19 May

New Faces In The Garden. Bowing To Georgia O’Keeffe, She Got Inside My Head I Suspect. I’m Grateful For That

by Jon Katz

I feel exceptionally fortunate to be alive today. It is a gorgeous, warm, windy Spring day.  I had to remove a few raised bed flowers damaged in the cold the other night, but more are rising to show their faces in the warmth.

Come and see.

The above picture is one of those that somehow evokes Georgia Okeeffe. I fell in love with her way of capturing flowers, it got inside of my head. I felt her spirit in this one.


 

I am no Georgia O’Keeffe, for sure, but five years ago, Maria and I spent some time in New Mexico, and we visited her home and some of the places that inspired her work. I will never forget that visit; her home was a spiritual journey into the heart of the spiritual soul.

The trip was moving and powerful, I hope we can one day go back.

It changed me and inspired me. I never compare myself to her, but since I started taking flower photos, some people have been generous enough to say the photos seem to invoke some of her paintings. That is one of the nicest things anyone could say to me, true or not. I felt like putting up a picture to honor her and her amazing work and independent spirit.

I believe her spirit enriched my work, and I hope she did. That would be a gift.

 

 

Above and below: “Confetti” – Lantana

3 Comments

  1. these are such beautiful photos, Jon. I find it challenging to come up with better descriptive words other than gorgeous, lovely or stunning! LOL! I personally love the first (header) photo the best and I think Georgia would be very thrilled to see it……… in looking back over months of your photos (I do this on occaision)……… I can see the growth and change in your work and experimentation with cameras and I’m loving it!
    Susan M

  2. I am a big Georgia O’Keeffe fan and have photographed many flowers and zoomed in on the magic that most people don’t see or appreciate. I have sold many of them to raise money for animal rescues in my area and have won juried art shows with them. Keep taking those beautiful pictures.

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