0:00:02 > 0:00:04I have crossed the Atlantic
0:00:04 > 0:00:07to ride the railroads of North America,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10with my faithful Appleton's Guide.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Published in the late 19th century,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18it would direct me to everything that's novel, beautiful,
0:00:18 > 0:00:24memorable, and curious...in the United States.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Yee-ha!
0:00:26 > 0:00:29As I travel through this vast continent,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34I'll discover gold and silver, movies and microchips,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36oil and oranges,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39and learn how America's most famous railroad
0:00:39 > 0:00:42conquered the wild landscapes of the West.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I'm completing my time in Los Angeles,
0:01:21 > 0:01:26a city whose history is evident in the diversity of its population.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31Almost half of Angelenos are of Latino descent,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and in California, 10 million people speak Spanish at home
0:01:35 > 0:01:37as their primary language.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42It seems that here, Spanish is almost as useful and necessary
0:01:42 > 0:01:46as English, especially, if you're going to a party, as I am.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54My 1,000-mile excursion began in Reno, Nevada,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59and will end just shy of the Mexican border in San Diego.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Today, I'm in Los Angeles, at its historic heart,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and will travel to its oil-rich suburbs
0:02:08 > 0:02:12before continuing to the orange groves of Riverside,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and end by the ocean in Laguna Beach.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Along the way,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24I discover what put the zest into California's economy...
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Citrus fruit, really, Michael,
0:02:25 > 0:02:30became the source of wealth in the early 20th century for California.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32..attempt to create a local delicacy...
0:02:32 > 0:02:35You did very well, a first-timer.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37- It could easily be my last.- Well...!
0:02:39 > 0:02:43..and take to the beach to indulge my artistic side.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46I didn't realise how well I was doing!
0:02:57 > 0:03:01I'm beginning in what was originally the centre of Los Angeles -
0:03:01 > 0:03:07a place today known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12The name clearly signals this city's cultural heritage.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- Hola.- Hola, como estas? - Muy bien, gracias.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20In all the times I've been to Los Angeles,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24I've never been here, to these low-rise adobe buildings
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and ancient Catholic churches.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It's funny because, for about half the people who live in the city,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35this is their heritage, much more than Hollywood and the freeways.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Nearly one in two of the population of Los Angeles is Latino,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45'mainly of Mexican descent.'
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It's a legacy from when Mexico ruled over California,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Texas and much of America's South-West.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And before that, Spain was the imperial power.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06This plaque commemorates the first settlement of Los Angeles
0:04:06 > 0:04:08in September 1781.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Spain deliberately sent some families here,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13to establish their claim on the area.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So, half of the people who came were actually children.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18And all the nationalities are listed.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23So, these people here are of mixed descent, and fascinatingly,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26only two of the first settlers
0:04:26 > 0:04:30are actually listed as "Espanol", Spanish.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32So here are the origins of Los Angeles.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36They are mixed race, they are Indians, they are Latinos.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37They are not Europeans.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Los Angeles was settled under the Spanish flag
0:04:42 > 0:04:45as an extension of its Mexican territory.
0:04:45 > 0:04:51Mexico formally won its independence from Spain in 1821.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52And 200 years later,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56that event is still a cause for celebration in LA
0:04:56 > 0:04:58for those of Mexican descent.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02I'm meeting John Etcheveste of La Plaza Cultural Museum.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Hello, John. I'm Michael.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Michael, how are you? Bienvenidos to Los Angeles.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Thank you very much indeed.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It looks like you're preparing a celebration.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12This is a big two-day celebration,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15commemorating Mexican Independence Day.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Did the city prosper during the period of Mexican independence?
