July 6, 2012 – I received a post card from a friend last week that completely brightened my day.
She was visiting Santa Fe, N.M. and more specifically the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and is one of my favorite places on earth. You simply can’t go wrong there; a museum filled with the incredible works of O’Keeffe, in the middle of one of the loveliest areas of New Mexico.
I remember visiting the museum several years back and enjoying every moment. It’s nothing like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, my local museum, which is incredible in its own right, but on a much grander scale. Rather, it resembles an adobe style home in the middle of a residential neighborhood, giving it a straightforward appeal.
While there I took in two of my favorite paintings, Red Poppy and Black and Purple Petunias, prints of which hang in my dining room. It was incredible to see the actual work and brush strokes on the canvas.
A few years later, in 2000, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC offered an O’Keeffe exhibit, and when I read that my most favorite painting would be displayed, the three-hour ride seemed minimal. Ladder to the Moon is a simple painting, but it makes me feel hopeful, and full of possibilities when I look at it.
The technical aspect of art is lost on me; I’ve never taken a fine arts class and don’t know how to interpret correctly many of the paintings I admire. That’s fine. I much prefer the way I feel when I see a painting by O’Keeffe, or perhaps Vincent Van Gogh, who’s Van Gogh Up Close exhibit I was able to see this past spring at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Van Gogh’s Sunflowers makes me feel wonderful, too. The magic of art is like that sometimes.
janemcmaster 
I like Georgia O’Keeffe paintings, but much of her stuff looks the same, and looks like part of the female anatomy.
I hear you, SE, and I agree. Although the body is beautiful, I’m not sure I want one of those flowers or abstracts hanging on my wall. Many of her paintings are incredible though.
Jane, glad you got the postcard. The entire trip to NM was wonderful. If you loved the GOK museum, next time you go you must visit Ghost Ranch – one of the places she painted for over 40 years. Has the most spectacular mountains I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot of mountains). The beautiful views moved me to tears.
If we move to NM you’ll have to come visit!
Ronnie, I did and I’m so happy you thought of me. It brought back some wonderful memories. Glad you had a great time. It is beautiful country. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to Ghost Ranch…