farewells

Dear Jennifer,

I feel as if I'm always apologizing for getting back to you so late, but it has been a very hectic few months. We are in the most important part of track season at the moment, we just had prom, and graduation is Friday. Everything is drawing to a close, yet I feel as if there is more to do than ever. Today is my last day of high school ever. It's crazy to think that after thirteen years of public schooling, I'll be out on my own soon. I'm both scared and excited, both happy and sad, but I am ready for the new chapter in my life to start. 

I love that you are making goals and trying to reach them, but try not to be so hard on yourself! Calling yourself fat is more harmful than it is helpful to you. Try to compliment yourself on what you're doing right rather than your faults. You are a beautiful, smart girl, so remember that! 

I enjoy much of the music that you listed, along with a lot of lesser known indie music. I always find it so surprising that American music is popular around the world, yet we hardly hear music from other countries. I wonder why that is? 

Since today is the last day of classes for me, we have also been given the option to say our goodbyes and discontinue communication with you, or to continue on even after school is over. As for me, I would be happy to continue communicating and I feel like I will have much more time to reply once I am no longer in classes. So, please reply with your decision. I look forward to hearing from you again!

Sincerely,

Sophia

Dear Betty,

I feel as if I'm always apologizing for getting back to you so late, but it has been a very hectic few months. We are in the most important part of track season at the moment, we just had prom, and graduation is Friday. Everything is drawing to a close, yet I feel as if there is more to do than ever. Today is my last day of high school ever. It's crazy to think that after thirteen years of public schooling, I'll be out on my own soon. I'm both scared and excited, both happy and sad, but I am ready for the new chapter in my life to start. 

It is very interesting to hear about the similar social issues that our countries share, despite the vast cultural differences. It is wonderful to hear that your country faces much less sexism than ours, because it is still a very big issue here. 

As far as having WEIXIN or QQ, I have honestly never heard of those applications before. I can check to see if they are available here, but I am not sure they are. 

Since today is the last day of classes for me, we have also been given the option to say our goodbyes and discontinue communication with you, or to continue on even after school is over. As for me, I would be happy to continue communicating and I feel like I will have much more time to reply once I am no longer in classes. So, please reply with your decision. I look forward to hearing from you again!

Sincerely,

Sophia

photos of the millennium

when will this world learn
that we cannot win with hatred?
when will we realize
that we're all fighting the same fight?
haven't we been taught
that you can't fight fire with fire?
yet here we are
and this whole world is going up in a blaze,
flames of hate consuming us.
maybe the smoke is clouding our judgement,
blinding us from what is truly happening,
adding fuel to our burning rage.
we can rationalize and desensitize ourselves from this mess
but without compassion
we lose everything that makes us human.
in the midst of all this chaos
we can still make peace.
we can still show the world
that we can love
that we can push our differences aside
and love each other.

photograph 2003

this is me
pressed against the side of my mother
wide smile and squinted eyes
so proud to look like the woman i thought was a super hero

this is me
before insecurities stole my smile
ashamed of my teeth
embarrassed of my nose

this is me
before the woman i looked up to tore me down
before i realized the woman i was standing next to was not so heroic after all

this is me
before i lost myself
before i found myself again
before i learned that the world is full of bad people
but it's also full of wonderful people
before i forgot how to love myself and others
before i remembered again

this was me
but it isn't me anymore

a view into another time

violet squirmed in her restrictive dress, pulling at the starched collar in a way that reminded me of a restrained animal. my mother scolded her, pushing her hands down and smoothing out her dress again. today was the day we were all to get our photographs done. we put on our best dresses and curled our hair into tight rings, and then rushed into town in our beaten up model-t, all of us jostling around on the dirt road to arrive on time. i stood off to the side of the set up, watching my mother struggle to get my siblings to cooperate. the photographer perched behind the camera, ducking underneath a thick black blanket and emerging every few seconds to instruct my mother on adjustments to make in the twins' positions. my frantic mother fluttered around anxiously, tugging at their dresses or flattening their hair back into place. watching her try to hold herself together made me pity her. getting our photographs taken had been my father's idea. after he passed away, my mother couldn't bear to cancel our appointment. she went through with it, as if to prove she was fine. she was not fine. nobody else could tell, but i could. i could see it in the slight tremble in her hand every time she reached out to separate one of the twins' glossy corkscrew curls. i could see it in her eyes, the glassy look that told me she was not all there. i could see it in the way she held herself, as if she was about to crumble at any moment, as if her insides had all been scraped out and all that was left was her skeleton, bones sagging under her heavy heart. the photographer seemed finally content with the girls' positioning and snapped the picture, the flashbulbs temporarily blinding us all. the photograph would take a while to develop but i knew what i'd see when we got it back. two little girls clutching each other in oblivion, and not pictured, a mother that was falling apart while desperately trying to hold things in place. 

