Keller was a constant traveler artistically inspired by the locations he visited. He painted La Jolla Beach in California many times, captivated by its ocean cliffs and colorful beach umbrellas. He discovered a structural rhythm in the cliffs that reminded him of the landscapes of Cézanne and Chinese Sung Dynasty artists, the inspiration for much of his work. Artists of the Sung Dynasty turned landscapes into ethereal, sensitive impressions, while Cézanne used color to describe the essence of a scene. With the work of these artists in mind, Keller simplified and reduced rocky forms to abstract shapes, using color to model their forms, suggesting them rather than defining them. Keller was very interested in color as a vehicle for expression, even co-authoring an article on the physiology of color vision in modern art. He sought to capture the experience of a landscape rather than an exact copy of its topography. He used loose and expressive brushwork along with washes and layering in transparent watercolor. This work is a good example of Keller's swift, gestural brushtrokes and pure color, leaving areas of the paper unpainted to achieve a greater luminosity.