Born in New Mexico, Georgianna Ann O’Keeffe was raised with art around her since infancy. Her mother was an artist herself, so she was constantly exposed to creativity.
As she grew up, O’Keeffe had many artistic influences that shaped how she would later develop as an artist. These include artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri de Champs-Elysees, Paul Klee, and Piet Mondrian.
O’Keeffe eventually left home for college where she majored in painting. It was there that she made her first acquaintance with nature and its beauty.
After graduating from high school, O’Keeffe moved back into her family home. She spent the next few years exploring different parts of Arizona and California by car, often stopping at interesting sights along the way.
It was here she came across some yellow flowers in the desert. They struck her as unique and beautiful, so she photographed them and gave them a special name – sunsets!
From then on, she dedicated more time to capturing this beautifully vibrant sunset image every chance she got. This is what led to her finding recognition as an artist.
Many people credit O’Keeffe with introducing modernist style painting to America. Many believe her use of bold colors and shapes influenced other artists to experiment with similar styles.
After years of struggling as an artist in Arizona, Georgia O’Keeffe made her move to live in New York City in 1925. She moved into a brownstone just outside of Central Park that she would eventually name The Stone House.
It was there where she spent most of her time painting, creating some of her best work. Many people consider these works to be among her greatest achievements because they are so powerful. Others say it is how she applied paint onto canvas or paper that makes them special.
After leaving New Mexico, she never returned again. This is probably why her art has such strong emotional content- you can feel what she wanted to get out of it!
Her style evolved throughout her career, but many think her best work came after she left home for greener pastures.
As we know, artist are not your average job seekers. They typically have to go through an extensive process of trying to get recognized as an artist before getting involved in creating their art.
In fact, most artists start by doing things like painting landscapes or still life pictures for many years before they add anything else to their repertoire.
Landscapes can be boring, so it is very likely that an artist would try something different with their work. This could mean adding colors or patterns into their paintings, incorporating shapes such as squares or circles, or even introducing new mediums such as acrylic or oil paints instead of watercolors.
Most famous artists started off practicing one type of artwork, but then later experimented with other styles. For example, Pablo Picasso began experimenting with Cubism, a style which features lots of geometric shapes and vibrant color combinations.
O’Keefe eventually incorporated some of these concepts into his own artistic style. When people talk about how she influenced others, it is usually noted that she designed what genre of art she wanted to create.
She chose abstract expressionist works because she loved the way this style looks and feels. By taking away all references to natural objects, her art becomes a representation of her internal feelings at the time she painted them.
After leaving New Mexico, where she lived as a teenager, artist Georgia O’Keeffe travelled around America seeking out new artistic experiences. She spent time studying painting in California before moving onto exploring other mediums like ceramics.
It was during this period that she made some of her most famous paintings. These include Stylized Figure with Sheep (1923), Morning Light With Thunderstorm (1920) and Evening Wind (1924).
Since then, these works have become iconic symbols of the artist and of Texas, her home for much of her life.
They show an elegant and powerful use of colour which has inspired many artists since.
Modern art is full of artists who have their own style that they stick to, but none more so than Georgia O’Keefe. She painted vivid landscapes with geometric shapes and vibrant colors.
Her paintings are known for having large expanses of color and fluid lines which create an effect that looks almost three-dimensional. Many consider her style to be very American as she often depicted natural scenes in America.
She was born in St. Louis in 1870 and grew up during one of the most productive periods of artistic creativity in the United States. Her father died when she was twelve years old, leaving her and her brother with little money.
However, her mother had family connections, and she was able to get into school free because of them. It was there where she first encountered art, learning how to draw from some of the best teachers in the area.
After high school, she went to New York City to study art at the Art Students League. While she didn’t graduate, she did learn enough painting to know what needed to be done and who could teach her.
It wasn’t long before she got hired to do freelance artwork and she quickly gained recognition for her talent. In fact, many say her talents were better than those of her professors back home.
In 1903, she met Alfred Vreeland Johnson, a wealthy man twenty years older than her.
After years of experimenting with different styles, shapes, and colors, Texas native Georgia O’Keefe settled into one that would become her trademark — large expanses of white space juxtaposed against vibrant shades and patterns.
Her paintings focused almost exclusively on landscapes and figures in rich color schemes. With each new work she would explore new approaches to painting by studying how other artists completed their assignments.
O’Keefe was particularly inspired by Pietro Annibale Caracci, an Italian artist who painted still lifes and flower pieces. She later translated his techniques into her own artwork.
After developing her skill as a painter, O’Keefe turned her attention to creating art for galleries instead of individual collectors. In 1925, she opened her first solo exhibition at Alfred Stieglitz’s New York-based Gallery 291.
Since then, she has gone on to have over 100 exhibitions throughout her career, including more than 30 museums worldwide. Her works can be found in private collections and museum treasuries across the globe.
These days, O’Keefe is considered one of the greatest American painters of all time.
