Huntington Beach

Purchase Original Oil Paintings and Archival Quality Canvas Giclée Prints

Huntington Beach art featuring Southern California beach life and the Huntington Beach Pier. The beach art includes scenes of surfing, boogie boarding, sand volleyball, fishing, sun-bathing, bike riding, and sand castle making.

In 1996, the Orange County artist Steve Simon was commissioned by the organizers of the Huntington Beach Pierfest Sea & Air Show to depict a scene illustrating the upcoming event. Since it was the first annual Pierfest, there was no photographic material to work from. In an effort to visual what the event would look like from the air, organizers flew Simon over the newly renovated pier and asked him to use his imagination in creating a poster piece that would incorporate an aerial view of the pier and suggest the sea and air events. It was Simon’s first such aerial effort which led to other commissioned art by the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. The collection of Huntington Beach art does not include these commissions but does include images since inspired by the beauty of this Southern California beach town.

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. It is perhaps best known for its 8.5 miles of beach and its surf culture and history that have earned it the nicknames “Surf City” and “Surfing Capital of the World.” The city’s most recognizable landmark is its famous and recently renovated pier, the Huntington Pier. The Huntington Beach artwork featured in this collection predominantly features the pier and various beaches.

Huntington Beach beaches can be divided into four general areas: Bolsa Chica State Beach, "The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach,” the beach north of the pier known as Huntington Beach City Beach, and Huntington State Beach south of Huntington Pier.

Bolsa Chica State Beach is a narrow beach favored by longboard surfers for its slower surf. The beach itself is more accurately a sand bar, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a 300-acre wetland sanctuary for wildlife and migratory birds. The reserve may be accessed by the public via a wooden bridge crossing over a tidal inlet. A 1.5 mile loop trail provides a relaxing stroll and wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly attractive to bird watchers and wildlife photographers. A $110 million restoration of the wetlands was completed in 2006.

"The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach" is also another popular beach, perhaps more so for locals than tourists. Dog Beach runs for about one mile and is located between 21st St. and Seapoint Street. It is a certifiable paradise for dogs and dog owners since it is one of the few places dogs are overtly allowed on the beach.

Huntington City Beach is located between Beach Boulevard and Seapoint Street and is operated by the City of Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach Pier is the focal point of the beach, integrating seamlessly with downtown Main Street. Parking close to the Huntington Beach Pier affords visitors the opportunity to enjoy the beach and also the shops, restaurants, and bars of Main Street.

In the summer, Huntington City Beach offers many events including: US Open of Surfing and Beach Games, X-Games, Core Tour Extreme Sports Competition, and AVP Pro Beach Volleyball.

Huntington City Beach includes Pier Plaza, the location of a weekly Farmer's Market and Art Fair and Summer Concert Series.

Huntington City Beach also offers fire rings or bonfire pits on the south side of the beach near Beach Boulevard. Huntington Beach is also well known for sand volleyball. There are approximately twenty courts in the area around the pier and others near Beach Boulevard. Huntington Beach is also a popular destination for kite surfing, and this sport can be viewed on the beach northwest of the pier.

South of City Beach is Huntington State Beach. It covers two miles from Beach Boulevard to the Santa Ana River on the Newport Beach boundary and is operated by the State of California, Department of Parks & Recreation, and Huntington State Beach Lifeguards. This state beach ranks as the most attended state park of the California State Parks. This sandy beach is very wide. The coastline here features dramatically shifting sandbars, creating excellent surf conditions. Due to the Santa Ana River jetties located at the southern most end of the beach, large sandbars extend across and upcoast, forcing swells to break extremely fast and hollow. Across from the Huntington State Beach, is the 114-acre Huntington Beach Wetlands, operated by the Department of Fish and Game.