Pescheret began visiting Tucson and Arizona in winter of the late 1930s. The annual winter visits expanded is visual understanding of the American Southwest. Pescheret speaking at the Sheboygan Women's Club in October 1938 recognized Arizona as one of the states "which offer the widest range of scenery." The Sheboygan Press reported that "From Arizona scenes he received inspiration for two unusual sketches, Spanish Yuca and the Coachwhip. The first shows the desert plant which grows to a height of 18 feet in full bloom against an azure sky, The Coachwhip or Devil's Walking Stick, is another form of giant cacti rarely seen anywhere else but in Arizona."