While researching material for the mural of La Purisima mission in Lompoc, California, Leonardo Y. Nunez came upon a series of etchings done just before the turn of the century by Henry Chapman Ford, depicting the California missions. Those etchings, however, represented the missions in their state of deterioration . They captured the simple beauty and loneliness of these sacred places built by the native people of California. Nearly all of the missions fell into complete ruin after Ford's etchings were made, along with the dreams the missionaries had for their doomed communities.

Leonardo became inspired to do a complete series of etchings of the California missions in their restored state. Some of the missions have been restored more accurately and completely than others, but all together they stand witness to an important part of our new world heritage. They are contemporary images of historical monuments representing a people's willingness to cooperate with an alien force in order to survive the catastrophic changes to the land they loved and preserved. This evolution was never better depicted than by the impressive mural of La Purisima Conception (41'x13') Leonardo painted in 1995.

Leonardo completed the last etching in the series at the end of 1999, and the entire series is now available for the new millennium. Leonardo's attention to detail in both composition and the etching process make these prints a wonderful mixture of art and craftsmanship. A price list is available.