So today I decided to really dig into Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings after seeing her name pop up everywhere. Grabbed my laptop, opened like ten tabs, and started hunting.
How it all began
First thing I did was scroll through her stuff on museum sites. Damn near got dizzy zooming in on those huge flower close-ups. Felt like falling into some giant flower tunnel. Tried counting petals on her Red Canna piece and lost track after thirty seconds.
The process
Searched “Georgia O’Keeffe famous flowers” and scribbled down names people kept mentioning:
- That Jimson Weed thing that sold for insane money
- The moody Black Iris everyone treats like art royalty
- Oriental Poppies with colors so bright they hurt your eyes
Then I dragged my sketchbook out. Tried copying her White Calico Flower shape with charcoal. Looked more like a smashed cabbage than art. Burned through three erasers before quitting.
The real deal artists talk about
After wasting paper, I just stared at her originals full screen. Noticed crazy stuff like:
- How Poppy makes you feel like a tiny bug crawling inside the flower
- The way Black Iris III looks soft and spooky at the same damn time
- That Jack-in-the-Pulpit series where the flower turns into some alien spaceship
What clicked
Around lunchtime it hit me – she wasn’t just painting pretty flowers. That lady was showing how powerful and scary and alive plants really are. Blew my mind that a painting of petals could feel more intense than some action movie.
Would still kill to see that Jimson Weed in real life though. Wonder if it’d actually hypnotize you if you stared too long.