friends

on friday i met venus and coco. they were both very quiet but i learned quite a bit about what their schools were like just by comparing ours to theirs. when piper told them her zodiac sign and asked if they knew what it meant, they understood and informed us that they were both pisces. i shared my appreciation for track and also that i'm on the yearbook staff here. venus was very interested in our journalism room and the fact that we create and disseminate our own work to our peers. i showed her last year's yearbook and she was fascinated, flipping through all the pages and seeing all the faces and pictures. we basically made our way through the whole school, and they were surprised at all the different electives we have. venus said "i wish that i studied here" because our school looks much easier and like more fun. this experience made me honestly grateful that high school in america isn't just all work and we have classes that we actually enjoy along with the more difficult ones. i also learned that a lot of the things i take for granted about our school systems aren't an option in most chinese schools. if we had more time i would probably have asked what venus and coco's schedules would have been like had they gone to kickapoo or a school like it. 

photo hunt

picture one: someone/something that makes me laugh/smile. kenia is such a sweet, funny person. i find myself constantly laughing about silly things we've said or done when i'm around her. she's an amazing friend, and definitely a good person to have around during bad times. 

picture two: someone who has taught you something or helped you somehow. piper has definitely taught me how to be more carefree and go with  the flow, while also paying more attention to the feelings of those around me. 

picture three: someone you'd like to be more like. emily is an extremely organized, level-headed person. basically, she is all the things i am not. if i had even half the proactive mindset of her, i'd be set up for an amazing time at college. however, my procrastination tendencies are probably going to be the death of me. 

picture four: something quintessentially american. i don't think there is anything more american than its first occupants. america's history can not be separated from the native americans' history. 

picture five: something square. this chief head is a marker from the class of '78. it's taboo and disrespectful to step on the chief head, but this tradition of stepping over it has become lost through the years. 

 picture six: something round. yet another chief head, yet this one is not quite as meaningful. it came with the remodel of the new student center and the library.

 picture seven: an interesting angle. this is a picture taken from behind the bleachers in the slot. not many people know about or go into the slot, but i love this hidden little nook.

 picture eight: something handwritten. this is the suggestion locker next to the cabinet room. i think we're supposed to put suggestions in there, but i don't think anyone ever does.

 picture nine: something from nature. a red bud tree blossoms in one of the courtyards. this is such a pretty little place but hardly anyone ever utilizes it.

 picture ten: something that looks like a face but really isn't. yeah, i'm cliche and i used outlets. i'm not creative. bite me.

picture eleven: something that a little kid might notice or find interesting. the dinosaur head in the science hallway fascinates many a high schooler, so it would probably be interesting to a kid as well.

 picture twelve: something that makes you feel nostalgic/brings back an important memory. this is one of the couches in the commons. specifically, it's the couch that kenia and i nap on every morning in first block. it's definitely going to be one of the things i remember about kickapoo because it's probably the best time i've had here. naps rock.

picture thirteen: something that irritates you or other people. this is a picture of the girls' locker room door. there is a sign on it explaining how it's kept locked during the day to prevent thefts. this is a very irritating thing for me, seeing at they sometimes keep it locked before and after school as well. how am i supposed to use the locker room if i can never get in? another nice thing that would be helpful in preventing thefts in the locker room would be some sort of container that you could lock your valuables in so that people couldn't get into them. OH WAIT. THAT'S WHAT THE LOCKERS ARE FOR. *frog emoji* *tea emoji*

picture fourteen: something that is beautiful. this weight rack and bench have been with me forever. i love squatting and lifting so for me, this is a beautiful sight. 

picture fifteen: something that will always remind you of being at KHS. lockers are the trademark item of american high schools. these ugly yellow chipped lockers are a staple of kickapoo. 

“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew

dan in real life

1.
i think it's definitely important to write about what you know when you're giving advice to others and disseminating it to the public. however, i feel that with like with most things, the more you write about what you don't know, the more you learn. if there's something you're wary about writing (such as a certain style of writing that you're not comfortable with), it's important to just get out there and write it. 

