Georgia O'Keeffe[American Painter, 1887-1986]

Georgia O’Keeffe was born on her family’s large Wisconsin farm in 1887. She would become one of America’s most famous painters. Her paintings show the beauty she found in simple,

natural things.

Georgia’s mother thought art was very important, and made sure

that Georgia had art lessons while she was growing up. She did so

well with her lessons that her

parents encouraged

Georgia to go to art college.

After finishing art school, Georgia

decided to teach art in

Texas, but she was not

fulfilled. She longed to show

and sell her own artwork.

She would miss the landscape of Texas, but

Georgia moved to New York so that she could

sell her paintings in the

big city’s galleries.

Even though Georgia needed money to live, she felt funny

about selling her art. She worked so hard on her

art that she hated to see it leave

the gallery.

Her paintings of flowers are some of her most famous. She usually made her flowers very

large. She hoped they would make

people feel the same wonderful way she

felt when she looked at real flowers.

Georgia thought her large flower paintings might get even busy New Yorkers to stop

and notice them.

Would you stop to notice these flowers?

Would you notice these?

I would notice these flowers no matter how busy I was!

She would also paint other items from

nature. What is this a painting of?

Can you tell what Georgia was looking at while she painted this

picture?

Her paintings are usually

very clear and bright, but she did use dark

colors occasionally.

Georgia would often try to imitate natural things while she looked at them, but she

would sometimes paint shapes and colors that she saw in her mind.

Do you think she looked at

something when she painted this, or did she use

her imagination?

What about this

one?

Even when she painted from her imagination, her artworks still look

like something from nature.

While visiting some friends from New Mexico, Georgia O’Keeffe discovered that she loved the

scenery there.

Georgia was

interested in painting all kinds of

natural things she

saw in New Mexico,

even bones!

Sometimes she would paint bones and

flowers together!

Georgia O’Keeffe was a very original artist. She did not care what

people thought about her or her artwork. Her paintings

are very unique. They show beauty

that most people do not take the time

to notice.

Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings can be

found in museums all over our country and the world. She even has a whole

museum dedicated to her. It is the

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Georgia O’Keeffe lived to be 98 years old. Women were not usually artists in the time Georgia lived. She was a

pioneer!

“Nobody sees a flower, really, it is so small. We haven't time - and to see takes time like to have a friend takes time.  If I could paint the flower exactly as I see it no one would see what I see because I would paint it small like the flower is small. So I said to myself - I'll paint what I see - what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it - I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers.”- Georgia O'Keeffe