Wender·Vista
Santa Ana
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
the seat of Orange County, inland from Newport Beach

Santa Ana

— the Mexican-American heart of Orange County.

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 cultural centre of Orange County. About 310,000 people live here on the alluvial plain between the Santa Ana Mountains and the coast, in a downtown that holds Spanish-revival arcades, the 1901 Old Orange County Courthouse, and a Saturday-night Calle Cuatro that still belongs to its families. The taquerias on Fourth Street run late, and the murals get repainted.

from the studio
Santa Ana
— bring it home

Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana

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

Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, California, about 50 kilometres southeast of downtown Los Angeles and 15 kilometres inland from the coast at Newport Beach. The population is roughly 310,000, of which around 77 percent identifies as Hispanic or Latino, the highest share among large California cities. The city was founded in 1869 by William Spurgeon on a section of the Mexican land grant Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, and incorporated in 1886. It sits on the alluvial plain of the Santa Ana River.

the stone

Downtown Santa Ana holds one of the densest collections of pre-1930 commercial architecture in Southern California. The Old Orange County Courthouse, finished in 1901 in Richardsonian Romanesque red sandstone, stands at the centre and is the oldest court building in Southern California still in public use. Around it run the Spurgeon Building of 1912, the West End Theater, and the Calle Cuatro arcades along Fourth Street. The Logan and French Park residential districts north and east of downtown carry blocks of Queen Anne and Craftsman houses on the National Register.

the visit

Santa Ana is reached from John Wayne Airport, eight kilometres south, or from Los Angeles via Interstate 5. The downtown core is walkable from the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, which runs Metrolink and Amtrak. First Saturday Art Walk on Fourth Street and the Bowers Museum on Main Street are the usual draws. The Santora Building and the Yost Theater anchor the arts district. Taquerias and panaderías along Calle Cuatro stay open late on Friday and Saturday nights.

— informed by Bowers Museum
where
United States · Santa Ana, Orange County, California
elevation
34 m · 112 ft
position
33.7455° N · 117.8678° 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.
8 km N
Anaheim
neighbouring city
15 km S
Newport Beach
coastal city
50 km NW
Los Angeles
metropolis
N
Santa Ana
Anaheim
Newport Beach
Los Angeles
common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Santa Ana — and about bringing the piece home.
about the place

In Orange County, Southern California, about 50 kilometres southeast of downtown Los Angeles and 15 kilometres inland from the coast. It is the county seat and the second-largest city in Orange County.

Its Mexican-American downtown, the historic Calle Cuatro arts and shopping district, and the 1901 Old Orange County Courthouse. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the United States.

About 310,000 people across roughly 71 square kilometres. The city is one of the most densely populated in California and the country, and around 77 percent of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino.

The two share a name. The Santa Ana winds are dry downslope winds that funnel through the Santa Ana Canyon east of the city, named for the canyon and the river, not the city itself.

A cultural arts museum at 2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana, founded in 1936. The permanent collection focuses on the Pacific Rim, the Americas, and Indigenous art.

about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers with ties to Santa Ana and the wider OC. The downtown carries deep meaning for Mexican-American families in particular. A Small or Medium with a studio note travels well.

The warm sandstone reds and Spanish-revival palette sit well in Southwest-modern, Mission-style, and warm Maximalist interiors. The piece pairs with terracotta tile, dark wood, and woven textiles.

A single Large covers most sofas. A four-tile Mural reads as one painting from across the room. A nine-tile Mural is the wall piece for a long entry or dining wall.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for those rooms, since both are scratch-resistant and handle steam and splashes. The glossy finish is reserved for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with water, nothing more. No solvents, no abrasive cleaners. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and will not lift with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista painting is made in-house by Reid Wender and the studio. We do not license outside artwork and we do not reproduce other artists' work.

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