Artist Watch: Georgia O’Keeffe
Georgia O’Keeffe is probably best known for her large oil paintings of (sometimes abstract) flowers and her love affair with American photography pioneer Alfred Stieglitz.
I have had a biography of her in my bookshelf for a couple of years now and had never felt the compulsion to open it. It wasn’t until I saw Annie Leibovitz‘s (a favorite) photograph of the artist’s pastels that I became intrigued.
What had moved Leibovitz to tears upon seeing O’Keeffe’s hand-made pastels?
I finally opened the said neglected book and found that I could not put it down. She is indeed one very fascinating woman! I can very nearly relate to her.
If you are as intrigued as I, the book I’m reading is called “Portrait of an Artist: A Biography of Georgia O’Keeffe
Because she has inspired me so, here are my pencil portraits of her.
Georgia at 28. Art teacher.
At 69, portrait taken by Yousuf Karsh (another of my favorites).
I appreciate your sketches of Georgia O’Keeffe. Where will you go from here as you pursue the many facets of her life and her art? I have studied GOK for over 30 years and I have grown up in her birthplace city of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. If I can be of any assistance, please let me know.
Hello, Joe Chase! Thank you for taking the time to read through my entry and leave a feedback. I haven’t finished with the book yet, but it is truly a great read! I am immensely intrigued with how she thinks and how she comes up with her ideas and inspirations. Her dedication and meticulousness in her art is remarkable! I will embark on a project exploring how she created her large abstract flowers and how she blended her colors beautifully. 🙂 It’ll be part of my studies of oil. I think it’s gonna be great learning from her.
Thank you for offering your assistance. I will bear that in mind when the need arises. 😀