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Well, it did. Of course,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24most of the land here was owned by people of Mexican background.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Those people were very active in commerce,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29they were large landowners,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33they established school systems and court systems,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38and it flourished as really a Mexican community for many years.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41But, in 1846,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45war broke out between Mexico and the expansionist United States.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49And Mexico lost half its territory, including Southern California,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51to its powerful neighbour.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56How did things change around the time of the Mexican-American war?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00What happened then was that many of the Mexican landowners
0:06:00 > 0:06:04essentially lost that land, they were really swindled from it.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07They were forced to sign contracts that they didn't understand,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09that were written in English.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11They were promised that they would be taken care of,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and they would receive a fair settlement for the land,
0:06:14 > 0:06:15and that didn't really happen.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18How does the population of Mexican heritage feel today?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21The word I like to use is, very aspirational.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25In the 1960s, we began to see a reassertion of people
0:06:25 > 0:06:30of Mexican heritage, into primarily the political life of Los Angeles.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34So, we saw the election of people to the state legislature,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36to the LA City Council,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40we had our first congressman of Mexican heritage elected,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and the current and previous mayor of the city
0:06:44 > 0:06:46are both of Mexican descent.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49That will only continue to happen through the years,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53in spite of the current political climate in Washington, DC.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59Today, Los Angeles County is home to around 1.2 million Mexicans -
0:06:59 > 0:07:03the largest concentration outside Mexico.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07And here, celebrations for Independence Day are in full swing.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Fantastic sense of fun, the Mexican people have.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37They're celebrating an event that happened nearly 200 years ago.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:07:39 > 0:07:43And they've still got lots of partying left in them!
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Hasta luego!
0:08:00 > 0:08:04I am riding the Metro's Blue Line south, out of the city.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07'For everyone's safety, and to keep service on time,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10'please do not try to hold the doors open.'
0:08:12 > 0:08:14If this state of California were a country,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18it would account for the fifth or sixth biggest economy in the world.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21That prosperity has its roots in the 19th century.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26In Northern California, it was the discovery of gold and silver.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31But here in Los Angeles, it was oil.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Los Angeles, says Appleton's,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45is the centre of the petroleum district of South California.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51And, if you're used to thinking of vast Arab oilfields in the desert,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55this will be a surprise to you, because this is an urban oilfield.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59And in Los Angeles, the production wells sprout up at busy junctions,
0:08:59 > 0:09:04in car parks, amongst the houses, and at your favourite burger joint.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I've come to the oil-rich residential neighbourhood
0:09:09 > 0:09:14of Signal Hill to meet Dave Slater of Signal Hill Petroleum.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Michael, it's so good to meet you.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Thank you very much. Is that for me?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- You'll be needing these, momentarily.- OK.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Wow, this is an extraordinary spot to find an oil well!
0:09:30 > 0:09:34So, this nodding donkey, patiently nodding away,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36how much oil does it produce?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39This particular well produces 15 barrels of oil per day.
0:09:39 > 0:09:4215 barrels of oil is not very much. Is it worth it?
0:09:42 > 0:09:43It absolutely is.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Every barrel has got value, it just depends on the cost
0:09:46 > 0:09:50to get it out of the ground, and our company is particularly good
0:09:50 > 0:09:53at operating these wells for a very low cost.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56How important were these urban Los Angeles oilfields, historically?
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Extremely important.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01The legacy of wealth in southern California
0:10:01 > 0:10:06comes from the discovery of oil in the 1910s and the 1920s.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Los Angeles went from being a small, dusty pueblo
0:10:09 > 0:10:12to a very rapidly growing urban centre.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17It was the Saudi Arabia of the worldwide oil and gas industry
0:10:17 > 0:10:18in that time.
0:10:20 > 0:10:26The Los Angeles basin is the largest urban oilfield in the United States,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and oil wells are everywhere.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Where I come from, people who object to any kind of development
0:10:33 > 0:10:35are sometimes accused of "Nimbyism".
0:10:35 > 0:10:37"Not in my back yard".
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Well, here in Los Angeles, small-scale oil production
0:10:41 > 0:10:44occurs literally in people's back yards.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51To learn about the origins of back yard drilling in Los Angeles,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I'm meeting Don Clark, a petroleum geologist.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02So, how was it that the oil business got going here in Los Angeles?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Historically, it starts with Edward Doheny.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08In 1892, Edward Doheny came from Colorado,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and he and his friend Charlie Canfield
0:11:10 > 0:11:13decided they were looking for a place to get rich.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15And they saw oil leaking in Westlake,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19so they moved up the street about two blocks, and started digging.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20And they get oil.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23They came up... It only produced about five barrels a day.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26But that was the first productive oil well in Los Angeles.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Even though some wells were drilled before it, that one made money.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33With that came more development, and this place, 100 years ago,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36had 1,000 oil derricks, going up and down the streets.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39So, were these derricks on lots of different people's properties?
0:11:39 > 0:11:44Yes, they were. It's because every single lot, no matter where it was,
0:11:44 > 0:11:45had its own mineral rights.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Every single lot had at least one well on it. It was just nuts.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53How significant then was this Los Angeles oilfield in its day?
0:11:53 > 0:11:58It's very significant, because it started the oil boom in California.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01So, we had rail lines going up and down the mountains,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03out to all different places,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05when cars came, everybody got their own car,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07because gasoline was cheap.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And so begins the Californian love affair with the motorcar?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12You've got that right. That's exactly what happened.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15What's the significance of the oilfield in Los Angeles today?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I think there are about 50 oilfields still producing.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It's a big change from the old days, but it is very significant still.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25And we have unexplored areas. Maybe there's more oil.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It's a new day, and I'm now leaving Los Angeles,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48taking a train east out of the city.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I've boarded the Metrolink train to take me to Riverside,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00which Appleton's tells me is 12 miles south of San Bernardino.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04"The finest type of colony town in Southern California,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08"it is the chief seat of the navel orange culture."
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Well, that gives me something to contemplate.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14And, as I approach the citrus groves, I'm camouflaged!
0:13:23 > 0:13:24'This is Downtown Riverside Station.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26'Please use the handrails, watch your step.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28'This is Downtown Riverside.'
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Founded as an agricultural district in 1870,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Riverside became the root of California's citrus fruit industry,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01now worth over 1 billion a year.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I'm visiting the Citrus Variety Collection,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10which was established in 1910,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14and carries out cutting-edge research for the citrus industry.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16I'm meeting Dr Tracey Khan.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26What is it you do here at your research institute?
0:14:26 > 0:14:31So, I am the curator or guardian of this collection that's behind us.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It's one of the world's most diverse collections of citrus
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and related types.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40We have over 1,000 different cultivars and species.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44We develop new varieties for California and for the world.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45I get very confused about citrus,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48because there are so many different varieties on sale.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49So, what does it all go back to?
0:14:49 > 0:14:54It goes back to what we think of as four basic, biological species.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58One is a pomelo, one is a mandarin, one is a citron,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and one is a small-flowered papeda.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09This pomelo sounds like the word, in some languages, for grapefruit.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- Does the grapefruit derive from this?- Yes.
0:15:12 > 0:15:18Grapefruit's actually a hybrid between a pomelo and a sweet orange.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And this one. I didn't catch the name, I've never heard of it,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- I've never seen it. - This is a small flowered papeda,
0:15:25 > 0:15:26and we don't eat these.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29These are something that you probably wouldn't see anywhere else.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But it has a really distinct smell, so you smell it.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It does indeed.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Quite sort of peppery and pungent.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Yes. Yes, really pungent.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42And this is one of the progenitors of a lime,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44so you think about limes having that pungent smell to them.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47That's one of the places that's coming from.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So, how did the so-called Washington Navel Orange,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52on which California depends so much, come about?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The navel is actually a sweet orange,
0:15:55 > 0:16:00a hybrid between a pomelo...and a mandarin.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03So, sort of like a Great Dane and a Chihuahua,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05OK?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The state is famous for its navel oranges,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13so-called because their top end looks like a tummy button.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16To discover the seed of this industry,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19I'm meeting historian Dr Vince Moses.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26Vince, how does the history of citrus fruit in California begin?
0:16:26 > 0:16:31The Spanish missionaries brought citrus here from Mexico,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33to Mission San Gabriel first.
