Altadena artist documents community after Eaton Fire through watercolor paintings
Altadena recently marked one year since the devastating Eaton Fire. Watercolor painter Keni "Arts" Davis is still setting up his easel around the neighborhood, painting buildings.
CBS LA first met Arts Davis a few years ago when he was whimsically painting familiar, uncelebrated places like grocery stores, churches and restaurants.
"I try to finish one within about an hour," Arts Davis said. "I've been doing this for 50 years at least."
His neighbors loved that he was immortalizing Altadena even before the Jan. 7, 2025, fire changed it forever.
"Like a lot of people here, I just lost a lot of precious things," Arts Davis said.
The Eaton Fire incinerated the home where Arts Davis and his wife raised three girls and hundreds of his paintings. He coped by salvaging brushes and heading into the ruins.
"It was so shocking to stand there and see all the destruction," Arts Davis said.
He first painted Altadena hardware, then went on to document the remains of at least 80 cherished places like the quirky Bunny Museum.
"My main focus is getting these scenes of Altadena before the bulldozers move in," Arts Davis said.
Digital copies of about half his earlier works survived and the California African American Museum recognized the poignancy of pairing them. Last year, Arts Davis was part of an exhibit there.
"It was an honor to have been part of that show that documented the significance of Altadena and especially with the Black community," Arts Davis said.
Severing some of that connection has been painful for Arts Davis.
"I did the painting of where the post office used to be and something broke at that point," Davis said. "It was almost like Altadena was saying, 'I'm naked, I don't want you staring at me right now,' so that was the last painting I did as far as just the aftermath of Altadena."
During the last six months, Arts Davis and his wife, Mildred, have instead focused on rebuilding their family's home and helping neighbors do the same. An artist in her own right, Mildred Davis is helping create quilts for children.
Arts Davis is concentrating on painting the community as it heals and the new Altadena that's rising.
"People need to be reminded that they can rebuild," Arts Davis said.