2. 
parents know as little about what they're doing as the children they're trying to successfully parent. sometimes they do things wrong and treat their children unfairly. i get it. but there are a couple of things they could be doing that'd make getting along with their children go a little more smoothly. 
one: don't decide their future for them. two: if you don't ever give them the chance to be trusted, they will never be trustworthy. three: support them, acknowledge them, understand the amount of pressure they are under and that school is just as hard/harder than it was in your day, expectations are much higher, and jobs are much scarcer. it's scary. let them know that you understand this. 

3.
i would love to write for a newspaper or magazine. however, i'm not sure that i would want to do something like an advice column. although an advice columnist is a worthy career, i feel like i'd rather write about things that are more real, influential, and important. i dream about writing about important current events and international news. i want to be the reliable source that people go to to get informed on worldly issues. if i were to write for a newspaper it'd have to be a fairly popular one, because i want my work to be seen on a large scale and make an actual difference. 

13.
i don't think well-traveled people are necessarily more interesting than people who haven't traveled quite as much, they just have more stories and firsthand knowledge about other cultures than people who haven't been anywhere. what makes you an interesting person isn't where you've been, it's what you do with the thoughts and opinions you have on the things that you have experienced. people who've never even left their hometown could very well be just as interesting or even more so than those who are well traveled. it's not what you have, it's what you do with what you have that counts. in this case what you have is travel experience.

20.
i think asking questions makes you a very good conversationalist, as long as you listen to the answers the person is providing and actually act like you're interested in what they're saying. people love to talk about themselves, so they'll feel very comfortable and open with you if you ask questions and actually act like you care about what they have to say. 

Dear Jennifer and Betty,

In my class lately, we have been discussing stereotypes and perceptions of Americans and those of other cultures. I know that for you, you probably hear a lot about Americans being fat and loud. You probably also hear that we are dumb and lazy. While I can’t deny that some of us are some or all of those things, I can say that not all of us are. As an American looking at Chinese people, there are also many inaccurate stereotypes that I have heard about your culture. Some of the things I have heard commonly are that all Chinese people eat is rice and noodles, all they do is work, they are very smart (which I’m sure is accurate!), and they eat cats and dogs. Some of these things you may think sound right, while others sound silly. I’m just repeating what I’ve heard.

Some things that are very big issues in America at the moment are same sex marriage, legalizing marijuana, racism, sexism, religious persecution, immigration, politics (because of the upcoming presidential election), and gun control laws. Do you see anything that is also an issue for you in China?

Some of the issues I listed in my previous paragraph are issues that I have very strong opinions on. Some of the time I am able to talk to people about them without getting angry or passionate, but oftentimes I find myself in the middle of a debate or argument if someone disagrees with me. What type of person are you?

I’m sure by seeing the clips of American television that you have, you are probably confused as to whether it is good to intervene in people’s business or not. All I can say is that if it puts someone in danger or harm’s way, it should be appropriate to intervene. Danger may come in the form of physical danger or harassment.

One issue I listed that was a big problem in America is sexism. On the question of whether misogyny is still an issue in America, my answer is a firm yes. As you probably saw in the episode of Wife Swap we watched, the man of the house often talked back and said degrading things to the woman, along with expecting her to do traditionally female tasks, such as make dinner for him and cater to his every need.

I don’t know how different Chinese women are to American women. American women are still fighting to be treated and recognized as equal to men. Do Chinese women also have this issue? Is it better? Worse? Do women have different roles than men?

Thank you for reading and considering all of the questions in this letter. I hope you get back to me soon!

Sincerely,

Sophia

movie quotes

movies

my favorite movie is probably stuck in love. there are so many reasons for my love for this movie. besides the fact that it isn't a complete cliche of a movie, its soundtrack is probably one of the best movie soundtracks of all time. not to mention at one point in the movie there is a mentioning of fevers and mirrors, an album by my favorite band, bright eyes. it is also a movie about writers, which i mean, come on. that's pretty cool. i love writers. i am a writer. we are all writers. another reason i love it is because of how it demonstrates pure sadness. it takes a talented person to convey such pain in a movie and let me tell you, i cry multiple times every time i watch it. it's so good. trust me.


movies that i don't like are scary/horror movies. i hate them. they scare the crap out of me. after watching said movies, i either can't sleep for the next week or have consistent nightmares. i don't understand the appeal of scaring myself half to death, but i guess some people don't understand why i like to watch movies that make me sad. i guess for my answer i'd say that pain is beautiful in a way. as for the valid answer to why i should put myself through a horror movie, i'm still waiting.


i watch movies fairly infrequently because i am so busy. i tend to watch tv shows more often because they are shorter so i can tackle them more quickly. as far as what i need to watch a movie, i need total darkness, a comfy couch, a blanket, and a big loud tv.


if there was a movie about me, the major plot points would probably be me having breakdowns where i cry profusely before bursting into laughter. these would be quite frequent. all in all, though, it'd be a pretty happy movie. i'd be able to get through these frequent breakdowns with the help of my super cool pals and many lo mein and movie nights.


these are the results of my movie survey.


