Sun Kissed History of California

There is nothing better than having someone contact you and say they really connect with your work and want to have a piece for their home or collection. That is golden. What made this scenerio even more precious is this particular family is part of our California story. And to keep the California “gold” theme rolling, the part of California history they are connected to is considered California’s second “gold rush”.

Through some creative and excellent marketing, California created it’s second gold rush through….CITRUS! By 1920, citrus was our second largest industry, which was only exceeded by oil. The Southern California Citrus Exchange helped shape our state through a campaign slogan “Oranges for health, California for wealth”. This campaign not only put oranges in the midwest and eastern cities but helped encourage an influx of new citizens to our sunny climate to grow their own orchards. The highest quality oranges were marketed under the name of “Sunkist”. These fun facts just scratch the surface of the entire impact of citrus.

In my painting, a lovely mythical female figure gives a nod to our citrus history. She stands as a modern goddess Pomona, the Roman mythical goddess of fruit trees and orchards. I loved weaving the themes of the “land of sunshine”, abundance, and the glittering story created to sell California oranges to the east and encourage people to move to California.

My goal was to share the story of the industry that makes up this couple’s livelyhood. I think the painting shares both the history of California citrus and reflects the present worldwide reach of citrus growers today. This commision was a joy to work on. It was a great addition to my Califia series and was inspired by a fellow creative Debbie Phillips, from the Sunkist family.

Sunkissed, 52x42”, oil and cold wax on canvas