Laguna Beach graphic artist Bill Atkins and Contra Costa County landscape painter Elizabeth Robinette Tyndall were feted Tuesday as the California Coastal Commission officially announced its new "whale tail" license plate.
Atkins is the second Laguna artist to be involved in a specialty license plate featuring the tail of a humpback whale. Atkins was the star attraction at a press conference at Dana Point Harbor — the same day that a pod of rarely seen blue whales was reportedly passing by that area. Tyndall appeared at a Northern California event, and a third event — without the artists — was held in Santa Monica.
Atkins said he was happy to be able to talk about the license plate project that he worked on for a number of months, but had to keep under wraps until the official announcement.
"I hope this whale tail is as successful as the original one," Atkins said. "I personally would have gone with a California gray whale, which are so visible along the coast, but they wanted another humpback."