Wildflowers of the West: An Artist’s Guide

As an author and artist, Molly Hashimoto’s Wildflowers of the Westis a celebration of the wildflowers blooming across the American West. More than an artist’s guide, the book offers a personal and professional appraisal of the region from the majestic trees of the Pacific Northwest, in half a dozen ecosystems. The desert flowers, the region most identified with Americans, in part through seeing popular movies over generations, demonstrate an unexpected variety.

Traveling through the West, Hashimoto’s’ liberally illustrated journal reveals how the earliest wildflowers display their vivid colors, then allows the next environment to bloom. “If every flower bloomed at the same time, there would be insufficient pollinators to visit them all simultaneously.”

Although Hashimoto is not, by her admission, a scientific artist, her artistry is remarkably detailed, the colors and intricate natural designs meticulously interpreted. Whether prominent in the Wetlands, the forests, Chaparral, the Alpine setting, and even more, the book demonstrates an extraordinary knowledge. The descriptions of tools and techniques that she shares with her readers are lessons for anyone not wholly absorbed in looking and enjoying the pages. The book is a treasure, an opportunity to admire the natural treasures of the American West.