Via watercolor, artist Keni Davis—often known as Keni Arts—has been documenting the affect of the Eaton Hearth throughout Altadena. Like hundreds of his neighbors, the artist misplaced his residence within the lethal January wildfire, the place the place he and his spouse raised three daughters. By portray the charred panorama left locally, he makes use of artwork to manage and discover magnificence amid profound loss.
Regardless of the wreckage, the artist continues to color as he did earlier than the hearth, revisiting acquainted websites round city and capturing scenes lowered to rubble. But Altadena pushes ahead—Keni Arts and his household are amongst these decided to rebuild from the ashes.
Magnificence For Ashes
These work are a part of his newest sequence, Magnificence For Ashes, which depicts Altadena after the hearth, earlier than the particles is cleared. The title is impressed by the Bible verse Isaiah 61:3: “[God] will give a crown of magnificence for ashes, a joyous blessing as a substitute of mourning, festive reward as a substitute of despair.”
Talking with NewsOne, Keni Arts shared a collection of work from his Magnificence For Ashes (BFA) sequence, together with the tales behind them, pairing each bit with a portray he created earlier than the Eaton Hearth.
My Home
“I did that portray from my entrance yard in about 1985. That was residence. That’s the identical home I had lived in for a bit over 38 years.”
My Home BFA (2025)
“On the tenth (of January) I did the portray that you simply see there, of my home in Altadena. The air type of cleared up, so I arrange my easel and painted the home—in order that’s how that scene happened.”
The artist recounted the evening of the Eaton Hearth because the flames started to unfold from east Altadena.
“The fireplace in Eaton Canyon began on the seventh. I used to be at residence watching it on TV that afternoon. There had been fires in Eaton Canyon earlier than, so I assumed, okay, we’ll simply watch and see what occurs. Because the afternoon wore on, the hearth began to unfold westward in my course—however nonetheless not that shut.
“By midnight, there was an evacuation warning all the best way as much as Lake Avenue, however there was no warning issued to these of us on the west aspect of Lake. So I advised my spouse, go to mattress and I’ll control issues. The electrical energy was off. I used to be behind my home, by the candlelight, listening to my moveable radio.
“Round three o’clock within the morning, I made a decision to rise up and stroll to the entrance of my home, which confronted the mountains. The entire mountain was lit up with hearth, so clearly it had unfold approach past Lake Avenue and was near my residence.
“My daughter lived even nearer to the place the hearth was, so I referred to as her and I advised her to get out proper now. We evacuated to her studio, and round 4 o’clock within the morning we lastly acquired our first discover to evacuate. By then, I’m certain her home had burned down and presumably mine at the moment. Lots of people on the west aspect of Lake had no concept that the hearth was coming, in order that’s why I believe so many lives had been misplaced there.”
The Eaton Hearth claimed 17 lives, all of them west of Lake Avenue. Residents in west Altadena acquired emergency evacuation alerts hours after these within the east, sparking calls for for solutions.
“The morning of the eighth, I advised my household I’m going again to examine on the home. I had been warned that it might have burned down, however I needed to see for myself. So I made a decision that I might return to Altadena.
“By then, the police had cordoned off the world and weren’t letting anybody drive up. So I parked my automobile and since I had painted across the space so many instances, I knew rise up and down Altadena. So I walked as much as my home about two and a half miles uphill, and discovered that it had certainly burned down.
“I had my paint equipment with me, and I assumed, I’m going to color this scene. However the smoke was nonetheless so heavy and I used to be anxious to see about my daughter’s home, so I made a decision to not paint then. So I walked over to her home, and it was gone.
“Then I walked right down to Lake Avenue and down the road there, and virtually all the buildings, the companies that I had painted there, had burned down.”
Keni Arts has been capturing Altadena and Pasadena en plein air because the Seventies—shifting by city along with his paint equipment, drawing inspiration from on a regular basis scenes and the individuals he’s met alongside the best way.
Portray has been a method to join with the group round him. “I get inspiration from the individuals I meet after I’m portray. It’s as a lot concerning the group as it’s concerning the paintings,” he advised NewsOne. “I’m usually a really quiet individual, however one thing occurs after I’m out portray. I actually take pleasure in speaking to individuals. I’ve discovered rather a lot about Altadena simply from individuals I’ve met on the streets.”
Altadena’s native put up workplace was one of many constructions misplaced within the hearth down Lake Avenue.
Altadena Submit Workplace
Altadena Submit Workplace BFA (2025)
“I spent lots of time within the put up workplace mailing calendars on the finish of the yr and I acquired to know a number of the individuals by title. It’s simply one of many iconic spots in Altadena that lots of people have gone to, so I made a decision to return and repaint that one.
“The final time I did a calendar was about three years in the past. I believe I’ll try this once more this yr. I’ll in all probability do a calendar that includes a number of the paintings that I’m doing now.”
Farnsworth Davies
The artist had revisited and painted dozens of web sites round Altadena earlier than he captured this subsequent scene on paper. It virtually didn’t occur.
“Davies is a historic constructing in Altadena. As a result of it’s in a park, Farnsworth Park, lots of people are conversant in it. I’ve gone to picnics there, I’ve gone to concert events there. They’ve an amphitheater. So I’d painted that at the least half a dozen instances, in all probability extra, over time.”
Constructed within the Nineteen Thirties, the William D. Davies Memorial Constructing served as a group middle, seated on the nook of Mount Curve and Lake Avenue.
“As I began to return to color all of the websites that had burned down, Davies was final on the listing of main websites. I had gone by all the first websites just like the put up workplace, the espresso retailers, and issues of that kind, however I hadn’t gotten to the Davies constructing. Effectively, town put a fence up round it—a giant eight-foot-tall fence.”
Although disillusioned to search out the location largely obscured, the artist was decided to discover a method to paint it. “I began to name round to all of the individuals I knew, asking them how I might get inside that fence to color the Davies constructing so I might full that a part of my sequence.”
It appeared like he wasn’t getting wherever. “So I stated a easy prayer that evening. Effectively, the very subsequent day, (I acquired a name they usually stated) ‘Keni, the fence blew down, recover from there immediately!’ I grabbed my paint equipment and I used to be capable of get there inside half an hour. And certain sufficient, the fence was down.”
Farnsworth Davies BFA (2025)
“The fence went again up a few days later. I had in all probability painted about 30 websites as much as then, and that was the final one I actually wished to get to.”
Altadena {Hardware}
On this remaining set, Keni Arts pays tribute to his favourite neighborhood ironmongery store, Altadena {Hardware}, a family-owned enterprise that has been serving Altadena since 1934.
“I acquired to know the homeowners and the workers actual nicely, and we grew to become associates. That they had virtually something I wanted, not only for the home. I needed to get all of those specialised bits and instruments to design my paint equipment, and Altadena {Hardware} at all times had it. I don’t assume I got here up with something odd that they didn’t have.”
Altadena {Hardware} BFA (2025)
“Once I would print a calendar, they’d at all times promote it of their retailer. It was a spot that was particular. I hate to buy, however the one place I did like to buy was within the ironmongery store (laughs). I needed to embody that one. So I’m hoping that they are going to return.”
The Orlandini household, the homeowners of Altadena {Hardware}, will rebuild, as will Keni Arts and his household. “Each my daughter and I’ve been planning on rebuilding, so sure, we plan on staying. It’s residence,” he stated.
Although Altadena might look totally different, the artist stays, faithfully documenting his beloved group—strengthened by his religion, his great household, and his artwork. “At any time when I’m behind my easel, I don’t have any issues. I don’t take into consideration something apart from the scene that’s earlier than me.”
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