Molly Hashimoto is a good friend of the Miller Library, having exhibited in our space for many years, typically each November and December. Her books are a blend of engaging watercolors and block prints, while the text educates the reader about both art techniques and the subjects of the illustrations.
Her most recent book is “Trees of the West: An Artist’s Guide,” an exploration of all the trees native to the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. By dividing her chapters into the nine biogeographical regions, the trees that typically associate with each other are grouped together.
Each entry includes a species description, but not in the typical, formulaic terminology of a field guide. Instead, this is an artist’s interpretation of appearance, often done by describing a notable individual tree in an evocative location. There are basic facts like range and ethnobotanical uses, but these are intermixed with essays, travel journal excerpts, poetry, and brief profiles of artists, biologists, and naturalists.
I was especially engaged by complimentary images of a row of tall western redcedars (Thuja plicata), all that sprung up from the same nurse log. On the left page they are depicted in watercolor. On the right, by a tinted woodblock print. Located in the North Cascades National Park, the artist has visited these trees many times. Her description of their near destruction by a 2015 forest fire makes this an especially personal account.
“Once you begin keeping sketchbooks or journals, you realize the importance of recording experiences and ideas—it is a very personal endeavor, but it is one that makes you a more thoughtful participant in the landscapes you venture to see.” This past May, the Council of Botanical and Horticultural Libraries recognized the quality of this book with an Award of Excellence for Botanical Art and Illustration.
Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on August 22, 2023
Excerpted from the Fall 2023 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin