Stockton Street is a classic example of the early California watercolor style. It is also characteristic of the regionalist subject matter that interested Miller in the 1930s. During the mid-1930s Miller often included images of old buildings and automobiles in his work.
Painted on a large sheet, this watercolor depicts an ordinary street in a small California town on a sunny day. Despite the delicacy of the transparent, thin wash, Miller was able to record the dramatic contrast of cast shadows and brilliant daylight as sunlight filtered through the trees. His short, almost calligraphic strokes aptly convey the flickering light. Equally bold and modern was Miller’s color, complementary hues of intense orange, ochers and browns for the lighted objects and deep purples and bluish purples for the shadows. Of this painting Miller later noted, "It is very linear, joyous in the use of the medium but less concerned with the abstract qualities of design and color than my work following World War II."
