As a parent of a teenager, I took a peek inside to find out if there was anything on her days at Chatham Hall, a high school O'Keeffe attended in Virginia a century ago, which was then Chatham Episcopal Institute.

A few quotes from the book:

"she would remember that period as important especially because of her long walks in the hills "with the line of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon calling me, as distances have always called me."' (p.10)

"I only remember two things I painted in those years.... I slapped my paint about quite a bit and did not care where it landed."

"Of tremendous importance during this time was the admiration and encouragement Georgia received from the principal at Chatham, Elizabeth may Willis, who was also the art teacher. She saw Georgia's talent and encouraged it unstintingly. Even in later years Willis followed O'Keeffe's career, inviting her to substitute as art teacher when she herself took a few months off, and traveling to New York to see exhibits of her student's work many years later." (p.11,12)

"Georgia ... graduated from Chatham at the age of 17" and "went on the study at the Art Institute of Chicago...."

About Chicago Art Institute, according to Frazier, O'Keeffe said "I don't remember learning anything except that I finally became accustomed to the idea of the nude model." (p.15)

Apparently she blossomed as a painter later. O'Keeffe was "encouraged ... unstintingly" at Chatham. She even enjoyed patronage of a sort from Chatham in her employment as substitute art teacher. About her, Lewis Mumford later wrote "Miss O'Keeffe is perhaps the most original painter in America." (p.7)

"She was not unfriendly or antisocial.... She joined in pranks with high spirits while keeping her reputation as a nonconformist."

Wonderfully written with beautifully reproduced prints. It was great to get information of her development along with excellent reproductions of her work. (...)

December 3, 2001

This book contains selections from Nicholas Callaway's other O'Keefe books- One Hundred Flowers, In the West, and New York Years. If you own only one of them, this is the one to own. There are some surprising paintings in here, especially if you've only seen the flower paintings before. The book is quite large, and the color reproductions seem pretty accurate from the few paintings I've actually been able to compare. Wonderful book!

Of the various juvenile books devoted to the life and art of Georgia O'Keefe, this volume by Robyn Montana Turner, is the most determined attempt to explain the artist. Turner uses a few of O'Keefe's most famous paintings, such as "Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue," but is more interested in pivotal paintings that reflect her evolving style. This includes several early works from her art student days and means you will see "Oriental Poppies" rather than "Petunia" or "Morning Glory with Black." Because of this focus on the development of O'Keefe as a painter, the biographical details of her life are important only as they introduced the artist to people and places that become important to her paintings. Consequently, this book is really a step or two beyond a basic Art Appreciation type of introduction to O'Keefe's work. This book is the first in the "Portraits of Women Artists for Children" series, although certainly Turner aims higher than what is commonly meant by that designation. This is not a book for kids, nor is it a book for people with only a passing interest in art. This is a serious attempt to explain the uniqueness of a major American artist and a great book to turn to after receiving a basic introduction to O'Keefe from something like Mike Venezia's volume in the "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" series.

The black and white photography captures the artist perfectly. You can feel her intensity and sensuality spring from the pages. It is an intimate look at a very private artist.

Convenient size. You can take it with you when you travel to New Mexico and see the lands that inspired a truly remarkable woman. The black and white photographs and the simple design of the book would please Ms. Okeeffe, I feel. I have been to Ghost Ranch and it really is amazing to see some of the changes and similarities that the pictures present. The photographer John Loengard has produced a compelling insight into the private life of a very intriguing woman.

I really liked this. Lots of color reproductions of O'Keeffe's paintings, including several "fold-out" double pages. Covers her early mid and late periods. This is also a book about the museum devoted to her in New Mexico, The size of the book is nice too. A bit smaller than "coffee-table" huge dimension. A book you can browse through. Can be an introduction to Georgia O'Keeffe's art and life for somebody just learning about her, or can be extra fun for a real O'Keeffe fan.

An absolutely gorgeous book of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of the southwestern United States. It's large size and fine reproductions make it one of my most treasured possessions!

Georgia O'Keeffe always said that she was impatient with visual clutter; that she wanted to get rid of details that got in the way of real meanings; and that abstract painting could deal with concepts, emotions, and ideas. The GEORGIA O'KEEFFE: CANYON SUITE watercolors are in fact among the earliest U.S. abstract art painted directly from nature. They include abstract images of natural phenomena, such as "Abstraction, Black and Blue," with lightning bolts and rain sheets through darkened sky and ground, "First Light on the Plains," with light haloing through the fuchsia and indigo night, "Gray Abstraction (Train/Desert)," with former motion stilled in trails against the sky, and "Light Coming on the Plains," with Japanese brushed color tones dragged spectacularly down by gravity and water; recognizable subject matter, such as "Red House/Fence & Door" and her rare "Standing Nude," with the body invaded by the background colors and therefore like one of Auguste Rodin's blurred watercolor nudes; and traditional landscapes, such as "Blue Hills," "Dark Mesa," and "Purple Mountain." Editor Barbara J. Bloemink's text gives helpful background to understanding the artist and the color plates, and to reading Benita Eisler's O'KEEFFE AND STIEGLITZ and Roxana Robinson's GEORGIA O'KEEFFE. The same interest in colors and shapes, but differently treated, shows through FRIDA KAHLO's art, particularly in the books by Hayden Herrera, Raquel Tibol, and Martha Zamora.

Exquisite book - captured my daughter's heart (10 yrs old) when we were waiting for dinner to be served at a B&B in Galisteo N.M. While not O'Keeffe's most famous works, this is an intimate book, with poems. Would love to find one for her.

This book is outstanding. It provides the reader, or viewer, with the opportunity to enjoy and study many of O'Keeffe's works, in watercolor, pastels, and charcoal drawings. I was very satisfied with my choice. I searched and searched for a book that contained works other than her standard oils and watercolors, that have been so available in other books for years. As an art student, this one fits the bill as a great book to study one of my favorite artists and her varied use of techniques and mediums. Who else could make an avocado look so asthetically wonderful. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the work of Georgia O'Keeffe. You won't be disappointed.