• YOU ARE 83% EXTRAVERTED.
• You are extraverted, outgoing, active and high-spirited. You prefer to be around people most of the time.
• YOU ARE 50% AGREEABLE.
• You are generally warm, trusting, and agreeable, but you can sometimes be stubborn and competitive.
• YOU ARE 25% CONSCIENTIOUS.
• You are easygoing, not very well organised, and sometimes careless. You prefer not to make plans.
• YOU ARE 67% EMOTIONALLY STABLE.
• You are generally calm and able to deal with stress, but you sometimes experience feelings of guilt, anger and sadness.
• YOU ARE 92% OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES.
• You are open to new experiences. You have broad interests and are very imaginative.

nighthawks

it is 3 a.m. walking the now abandoned streets of the city, the flickering lights of a dim neon sign catch my eye. i cross the street to the all night cafe, eager to get out of the cold. the tiny cafe is tucked between a laundromat and computer repair store that appears to have been shut down. a faded "for lease" sign hangs crookedly in the store's display window, giving it an air of despair. i pull open the door of the cafe, accompanied by a draft of icy air. a few somber customers turn at the tinny door's chime before disinterestedly turning back to their rapidly cooling coffee. it is warmer than outside, but not by much. cold seeps in from the aged window seals, filling the place with a chill. i stand in the doorway, surveying my surroundings. i am aware immediately of the cutting silence, only broken briefly by the ruffle of a newspaper page turning or a spoon clinking against a china cup. i walk to the counter where the barista slowly shuffles about, his shoulders slumped and eyes hooded. he takes my order and i climb on to a cracked red vinyl bar stool, absentmindedly swiveling from side to side in my seat. i watch the barista silently pour coffee into a cup for me, steam swirling off of it and dissipating into the air. i notice the lines etched into his face, forming trails and valleys that transform his face into a weathered monument. he is the one who needs coffee, i think as he slides the cup across the counter toward me. i stare into the quivering liquid, i see my reflection, i see coffee grounds drifting along the bottom of the cup. i'm not sure why i ordered it. i drink it anyway, putting it to my lips and taking a large gulp of the scalding drink. it's as crappy as i imagined.

foreign exchange letter (betty)

Dear Sophia,

Hi! My Chinese name is Zhang Yujia. (In China,Yujia is my first name and Zhang is my family name.) And my English name is Betty. I’m in Kevin James’s English class. I’m 18 years old and a freshman in Qingdao University. I major in English and minor in French. I have just graduated from high school for about 8 months. At first, I missed my family very much but gradually I adapt to the new school life. I make friends with my new classmates, participate in many interesting activities and study very hard. My college life is very colorful. Hearing that you will go to college in 2 months, may you have a happy school life!

As for my family, I am the only child in my family. Because in our country there is a policy that one family shall have no more than one child if they live in a city. I always long for a brother or sister, who can play with me so that I won’t feel lonely. There are 3 children in your family, so you must have a fulfilling family life. I love animals but my mom doesn’t allow me to have one at home because she think I don’t have either the time or the energy to take good care of it. My favorite colors are pink,blue and purple. I love music and sing songs. Now I’m studying how to play the guitar. From my perspective, it is cool to play the guitar while singing a song. Different from you, I like sunny days because the sunlight makes me feel delighted. In my spare time, I always go out with my friends or study in the library. I hate the feeling of being alone and I like being accompanied. I hope I can be admitted into a famous graduate school after graduating from college, so I have to study hard from now.

Our university is in a city called Qingdao. It’s a seaside city with agreeable weather. There are many places of interest in Qingdao. I decided to visit all of them before graduation. If you come to Qingdao, we can appreciate these beautiful views together. I have been wanting to find a foreign friend for a long time. I hope I can write to or chat with him or her to improve my English. I’m very glad to be acquainted with you. Hoping we can become good friends and keep in touch with each other.

Attached photos of me. I’m looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Betty

Dear Betty,

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but I was gone for a while because of spring break, and it is difficult to respond to your letters because of the restrictions we have on our computers at school. However, I have read your letters and you sound very interesting! You sound very musically gifted with being able to both sing and play guitar. I used to play the piano, but I quit when I got to high school. I still love to sing and love all types of music. I’m actually going to a concert for one of my favorite bands in a couple of weeks. It is also amazing to me that you are multilingual. I speak some Spanish, but I could never imagine being able to speak three different languages. You must be very smart.

I’m so glad to hear that you love college. I hope I’ll love it too! I am very independent though, so I don’t think I will miss my family quite as much as you said you missed yours. My brother is already in college so I don’t see him very often anyway. I am hoping to be able to be as involved as you are with outside activities and make friends as well.

Qingdao sounds like a very beautiful city. I absolutely love the ocean, it is so big and beautiful. If I ever visit China, I will make sure that I visit Qingdao.

I read your piece about your photo albums and I loved it! You were very descriptive and I felt like I could see your story in my mind. It was very interesting and uplifting. I especially loved when you talked about your favorite photo album. It is important to love yourself and your looks. You sound like a very confident, strong person. Those are very admirable qualities.

Sincerely,

Sophia

P.S. The pictures you attached of yourself are lovely!

foreign exchange letter (jennifer)

Dear Sophia,

      I'm Jennifer, a 21-year-old girl studying English at Qingdao University. I'm your partner for the Exchange Project. In the photo I attached below, you can see me clearly. I'm not beautiful and a little fat. Even if sometimes I feel sad about my look-Why am I look so common?But later, I accept that. Because I think, I must excel in some fields. And I will achieve a great goal and become a useful man.

   

       Let me introduce my family to you. I have my mom, older sister(40), older brother(38).My sister and my brother are all married. And they all have two sons.So I have four nephews. You may be puzzled about the age distance between my brother.Actually, I'm an adopted girl. I was abandoned when I was born.My adoptive parents found and raised me.They treated me as if I was their real daughter. From when I could remember, I was told that I was an adopted girl. They even helped me find my natural parents and told me who they were and where whey were.Sometimes, I would spent the New Year with them. But before long,they on longer like me. So I lost in touch with them ulittle by little. I never come to see them from then on.I decided to forget them.Because I don't want to hurt my mom's heart. I want to accompany her and love her for good. Oh, I forget to tell you, when I was 10,my adoptive dad passed away because of cancer. Sometimes I felt very sad and I would cry at night. I love him so much, and my mom. They all give me deep love. I never feel myself pitiful. Instead, I feel I was the most lucky man. Because God let me come across them, they are the precious gifts God sent to me.

       When I was a junior high school student, I dreamed about becoming an English teacher.However, after I entered senior school，I changed it. Because I found it's quite boring to be an English teacher. So I want to be an interpreter.As an interpreter, I will have more chances to explore the world and touch more foreign culture I never before.

       In my spare time, I like listening to music, drawing, watching movies,taking photos and making handworks.In the photo below, you can see my work. The girl is my friend.I sent my work to her. That's called “Feng ling” (windbell).I like playing volleyball, but I don't like running. Because I am a ulittle fat, I feel out of breath.But I do indoor exercise in order to lose weight.I tried to find a part-time job to spare my tuition, but I couldn't find a suitable job for me.

   

      Now I am a freshman, I will work hard to achieve my aim. No pain, no gain. I believe I can do that.

Even if we never meet before,I regard you as my first foreign friend .What I mentioned is all my real life experience. I 

want to show you the real me. I look forward to maintaining contacts with you.

  

      I have read your essay.In my opinion,your essay  is a little poetic.I can't deny that I couldn't understand it 

totally,because I have difficulty in understand the word's meaning. My English level is far behind you. So I need to improve it.And I think your attention about life are nice. Shell is common, but you let it different and unique.It will be helpful for you to be a journalist.Give me more time to read your essay, and I will love it.

     Attached  is my homework.My writing style is quite common,I hope ,maybe you will like it.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but I was gone for a while because of spring break, and it is difficult to respond to your letters because of the restrictions we have on our computers at school. However, I have read your letters and you sound very interesting! You sound like a very motivated, hardworking individual, and I admire you for that. You’re right, no pain, no gain. An interpreter is such a cool job to have! I know that if you keep working hard, you will be able to achieve such great things and have many opportunities to travel and experience new things. 

