(Fry's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island)

Ludmilla Pilat Welch

Fry’s Harbor is an anchorage within the Santa Cruz Islands off of Santa Barbara, California. Originally inhabited by the Chumash tribe, the islands quickly became an attraction to adventurers in the 19th century and is now a part of the protected Channel Islands National Park system. It’s home to several endemic species and plant and animal life and features among the most dramatic scenery of coastal California.

Welch and her husband, artist Thaddeus Welch, moved to Santa Barbara in 1905 and the two would travel throughout Southern California and frequented the Santa Cruz Islands to paint en plein air, traveling by boat and living “rough” in a tent. Welch created several views of Fry’s Harbor, and this depiction of a fiery sunset viewed from the harbor’s shore stuns with beauty despite its small size.