All of my projects flow together. Some bodies of work will never end and others can begin in the middle of something else. We are at the 5 year anniversary of The River’s Journey project. The story of the Santa Ynez River has come full circle, from a historical drought to a historical rain fall. Our Lake Cachuma is full and our spring is lush. And now we wait… will rain return next year?

Currently, there is a small anniversary exhibition at the Wildling Museum in Solvang

where we launched the project in 2018.

This exploration of the Santa Ynez river and Santa Barbara’s watershed kindled my fascination with clouds. I have explored our water cycle from it’s highest point in the atmosphere to my current artist residency at the White Bufflalo Land Trust at Jalama Canyon Ranch. On the ranch I am learning about watersheds, regenerative farming practices, roots and soil. Of course, water remains essential in all conversations regarding agriculture. This will fuel my work for an upcoming show at Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbara in August and September, 2023.

Gouache study with silver spoons. Holli Harmon

Hind sight always reveals connections and it is fun for me to see the trajectory of my work. I can see how time and current events shape how I respond to my creative drive. Drought propelled the River’s Journey project, clouds became tangible objects and hung from the ceiling in Santa Barbara City Hall, and the pandemic inspired an installation of kokedama balls and clouds. Of course it is easier to share this creative journey with images rather than words! Here are a few images… and not in chronological order!

Follow along and see what is coming next this summer at

Sullivan Goss, An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA.

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