Former biochemist, Howard Boroughs, came to Ventura in 1979 with his beloved wife Evelyn and their canine companion, Daisy. Thanks to their generosity, we have The Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Library at Ventura College and the dog park at Camino Real Park that allows canines and their human companions to romp unleashed.
Behind the Museum of Ventura County is the Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Children’s Garden with a 4 foot bronze turtle for the children to play on that Howard commissioned.
Howard Boroughs was the second Venturan painted by Johanna Spinks as part of the two year project “The Face Of Ventura” featured in the Ventura Breeze.
Johanna decided that he was so important to her that she would paint him again at the Ventura Townehouse where he is now living.
Regarding painting Howard one more time Johanna stated “ I was lucky enough to paint Howard for The Face of Ventura portrait project in the Ventura Breeze. Howard was in fact my second sitter of 58. We became friends and kept in touch. His conversation is always stimulating and he is a very kind man. We had talked over the last few years of doing a larger portrait. When I saw Howard at the unveiling of his garden at the Museum of Ventura County (the inset photo), in his 102nd year, I knew it was time to paint the larger portrait. So that is what we did. It was painted in five life sittings of about 90 minutes each, via palette knife, at Howard’s home. A lovely time indeed. Thank you Howard.”
