Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since I cannot sing, I paint. – Georgia O’Keefe

Kelly and I wandered over to the Georgia O’Keefe Art Gallery. We reminisced about past trips and missed our other roommates terribly.

I confided in her that Georgia O’Keefe had once been one of my most favorite painters. However, in high school, someone told me that her flowers were painted to be scandalous and sexual. I was immediately embarrassed and gave away the book I had spent my babysitting money on.

I quietly wandered the front hall, and the familiarity of her art made me smile. It was like seeing an old friend again and remembering all the things we love about them.

As we wandered the art gallery, Kelly motioned me in to read a beautiful narrative that had been written. It had been done in the style of a timeline, with Georgia O’Keeffe’s life written on the top and events of the world written on the bottom.

We read that Georgia (I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I referred to her on a first name basis from here forward) did not ever intend for her flowers to be viewed as sexual. She denied that claim for 6 decades. I had no idea. Her art had been used by the writers of the time to push forward a 2nd wave in the feminist movement. She never intended her paintings to be used as a statement in this way.

My world seemed more colorful all of the sudden. Of course flowers are feminine and beautiful and necessary – just like the female is. Why had I allowed one person’s commentary on dated interpretations to shut a door completely?

I almost felt relieved to think that what I first saw as beautiful was just that… beautiful.

When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not. – Georgia O’Keefe

I recently took a macro photography class and my heart was drawn to the images and it reinvigorated my photography journey in a way I’ve been searching for. In my silly, childlike imagination, it was as if Georgia was still there all along, pointing out beauty to me every step of the way.

It was as if every quote I read of hers was a kindred spirit, enjoying the beauty of our Creator in a way that we hope to share with others.

I know, I’ve posted this image before, but I connected with the quote above with every ounce of my soul. This was a rose, just down the road from mom and dad’s home in The Woodlands, Texas, on the walk to the mailbox. It had just rained and the raindrops were relaxing on the petals until the wind ushered them to their next stop. I just had to capture the drops before they were all gone. I held my breath with a sense of urgency as I tried to make time stand still so that anyone, anywhere could see the beauty.

The gallery has challenged me to think in new ways of what I’ve learned throughout my life. I allowed one person to change my entire perspective of an artist I had fallen in love with, without research and without thoughtful discourse.

I’m sure there are so many ideas that I need to challenge, but for now, Georgia and I are happy to study the flowers together.

I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty. – Georgia O’Keefe