The watercolors in the exhibition were saved from the Cedar Fires that all but destroyed Hubbell's home, studio, and extensive compound in October of 2003. They are intimate thoughts and spontaneous gestures - some done over the years and others in reflection of the catastrophic conflagration that presented Hubbell with unforeseen changes affecting his life and work. The paintings in the exhibit date from 1988 to 2004 and represent four influences: California, United States and Abroad, After the Fire, and a small whimsical section.

Award winning art critic, Theodore F. Wolff began writing essays and critiques on the arts for the Christian Science Monitor in 1980. A keen observer and admirer of the work of James Hubbell, Wolff has gained an insight over the years that few can match. Wolff has written the definitive essay for the catalog in the Oceanside Museum of Art exhibition, The Watercolors of James Hubbell: Meditations on Nature and Life. Wolff states, "First and foremost, Hubbell is that rarest of creative individuals, a genuine original. He is always totally and enthusiastically himself, whether he expresses himself as an architect, a designer of stained glass windows, forged iron gates or jewelry, a sculptor, a watercolorist, or even at times, a poet. "But no matter what he creates, it almost certainly will be organic in form, linear in design, passionately romantic in color, and exotic in effect. The sole exceptions are his watercolor landscapes, and even here his predilection for rich, occasionally even "hot" color and organic form manifests itself in more than a few of his more dramatic mountain views."