I love listening to music and watching movies too! I like a very broad spectrum of music. In fact, I am going to see one of my favorite bands in concert in a few weeks! I am very excited. I like to draw, like you, but I also love to read and write. That probably makes sense because I want to be a journalist, but I like different types of writing other than journalistic writing, such as fiction and poetry. I can tell you caught on, since you said my essay sounded like poetry. In a way, a lot of my writing tends to sound poetic. I think words are beautiful and I love stringing them together to form beautiful scenes. 

I also read your object essay. I don’t think you are crazy at all! Losing such an important loved one is very tough. I  understand that he meant a lot and I really felt that you cared for him in your writing. I hope you keep expressing yourself in writing! Your work was very impressive and I loved how you explained every feeling you had about your father and that photo. Thank you for sharing such an intimate piece with me. I look forward to receiving more works of yours!

Sincerely,
Sophia

window poem

weathered wooden porch in front of me,
uniform rails cut the sunlight into slats in the floor.
the left, towering walnut trees interlace branches,
forming criss-cross paths for squirrels to skitter over.
today no breeze rustles through the leaves, everything hangs in an eery silence.
the porch is deserted as well, the animals that sometimes pause to play are nowhere in sights.
a crumbly leaf drags across the porch, the last one in sight.
the empty spines of the trees huddle together as if for warmth. 
the sound of a distant care makes its way through the forest, 
the only evidence of the road just beyond.

georgia o'keeffe

red canna (c. 1920)

splashes of red and yellow 
bleed toward the center,
frilled petals fall delicately in layers,
swirling in bright stripes to make
psychedelic patterns.

color seeps out of petals edged in crimson, 
replacing the soft blush with stark white.
yellow ocher mingles with red,
creating tangerine hues. 

it was blue and green

it was blue
a navy sky speckled with glittering lights
deep steely waves capped with white froth
a worn pair of jeans, fraying hems, slung over bony hips

it was green
a pine forest, trees tucked tightly together, dusted in a new snow
eyes, sparkling like emeralds set beneath dark lashes
a majestic statue, its smooth jade figure frozen in place

it was blue and green
swirling together like an oil spill
twisting in meandering pastel paths

artist profile: georgia o'keeffe

georgia o'keeffe was born november 15, 1887 in sun prarie, wisconsin to francis and ida o'keeffe. she was one of seven children. georgia grew up on her parents' dairy farm. her mother found it very important that georgia and her siblings had a good education. she also had an art teacher come teach georgia on their farm once art sparked an interest in georgia. when she was older, georgia went on to study at the school of the art institute of chicago for a year, then at the art students league in new york, and eventually at the university of virginia. during georgia's life, there were many important events going on, including the great depression, both world wars, the korean war, and the vietnam war. georgia herself faced struggles of her own that delayed her career, such as typhoid fever; measles, which left her eyes temporarily weakened; her mother caught tuberculosis; and her parents' business wasn't doing well, both of those things putting a strain on their marriage. despite these setbacks, she became a very famous american artist during her lifetime and beyond. the majority of her art was done in oil, however she did many watercolor paintings as well. she was part of the american modernism period. her most well known paintings were those of giant, close up flowers and desert scenes, but she also did several of new york and even a few nude paintings. some of her most famous works are jimson weed, cow's scull: red, white, and blue, and yellow hickory leaves with daisy. georgia married alfred stieglitz, the man behind her first gallery show. she died at 98 years old on march 6, 1986.

georgia o'keeffe

yellow hickory leaves with daisy

cow's skull: red, white, and blue

print writing

this print looks like rain trails are streaming down it, pulling the pigment from the picture as they continue on their paths. at the top, the print is a silvery gray, but there are large blue blotches ringed faintly with green scattered around the page, growing more frequent in number as they reach the bottom. the top of the print looks like faded wallpaper, but the bottom reminds me more of a pond, deep blue waters thick with algae. the print looks like a watercolor painting because of the watery appearance of the blotches and rain streaks. it makes me feel calm, like how i would feel on a cool rainy day or having a picnic in a meadow by a small thriving pond. although it's calming to me, i'd say this print reminds me of the story the yellow wallpaper by charlotte perkins gilman, mostly because of the faded wallpaper look. it's also sort of ominous as well, even if to me particularly it's relaxing. it isn't yellow, and the pattern certainly doesn't look like a woman trapped behind bars, but the fact it looks worn and pale brings that image to my head. 

rivulets of rain
dive down silver wallpaper
explode in color