William Brion
William Brion moved to California in 1952 where he enjoyed living on the cliffs above the beach at Agate Street in Laguna Beach. His mother, who had worked for Disney Animation Studios, was instrumental in his exploration of different art mediums. Brion graduated from Whittier College in 1974 with a degree in art and art history. He explored the many forms of artistic expression in art history and began to assimilate and articulate certain artistic influences by preferred artists into his work. He relished the realism of Andrew Wyeth and his weathered structures, and he cherished the beauty of the impressionists in their attempt to capture the moment with dashes of “lighted” paint. Brion rounded out his artistic background with the art of India and the art of Oceania classes at Long Beach State. He adopted the Indian circular artistic technique of the “mandala” to bring calm and a sense of serenity to his work. Taking a class in photography from fashion photographer Robert Randall helped him to improve his compositional skills. As a young adult, he spent five years working for the Laguna Beach parks department caring for Heisler Park and built his knowledge of the coastal plants and trees that now instill strength and insight into his paintings.
Brion’s work is an expression of his love for the local coastline where he spent his childhood exploring everything along the beaches. His intimate knowledge of each cove’s unique heritage is reflected in his work. His paintings are a mixture of hard architectural lines nestled in the soft folds of nature’s surroundings. They are the vestiges of an era that is quickly disappearing.
July 5 to September 1, Brion will participate in the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach.