In 1943, when Cecile Johnson moved west to southern California, she came under the influence of the California School. It was here that she moved out of the traditional confines of the studio and focused on capturing the natural California landscape, with active, expressive brush strokes and open compositions. She lived and painted in Riverside, studying with the California School watercolorist Millard Sheets, and was influenced by the work of emerging watercolorists including Rex Brandt and Dong Kingman.