Oaks-Leona Park

William Seltzer Rice

This richly hued watercolor depicts a typical, idyllic California landscape in late summer, including rolling hills, an elegant oak standing among golden grasses, and a bright blue sky offset by billowing clouds; a footpath beckons the viewer into the scene with the promise of a peaceful stroll. William Seltzer Rice has depicted the surroundings of his home in the eastern hills of Oakland, a popular subject for the transplant from Pennsylvania. Then known simply as Leona Park, it is now known as the Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve.

There is a full page illustration of this watercolor on page 84 in William S. Rice: Art & Life by Ellen Treseder Sexauer.