▁active ▁in ▁the ▁" Cal iforn ia ▁Style " ▁movement . ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁colle agues ▁began ▁painting ▁primarily ▁in ▁water color ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁medium ’ s ▁vers at ility ▁and ▁in exp ensive ▁cost . ▁Using ▁water color ▁and ▁paper ▁instead ▁of ▁o ils ▁and ▁canvas ▁made ▁it ▁easy ▁for ▁the ▁imp over ished ▁artists ▁to ▁transport ▁their ▁materials ▁easily ▁and ▁paint ▁on ▁site . ▁The ▁immediate ▁dry ing ▁qual ities ▁of ▁the ▁paint ▁allowed ▁for ▁few ▁mistakes , ▁but ▁artists ▁like ▁Z orn es ▁master ed ▁the ▁medium . ▁ ▁Nevertheless ▁he ▁used ▁oil - on - canvas ▁for ▁his ▁early ▁New ▁De al ▁m ural ▁comm issions ▁for ▁post ▁offices , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁ 2 9 - foot ▁m ural ▁in ▁Cla rem ont , ▁California . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁made ▁fine ▁art ▁prints ▁on ▁occasion . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁solo ▁show ▁at ▁the ▁Cor cor an ▁Gallery ▁of ▁Art ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁ ▁An ▁active ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁Water ▁Color ▁Society , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁its ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 - 4 2 , ▁when ▁its ▁annual ▁exhibition ▁was ▁shown ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁he ▁was ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁official ▁war ▁artist . ▁In ▁this ▁capacity ▁he ▁tra