Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased
Written by Amy Novesky and Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Published by Harcourt in 2012, ISBN 978-0-15-205420-5
Grades 1 – 6
Book Review
“Georgia painted waterfalls and green pleated mountains,
lava hardened into fantastic shapes, and delicate, feathered fishhooks that she
collected like seashells.”
But she did not paint a pineapple. A new picture
book biography of Georgia O’Keeffe by Amy Novesky captures the passion, intensity
and determination of the iconic American artist by focusing on a lesser-known
event in her life. In February of 1939 Georgia O’Keeffe traveled to Hawaii,
having been commissioned by the Dole Pineapple company to “create two paintings
to promote the delights of pineapple juice.” Conflict arose when O’Keefe was
told by company owners that she could not be housed next to the pineapple
fields. Denied the opportunity to paint pineapples in their natural
environment, the artist refused to paint one. Instead, she traveled throughout
Hawaii, immersing herself in the natural wonders of the island and creating twenty
paintings. Novesky’s concise, yet expressive, text evokes a vivid portrait of
the artist, her strength of character, her passion for beauty, and ultimately,
her rationality. Yuyi Morales’s digitally compiled acrylic paintings capture
the lushness of the Hawaii and pay tribute to O’Keeffe’s artistic style. Double
page spreads immerse the reader in luminous landscapes saturated with vivid
color. One spread forefronts a canvas with an image of the same seashore that
serves as background, while O’Keefe is pictured off to the side, gathering
treasures at the shoreline. The turquoise endpapers include captioned images of
the native flowers that appear in Georgia’s paintings. A powerful tribute to
the artistic spirit, this title will forever change the way you view a
pineapple.
Curriculum Links:
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Georgia O’Keefe Museum: Chronology
National Gallery of Art
https://images.nga.gov/en/page/show_home_page.html
(search for O’Keeffe)
Whitney Museum for Kids
Honolulu Museum of Art
San Francisco Chronicle: Georgia O’Keeffe’s Visit to Hawaii
Honolulu Academy of Arts: Arts of Hawaii
MFA Educators Online: Fishook From Hawaii No. 2
Dole Pineapple Plantation
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