Fred Hope

Biography

Fred Hope is an award-winning artist and teacher based in Laguna Beach, California. He works in Pencil, Pastel, Watercolor, Oil, Acrylic, Sculpture and just about anything else that comes to hand. He is also an experienced surfer, which means he only rarely falls off his board.

Fred was influenced by world-class creativity from both branches of his family tree. His Father created unique architectural visions for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World and his paternal Grandfather received an Oscar™ for Art Direction. Fred's maternal Grandfather, Lyle R. Wheeler (1906-90), was one of the most revered motion picture Production Designers of all time.

Fred remembers: I was raised in a world of art and was introduced at a very young age to the idea of the artist as a storyteller. This has guided my work for the last 35 years, believing that the story is the mystical part of the artistic experience that has the power to pull us into unique new worlds.

With five Oscars™ and thirty-five Academy Award nominations, Lyle Wheeler was one of Fred’s strongest influences. He recalls: My Grandfather drew and painted incredibly well, always stressing the importance of all aspects of the arts. I was encouraged to practice every imaginable medium and technique including Drawing, Painting, Graphics and Sculpture. 

This focus paid off. In the early 1970’s Fred was invited to attend the exclusive Art Center College of Design on a full scholarship. He studied under many of the top professional artists of the day, some of whom had worked for Fred’s Grandfather. This did not always make things easier

Art Center was tough, but many of the instructors knew my family history and they demanded much more from me. It was intimidating, but I guess I won them over, they were the ones that encouraged me to teach!

Fred began teaching at Art Center in 1975 and has continued as his schedule allows over the last 25 years, teaching Drawing, Painting and Design. That same year Fred was recruited by WED Enterprises, now called Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney’s creative development subsidiary and think-tank.

Again in his words: At WED, I drew and painted well enough to be typecast as a “Presentation Artist” and was assigned to visualize other designer’s projects. I wanted to express my own ideas and viewpoint and I left to follow my own star.

For the next 25 years Fred ran The Works, his own creative entertainment design company, working with American and international clients as diverse as Japan’s Panasonic/Matsushita, The People’s Republic of China and Knotts Berry Farm. Each project beginning life in the imagination and artwork of Fred Hope.

In the year 2000 Fred began to travel and paint in an effort to focus full-time on the creation what he considers his most important artwork to date. My new work certainly flows from my experience over the years and I think it reflects the storytelling aspects of my background. However, with these paintings I'm creating stories that are much more meaningful to me and, I hope, to those interested in this newer, more personal work.

Fred is a member of a number of local and national arts organizations and is the President of the Southern California Artists Association, whose offices and exhibition studio are in Laguna Beach, California.

Artist Statement

My artwork springs from a passion for making things, almost anything really. I find it a singular thrill when there’s something new in the world that didn’t exist before I thought to make it and then did. Paint, design, sculpt, draw, write, plan, shoot, compose... It’s all the same to me.

Art Education

See Biography

Awards

Founding President of the Non-Profit Southern California Artists Association, located in Laguna Beach, CA