0:16:33 > 0:16:371873, Eliza Tibbets, who had moved here with her husband,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41was bringing in citrus from the Department of Agriculture
0:16:41 > 0:16:45for experimental purposes and they sent her two or three new trees.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48They were based on a mutant variety from Brazil
0:16:48 > 0:16:52that, when ripened in winter in Riverside, was a seedless fruit,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56brilliant orange, easy to peel, absolutely delicious.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It became the winter-ripening navel orange.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01They were extraordinarily successful in California,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04better than anywhere else, because of the climate, the soil, the water.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08I'm assuming that the citrus fruit was sent around the nation
0:17:08 > 0:17:10mainly by refrigerated railcar?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13That's exactly right. It began, really, as ventilated cars,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16but, by the turn of the 20th century,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18they had shifted to refrigerated cars,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21so they could equalise the temperature across the country.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24In fact, the two major railroads, Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26were competing for growers' business.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Southern Pacific, finally creating the Pacific Fruit Express,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33specifically for transporting California orange growers' fruit.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36On my travels I've heard about gold, and I've heard about oil.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Was citrus fruit a third source of tremendous wealth for California?
0:17:40 > 0:17:45By 1915, it was bringing back 150 million to the state,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47which is an extraordinary amount of money.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Before oil, before Hollywood really got off the ground,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54citrus fruit, really, Michael, became the source of wealth
0:17:54 > 0:17:57in California in the early 20th century.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18I've made my way to the neighbouring city of Anaheim,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20to pick up a train south.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25I see this is the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Centre,
0:18:25 > 0:18:30a somewhat inflated name for a somewhat inflated building.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11I'm riding this busy Metrolink train down to Irvine.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Appleton's says of Southern California,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17"The air is not only warm, but remarkably dry,
0:19:17 > 0:19:22"and the days are nearly always brilliantly bright and sunny.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26"I imagine that the light here is comparable to southern France,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28"or at least, that's my impression."
0:19:37 > 0:19:42My next stop is Laguna Beach, which is famous as an artists' community.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47But, before I delve into the town's art scene,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52I'm making a pit stop to sample a Californian delicacy
0:19:52 > 0:19:54which was invented for local tastes,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58but which has become a sushi stable eaten across the globe.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- Hello.- Hi.- I'm Michael.- I'm Kooichi. - Kooichi, lovely to see you, sir.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08I have heard a lot about California rolls.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09What are they?
0:20:09 > 0:20:14Well, California roll is made for the people who doesn't like,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16or not get used to the raw fish.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, does the California roll have no raw fish in it?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21No, it has a cooked crab.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24How would we set about making a California roll?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Well, first, you need seaweed.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27- That's seaweed?- Yes.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32- Wow, OK.- You need to grab the rice, like about this much.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Right.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And then you place the rice on top of the seaweed.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43So, we are going to spread this rice all over the seaweed, are we?
0:20:43 > 0:20:44Right, right.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49And then grab the little cucumber, then place the avocado...
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Like three little smiles.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55This is crab meat.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58This is very important stuff for the California roll.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Just place it...
0:21:00 > 0:21:02It's looking like something now.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04And then we are rolling now.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Go over.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11And then you chop that, do you?
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Uh-huh.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- It's incredibly hard. - You're pushing it.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- I've got to saw it, have I? - Right, right.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- That is better, yes. - This is your first time, right?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- It's certainly my first time. - You are doing very well, first time.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Could easily be my last!- Well...!
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- Let's try it. - Pop it all in in one go?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- Yes, cheers!- Cheers.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- That's very kind of you, eating one of mine. That's very sweet.- Yes.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41Mm!
0:21:41 > 0:21:43- It's good, isn't it?- Mm!
0:22:00 > 0:22:02In the decades following the completion
0:22:02 > 0:22:05of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09California began to attract artists from the East Coast.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Influenced by the Impressionist movement in Europe,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20many were drawn to the beautiful landscapes,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23sunny climate, and glorious light of Laguna Beach.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I've arranged to meet Janet Blake,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Curator of Historical Art at the city art museum
0:22:34 > 0:22:37to hear about the Laguna Beach art colony.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42So, when is there a school at Laguna Beach established?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The colony started developing right at the turn of the last century
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and artists were here as early as the 1890s.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54By 1918, when they founded the Art Association,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58there were probably 15 to 20 artists living here.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00This is Frank Cuprien's Golden Hour
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and he just loved painting the ocean.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06This is one of the most beautiful of his paintings, it really is.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08It's so quiet and subtle.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12So, for these American artists, like the Impressionists,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15it was important to paint in the open air, was it?
