Wender·Vista
San Joaquin Valley
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCalifornia · United States
between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges

San Joaquin Valley

— — the gold the orchards keep after harvest.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The southern half of California's Central Valley, running from the Delta down to the Tehachapis. Orchards of almond and pistachio, vineyards for table grapes and raisins, fields of cotton and tomatoes. The Sierra holds the eastern horizon. In winter the tule fog settles low over the rows, and in spring the almond bloom turns whole counties white for two weeks.

from the studio
San Joaquin Valley
— bring it home

San Joaquin Valley, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about San Joaquin Valley

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The San Joaquin Valley is the southern two-thirds of California's Central Valley, a broad alluvial floor about 250 miles long and 50 miles wide between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges. It runs from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the north to the Tehachapi Mountains in the south, taking in Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield. The valley produces a significant share of the United States' almonds, pistachios, table grapes, and processing tomatoes, and it is drained by the San Joaquin River.

— the season

California almonds bloom from mid-February through early March, when about three million acres of orchard turn pale pink and white across Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, and Kern counties. The bloom draws roughly two-thirds of the United States' commercial honey bee colonies for pollination, the largest managed pollination event in the world. Raisin grapes are laid out on paper trays between the vine rows from late August into September around Selma and Kingsburg, the self-described raisin capital of the world.

— the air

Tule fog, named for the tule reed that grows in the valley wetlands, settles into the basin from November through March. It forms on cold clear nights after the winter rains and can hold below 200 feet for days at a time, dropping visibility on the long straight runs of Highway 99 and Interstate 5. The fog is part of the dormancy cycle for the stone-fruit and almond orchards. The eastern horizon, when clear, shows the Sierra crest from Mount Whitney to Yosemite.

— where
United States · Central California
— position
36.7500° N · 120.0000° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
120 km E
Yosemite National Park
national park
90 km E
Sequoia National Park
national park
at the lake
Bakersfield
city
N
San Joaquin Valley
Yosemite National Park
Sequoia National Park
Bakersfield
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about San Joaquin Valley — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The San Joaquin Valley is the southern two-thirds of California's Central Valley, running about 250 miles between the Sierra Nevada to the east and the Coast Ranges to the west, from the Delta down to the Tehachapis.

The valley produces a significant share of the United States' almonds, pistachios, table grapes, raisins, processing tomatoes, and cotton, along with stone fruit, citrus, and dairy. Fresno County is among the top agricultural counties by value.

California almonds bloom from mid-February through early March, when roughly three million acres turn pale pink and white across the valley. The bloom draws about two-thirds of the United States' commercial honey bee colonies for pollination.

Tule fog is a dense ground fog that forms in the valley basin from November through March, named for the tule reed of the valley wetlands. It can hold below 200 feet for days and is part of the orchard dormancy cycle.

The San Joaquin River drains the valley, rising in the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes and running northwest to join the Sacramento River in the Delta. The Tulare basin in the south is a closed terminal basin.

The valley takes in Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield from north to south, along with smaller agricultural towns such as Selma, the self-described raisin capital of the world.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The orchards and the long eastern horizon read as home to people who grew up in Fresno, Modesto, or Bakersfield. The almond-bloom palette is one of the things people miss about the valley. A Small carries well.

The warm gold and pale pink tones settle into California-modern, Farmhouse-modern, and Wine-country interiors with oak, leather, and linen. The piece also reads well in a Mediterranean-style room with terracotta and cream.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. The work is not licensed from any outside artist and is hand-finished in-house before it ships.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large is the usual choice. Over a longer console or a wider wall, a four-tile Mural holds the room. The nine-tile Mural is for a larger formal wall.

Yes. For a bathroom, kitchen backsplash, or any vertical install near steam or water, choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and hold up to daily wiping with a damp cloth.

A soft microfibre cloth and clean water are all the tile needs. The colour is held inside the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective finish, so household cleaners and abrasives are not required and should be avoided.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.