Mimi Torchia Boothby

I guess if you asked me if I had a favorite tree, it would be the sequoia. Even when young, (like this one) the base of the tree quickly grows stout, and the bark color is reminiscent of some of my favorite red-haired people. They are fun to draw and fun to paint. And they leave quite a shadow. This sequoia is growing in Washington Arboretum, a vigorous bike ride’s distance from my home.

Yesterday I had the good fortune to spend my afternoon in the Washington Arboretum. The sun was shining and all the Rhododendrons and Azaleas were blooming. I tried to show the deep shadows next to the brightly glowing flowers. It’s a lot trickier to paint this stuff on location, but it was fun to try.

My garden is the opposite of a formal garden. The plants that are growing are either volunteers or tough additions. I grow a variety of native plants as well as european immigrants, like my own ancestors. Foxglove has been in my yard for as long as I’ve lived here, and I’ve never planted it. The delphinium is something I planted four years ago. The orange poppies have happily reproduced for at least 20 years. In every season, something else in my yard glows. Birds, bees, and butterflies love this place.

I had the opportunity to sit and paint surrounded by the landscape that Georgia O’Keeffe loved, at her Ghost Ranch. We sat under a big tree in Adirondack chairs and the mesas lay in front of me, clothed in brilliant light and shadows. The clouds all by themselves were an incredible show. This mesa is called Pedernal.
This painting is not for sale.

Last night on my walk, I was observing crows, so this morning at Seward Park, when I saw some hanging around, I seized the opportunity to paint them. The crows were very hopeful because a little girl and her parents were feeding the ducks. Alas, the tot did not like the crows, so the crows had to wait until the party was over to look for the dregs..