Mimi Torchia Boothby

Category: african american

  • George Floyd – say my name

    Artists are political. I, for one, cannot really paint someone I don’t want to paint. But sometimes, there is a face in the news and I can’t NOT paint him. When I first heard about George, I looked at his face, he looked tall and strong and brave. Then I read a biography, really, an…

  • Florence – Monday Portrait

    Today was my last portrait session in Tallahassee, as next Monday my cats and I will be flying back to Seattle. We watched expectantly as different possible portrait models walked through our room, after Tom told us our model wasn’t coming. And then Florence walked in. She was diminutive and soft spoken. She couldn’t see…

  • 28 – Harriet Tubman

    For my last daily face, I decided to go back to the historical, where I started. I had hoped to work on making more pretty faces, but instead, life threw me a real curve ball and I didn’t have time or energy to do extras, and had to rely on my family for most of…

  • 23 – Major Taylor

    I know, I know, I’m supposed to be painting faces, but if I didn’t show this guy on a bicycle, you wouldn’t know who he is. Major Taylor was one of the best cyclists that ever lived. He was born in 1878 and died in 1932. He broke numerous world records and broke the color…

  • 22 – Mississippi John Hurt 1892-1966

    As much as I love a good face, I love a good story too. John Hurt was discovered in 1928 and made a few recordings. He was much appreciated, but the depression struck, and he was forgotten for 36 years. He worked as field hand, picking cotton or corn, and working cattle. It wasn’t until…