0:23:15 > 0:23:20Yes. Often they would paint en plein air, and make smaller paintings,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24take them back to their studios, and from that would make the larger one.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I'm sure French Impressionists did the same thing.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30And now we've moved away from the sea, but is this still Laguna Beach?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Yes, this is definitely Laguna Beach.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35This is a profile view of the general store, its front porch.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The dappled light, this now is quite reminiscent of an Impressionist.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Yes, very, and the hillside, yes.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44This painting is very, very Impressionistic.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48And here we have Anna Hills, a vigorous sea scene.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Yes, absolutely. - First of all, a lovely piece.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- Yes.- I mean, really the energy of the sea there,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- it is dramatically displayed, isn't it? Beautiful.- Yes.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00One thing that she was really known for is working with a palette knife
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and that wave that's crashing over those rocks
0:24:03 > 0:24:04is just filled with light,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08and it really is a beautiful, beautiful painting.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Where does Laguna Beach, the colony,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13fit into the history of American art?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Well, I think they're very important in the history of American art.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The community has a national reputation today.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22We get visitors from all over.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Impressionist artists advocated painting outdoors,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34known as plein air.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39And today, the Laguna plein air painters have invited me
0:24:39 > 0:24:40to join them on the beach.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Hello.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45You're painting into the sunset.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47I am. I picked a challenge today.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51You have, haven't you? Is it your habit to paint in the open air?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Yes. I think it's a great way to make a study of the colour.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I really love my office.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- It's wonderful.- Very beautiful.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- Congratulations.- Thank you, thank you, thanks for coming by.- Bye-bye.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19You're doing some lovely work here.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21You're very attracted by Laguna Beach.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Yes, it's one of the prettiest places in Southern California.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And the light, people talk about the light. Is that a big thing here?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Oh, it's lovely. We're getting that special stuff called 50-50,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34a little bit of sun, and a little bit of clouds.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Do you feel inspired by the artists who were coming in the early part
0:25:38 > 0:25:40of the 20th century, Anna Hills and so on?
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Oh, absolutely. Those are my definite inspirations.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46They're at the top, and we're just following their tradition.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I don't paint at all, but could you give me some pointers?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51How would one begin even?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Well, I was hoping you'd finish one with me.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I brought two out today. I'll come on your side with you.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00My suggestion is scoop up a big blob of the white,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and kind of come in and capture some of this white water
0:26:03 > 0:26:04that's rolling ashore.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08You can just do big, bold brushstrokes, whatever you like.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You have to be quite bold to do a big brushstroke.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- Yeah, it takes a little bit of... - Courage.- Yes, exactly.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16And you can bring it down a little towards us.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Three-dimensional effect.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Oh, it looks like a crashing wave right there.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Right, so when we step back,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40now everything becomes a little less abstract and a little more in focus.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I didn't realise how well I was doing.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Yeah, I know. Fantastic.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47You must get a lot of satisfaction being out here.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49I do. It's a real pleasure. Who couldn't be happy out here?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08During my travels in California,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12I've discovered a shameful history of mistreatment of minorities,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Native Americans, African-Americans,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Japanese, Chinese, and Latinos.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22But, California pioneered civil rights legislation
0:27:22 > 0:27:26and today it's the first state in which the minorities,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29added together, constitute a majority.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34Latinos, in particular, now occupy powerful political positions,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and so if the rest of the United States
0:27:36 > 0:27:40is tempted towards isolationism or xenophobia,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43California is unlikely to follow.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And, given that it's the biggest economy,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50and the largest population, it won't be easily pushed around.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Next time, at the birthplace of Top Gun, I get ready for action...
0:27:56 > 0:27:59So, the fear is that there might be something in that pipe
0:27:59 > 0:28:03- and it just spurts out when I take it off.- It could, yes.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07..get a sense of proportion at a very big small railroad...
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Would it be unfair to say that you people are a bit fanatical?
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Oh, yes, yes!
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Very easily so.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16..and find a novel way to play the organ.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21You've got it!
0:28:21 > 0:28:22That was such fun.