In California, even the shadows have color. Even Walt Disney was influenced by the colors and shadows.

From the 1890s to the early twentieth century, California artists painted in an artistic style that not only celebrated but exalted the Golden State's picturesque landscape and its unique, captivating light. This style, often called California Impressionism or California plein-air painting, after the French term for "in the open air," combined several distinctive aspects of American and European art. The allure of California's landscape and light was so profound that it drew artists from all over, eager to capture its essence on their canvases. 

California's plein-air painters, in line with their techniques, preferred to sketch and paint directly outdoors. Rejecting the studio's light, they believed that the best way to capture a landscape was to be in it. The delicate and fleeting effect of California's light demanded swiftness, leading to the direct and quick application of paint, a hallmark of this style. 

The significant contributions of French Impressionism to American art were not just in the use of color and the specialized brushwork, but in the way it revolutionized the way we see and interpret light. The artists dissolved forms, creating paintings with brilliant and convincing effects of natural light. The loose, choppy brushstroke that characterizes an Impressionist work was both the consequence of the quick manner of paint application and the desire to produce a brilliant surface covered with a multitude of small daubs of bright color. This was a significant shift in the art world, one that would influence and inspire generations of artists to come. California Impressionism, born out of this revolutionary movement, further pushed the boundaries of American art, inspiring a new generation of artists to explore the unique light and colors of the Golden State.

This lovely image of olive trees and California poppies by the UK impressionist artist Jane Small perfectly captures the light California is so famous for and the style of French and California impressionists before her.