Georgia O'Keeffe

The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is featuring an exhibit of Modern Nature: Georgia O'Keeffe and Lake George.

Which is compelling.

Barns, changing color of leaves, trees around the lake, the top of knees (hers?) in a rowboat…..

And quite unusual.

Because when I think of this particular artist, I immediately think of New Mexico and flowers (large, bold, close up).

But like all of us, O'Keeffe was more than one note.

Born in Wisconsin, she attended the Art Institute in Chicago, taught in Texas, took classes in South Carolina. A friend sent her drawings to Alfred Steiglitz, a photographer and gallery owner in New York. He exhibited her work without her knowledge.

O'Keeffe ended up in a relationship and eventually married Steiglitz, a man over twenty years her senior.

Stieglitz shot nude photographs of O'Keeffe that made her famous. This led to critics eyeing her own work as erotic and sensual thus tainting the way her flowers and other close ups were viewed. In the short film (shown at the museum), they quote O'Keeffe as saying, "Sometimes a flower is just a flower."

Hmmmm, even without knowing this part of her history, there seems to be an obvious sensual quality to her work.

A 1929 vacation to Taos, New Mexico would alter the course of her life. She returned every year and took up permanent residency there after her husband died.

Fascinating woman with equally fascinating history.

de Young Museum in San Francisco.

Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit.

Also mentioned in the film, "she was so very tired of all the green" (from years and years of painting around Lake George) and the colors of New Mexico spoke to her as an artist.

It stuck with me because as we left the exhibit (in the middle of Golden Gate Park), we were instantly surrounded by green.

Grass, trees, bushes, even the water….which I couldn't wait to photograph.

But hey, I am not a painter….

Streets of San Francisco (pausing for architecture)

See San Francisco on foot.

Yes, it is exciting to hang from a trolley car pole with the wind whipping through your hair but then your eyes are directed out and not necessarily up. And you are busy thinking about your grip and the fast pace of the traffic zooming close to your backside as you lean back to pose for a selfie.

On foot, especially climbing a big steep hill, it is inevitable that you need to stop, gasp, catch your breath and look up. And this is the very best way to take in the gloriousness and detail of San Francisco architecture.

Isn't this the most gorgeous shade of green?

A building with presence. Solid. 

Wild colors seem to accentuate the trim.

The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline.

Shiny rooftop. A little bling among the buildings.

Black and white stylish chic.

Imposing. Rather grand.

Charming. But not over-the-top.

In San Diego, there are different types of houses.

But there is an abundance of stucco homes with a two-or-three car garage receiving center stage.

Which is why, shortly after moving into our home nineteen years ago, I pulled into the neighbor's driveway, ready to shut off the engine, before I noticed I was at the wrong house.

This would never happen to me in the beautiful streets of San Francisco.