa on Sunday night to relax, have a cocktail and spark up some

conversation. Ogden’s long gray hair and beard stood out in the

middle of the crowded nighttime hangout, and his “energy” was

unparalleled.

He is in the area to promote his Southern California tour, in

which he will visit Laguna, Newport and Hermosa beaches. He will be

at the Frog House in Newport Beach on Thursday at noon to sign

prints. Ten percent of all sales will benefit local Surfrider

Foundation chapters.

Ogden said he has been enjoying the coastal communities, hitting

up the local bars, taken in the scenery and hanging out at the pier.

He described himself as “a real pier rat.”

First published in 1960, Ogden has been called one of the most

influential surf artists of all time. He is very laid back, never

uptight and speaks in terms of good energy and good vibes.

“I am just fine today,” Ogden said in a phone interview on

Wednesday. “I had a good night and a good day. I am not in a bad

mood.”

When establishing a place to shoot the photo for this article he

said, “Just think of somewhere trippy.”

He travels with good friends, all the while making new ones. This

summer tour brings him back to where it all started, he said. Ogden

lived in San Clemente and then Laguna Beach for about 20 years. He

had a booth at the Sawdust Festival for the first time in 1968, then

again in 1972 and 1974. He designed the T-shirt for the festival in

1997.

From the mid 1970s to the early ‘80s, Ogden traveled and painted

oils on location in Hawaii, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru.

During the ‘80s, Ogden perfected the “master’s techniques,” creating

large works on canvas by layering oils. One piece, “The Wizard

Merlin,” took three years and 30 layers of glaze to complete.

His art has also been used by companies such as Volcom, Burton and

the Triple Crown of Surfing. He created a 20-design signature series

for Quiksilver.

Outside of the business side of things, Ogden said he has been

through some “trippy” experiences. For instance, there was a rumor

going around a while back that he was dead.

“That was kind of far out, too,” Ogden said. “My friend walked up

to me and said, ‘You look pretty good for a dead guy.’ I got to find

out what it was like to be talked about after you’re gone.”

Ogden lives in the Santa Rosa Mountains, in a little village

called Pinon Flats. It is not a city, but a community, he stressed.

He lives in a modest home, typical of those built in the 1940s. It

was crafted to house the workers of the 74 Highway, he said.

He is on tour often, but always likes to return home to his quaint

village in the mountains. He is not very homesick in Newport Beach.

He said he loves it here.

“I am really digging it, to tell you the truth,” Ogden said. “ I

am actually becoming a Newport guy, which is far out.”