"To this palette of greens,
she added splashes of color --
crocuses, daffodils, irises,
lilacs, poppies, and hollyhocks."
If you have heard about Georgia O'Keeffe, it's likely because of her art. Her flowers have inspired many artists and collectors. Her works are found in museums and art galleries worldwide. While she loved painting those flowers, she wanted to inspire others to take the time to really look closely at them. When she tired of the noise, the buildings, the constant go of city life, she fled to New Mexico.
There she found exactly what she was looking for; the soil that reminded her of a happy childhood growing up on a farm. For the first time, she decided to grow a garden of her own. She planted fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers of all colors and kinds.
"While she waited for the seeds to sprout,
Georgia painted."
She surveyed her new surroundings while sewing, gathering, and collecting. When she could finally reap the rewards of all she grew in her garden, she shared soups, salads, main courses, and even desserts. She bought other needed items from community members, hired them to help her out, and continued her painting.
"The art of caretaking -
of her home and her garden -
nourished Georgia's art-making."
While learning about Georgia's gardening successes, readers also experience her style of painting and what she painted in illustrations created with 'traditional pen, paint, and paper and then assembled in Photoshop' by Hadley Hooper. The perspectives shift, and the fascinating design includes fine details described in the text.
Back matter includes an archival photo of the artist, brief biographical information, details about some sustainable gardening techniques, a list of sources, and O’Keeffe’s recipe for pecan butterball cookies.
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