This week I am featuring two art prints I created representing some of the palm trees surrounding a small lake in Papago Park which is located in Phoenix, Arizona. Papago Park has a very unique history starting with being named a reservation for local Maricopa and Pima aboriginal Americans in 1879. In 1914 it was designated a National Monument and that designation was later rescinded in 1930. During the Great Depression, the state established a fish hatchery on the land (thus the lakes that are still here today) and during WWII it housed a POW camp. Ultimately the land was sold to the city of Phoenix in 1959 and currently is home to the Desert Botanical Garden, The Phoenix Zoo and the park itself with hiking trails and unique red rock geological features.
Walking around one of the lakes I was mesmerized by the palm trees lining one of the lakes and chose to recreate the scene using a digital painting technique that was true to the colors and shapes I was seeing.
Thoughts?
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I love the palms along the lake too.
Thanks Brad….kind of a welcome scene in the desert…much like an oasis!!
I love palm trees and you depicted them well!
Thank you very much Darlene!!
Agreed!
Gorgeous.
Thank you very much!!
Do any aboriginal Americans still live there??
How can you rescind a National Monument??? I had no idea!
Oh, and are the palms as pretty as you created them?
None still live there…there are a number of reservations surrounding the Phoenix metro area and am assuming they were moved there. I had never heard of rescinding a national monument either…saw that in Wikipedia…the palms are as pretty in person as the art prints…thanks!
My pleasure.
This is really nice, Kirt. I love the reflections in the deep blue water. Very peaceful. I can imagine sitting alongside this on a blanket in the grass.
It is like an oasis in the desert…beautiful setting!!
With (finally) a nip of fall in the air, these feel like a last hurrah for summer, Kirt. Beautifully done. Hugs.
Thank you very much Teagan!!! Again…love your writing….have a great weekend!!
Really enjoyed the Arizona landscape, Kirt, with the palms, blue sky, and blue water. Always enjoy your vibrant prints. Also liked hearing of the history of the land.
I was amazed that the origination of the area we call Phoenix was farming by natives a thousand years ago building canals from the mountains into the valleys…thanks for stopping by!!
I like them both but for some reason my eye lingered more with the second shot. The reflections are amazing!
Thanks for the feedback Nancy….not sure if you have been there, but worth it if not, plus the Botanical Garden is right there also. Thanks for stopping by!!
Ah, lovely. Makes me want to kick back in a comfy chair with a cold beverage!
Works for me!!
The trees may be dizzy with all of the changing and diversity of uses of the land they hail from! I like the digital painting technique very much. And who can resist palm trees. Especially those of us up to our knees in snow!
Still feel for you with the snow….I was also amazed at the history of the area. It is truly a very beautiful and tranquil park amidst the desert environment!! Thanks for stopping by Sue!
Love these. The colours are great and I really love the reflections on the water. I would like to wander around this place, looks really beautiful 🙂
Thank you very much Gill!! It is truly an oasis from the desert environment!!