Like it or not (I kind of like it…), we are all staying close to home more right now. This piece started from my front yard but my imagination picked up elements as I walked early each morning in the Phoenix Homesteads Historic District, located adjacent to my neighborhood, ultimately making this home a fantasy scene.

The homes in Phoenix Homesteads originate from a small New Deal program called the Subsistence Homestead Division, which was a ‘back-to-the-land’ movement involving the purchase of farmland near industrial centers and subdividing it into one to five-acre subsistence farms where industrial workers could do part-time farming while working in nearby industrial centers. Each of the lots was designed to incorporate a small orchard and vegetable garden as well as space for a chicken run and coop. Trees used in the lots included peaches, apricots, plums, pears, grapefruit, orange, lemon, pomegranate, and figs as well as olives, pecans, and dates.

Today, as I walk the streets, the neighborhood is still a cool green tree-lined oasis, not what one would expect in the city of Phoenix. It’s obvious the residents love their neighborhood and homes, and there are artistic touches to be found throughout as you stroll. And yes, I usually pass a rooster on my way to the neighborhood, but no, I’ve never really seen a javelina or rattlesnake in Phoenix proper (as the artist, I’m allowed some artistic license, right?).

This painting measures 30x18”, media is gouache on 300 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper, and it is sold unframed. Shipping is free.