Ben Abril; Artist Known for California Landscapes

Ben Abril, 74, a retired planner whose avocation as a landscape artist produced paintings that hang in many public buildings, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and several private collections. Abril, who specialized in acrylic paints, dealt with familiar California scenes: old towns in the Mother Lode country; Angel’s Flight in Downtown Los Angeles; the mansions of Bunker Hill and several of the state’s missions. He also illustrated children’s books and was a scenic artist for film and television. On Wednesday in La Canada of complications from cancer.