William DeShazo
William DeShazo, noted seascape artist, passed away on Christmas Eve 2022 in San Diego, having reached the age of 88 just days before. His artwork hangs on walls around the world, has appeared in various publications, including Architectural Digest and Sports Illustrated, and his most famous piece, “Pacific Dreams”, inspired a concerto by Jacob de Haan. A few of his original pieces hang in the Wyland Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, California. A short documentary film by GSO Productions celebrating his 80th birthday is still accessible on YouTube.
Bill was born a cowboy. He had his first rifle at 12. He hunted, tamed and traded for his own string of horses, rode the fences of his father’s ranch, and was a professional bronc and bull rider as a teen. But mostly he spent weeks alone in dry Arizona ranchlands; his only companions were his horse, his imagination and his sketchbook. Art as a career was postponed by family and the need to make a living (as a commercial fisherman, taxi driver, railroad man, construction worker, to name a few). By the age of 30, however, he was supporting his family as an artist and art teacher. By his fifties, he was an internationally acclaimed artist.
He leaves behind his wife Carol Heller, his children Mark DeShazo of San Francisco, Dianne Sully of La Jolla, David DeShazo of Ramona, the mother of his children, Jane DeShazo of San Diego, and many grandchildren and friends who loved him and knew him as a big personality, a generous spirit, and the epitome of the rugged individualist.
William DeShazo, noted seascape artist, passed away on Christmas Eve 2022 in San Diego, having reached the age of 88 just days before. His artwork hangs on walls around the world, has appeared in various publications, including Architectural Digest and Sports Illustrated, and his most famous piece, “Pacific Dreams”, inspired a concerto by Jacob de Haan. A few of his original pieces hang in the Wyland Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, California. A short documentary film by GSO Productions celebrating his 80th birthday is still accessible on YouTube.
Bill was born a cowboy. He had his first rifle at 12. He hunted, tamed and traded for his own string of horses, rode the fences of his father’s ranch, and was a professional bronc and bull rider as a teen. But mostly he spent weeks alone in dry Arizona ranchlands; his only companions were his horse, his imagination and his sketchbook. Art as a career was postponed by family and the need to make a living (as a commercial fisherman, taxi driver, railroad man, construction worker, to name a few). By the age of 30, however, he was supporting his family as an artist and art teacher. By his fifties, he was an internationally acclaimed artist.
He leaves behind his wife Carol Heller, his children Mark DeShazo of San Francisco, Dianne Sully of La Jolla, David DeShazo of Ramona, the mother of his children, Jane DeShazo of San Diego, and many grandchildren and friends who loved him and knew him as a big personality, a generous spirit, and the epitome of the rugged individualist.