Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the most recognizable names in American art. Just the mention of her paintings brings immediately to mind her innovative style of presenting her world in large magnified images. O’Keeffe’s still life paintings of flowers are her most famous images. Living in New York brought her fame, but living in the Southwest gave her freedom and happiness.

 

O’Keeffe first discovered New Mexico on her way to Texas in 1916. When she returned in 1929, she became convinced it was a place she wanted to explore and paint. She began spending part of the year discovering the area and painting its vistas. In 1934, O’Keeffe made her first visit to Ghost Ranch, a dude ranch north of Abiquiu, New Mexico, where she found a new inspiration for her work. She purchased this property in 1940 and began spending her summers there.