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Bill Leslie: Genius of Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O'Keeffe never doubted her calling. She was born to paint and she never lost her creative fire.

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Bill Leslie: Genius of Georgia O'Keeffe
RALEIGH, N.C. — Wouldn’t it be nice to know precisely what you are supposed to do every day and, when you wake up in the morning, you are absolutely excited about it?

Georgia O’Keeffe never doubted her calling. She was born to paint and she never lost her creative fire. Even after losing her vision, O’Keeffe took up sculpting and used assistants to prepare her paints and canvases. In addition, O’Keeffe dabbled in pastel and charcoal until the age of 96.

Bill Leslie: Genius of Georgia O'Keeffe
You can learn more about this American icon in an excellent exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art runs through January 20.

Cindy and I went to the exhibition with two friends who once lived in New Mexico where O’Keeffe painted spectacular flowers and haunting desert landscapes.

If you’ve ever been to New Mexico, you know what I’m talking about. The rugged beauty there is totally unlike anything in North Carolina.

O’Keeffe was enthralled with the landscape around Ghost Ranch, a retreat center Cindy and I visited several years ago.

Bill Leslie: Genius of Georgia O'Keeffe

O’Keeffe loved to drive around in her car and paint while sitting in her customized Model-A Ford. She would paint in any kind of weather.

Friends say she camped and rafted well into her 70s. She totally immersed herself in the place she loved to capture on canvas.

The exhibition in Raleigh also includes the work of 20 emerging artists who have interpreted O’Keeffe’s favorite themes in a “delicate interplay between realism and abstraction.” These newer works of art are a visual delight. I won’t give it away but be on the look out for an amazingly creative montage of Americana.  

If you love natural beauty and art this is one exhibition you don’t want to miss.

Bill Leslie: Genius of Georgia O'Keeffe

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