Lisa Robinson is the author of the new children's picture book Gifts from Georgia's Garden: How Georgia O'Keeffe Nourished Her Art. Her other books include The Sweetest Scoop. Also a therapist, she lives in Massachusetts.
Q: What inspired you to write this picture book biography of Georgia O’Keeffe, and why did you decide to focus on her garden?
A: The seed of inspiration for the book was planted in 2017 when I went to an exhibit about O’Keeffe’s stylish handmade clothing. At that time, I wasn’t even considering writing a book about O’Keeffe as there were already several published picture books about her.
Then, in early 2020, I read a New York Times article about the auction of her handwritten recipe cards. This article illuminated an aspect of her life I hadn’t known about – her gardening and cooking.
I realized that there was a whole different angle on this iconic painter that would appeal to kids (and adults!) that was worth exploring. The garden seemed a wonderful way to show O’Keeffe’s love of nature and how that was expressed in her art.
Given the current need for sustainable farming and tending to the earth (which I’ve learned a lot about from my daughter who is studying these topics in college), I felt that there were enough new ideas to channel into another picture book about O’Keeffe. And so I got to work.
Q: What do you think Hadley Hooper’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Hadley Hooper’s gorgeous illustrations are the essence of the book. The richness of the color and design evokes O’Keeffe’s life in New Mexico, and give the reader a sense of how O’Keeffe saw the world. While the text is quite spare, the illustrations are lush and fully fill the pages.
Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book calls it an “uncomplicated portrait that highlights how the intersection of environment and creative freedom formed an artist for whom ‘everything was art, and art was everything.’” What do you think of that description?
A: It’s an accurate description. O’Keeffe’s life was complicated but those complexities were not necessary to include for a picture book audience. I believe that “everything was art and art was everything” for O’Keeffe and that’s what I was hoping to convey to readers.
She was deeply influenced by her environment, from New York City to Abiquiu, New Mexico, and the book shows these influences through the text and the illustrations.
Q: What do you think are some of the most common perceptions and misconceptions about Georgia O’Keeffe?
A: I’m not sure what the most common perceptions and misconceptions are about Georgia O’Keeffe; however, it became clear to me as I researched her life that although many recognize her paintings, few know about her fierce determination to pursue her artistic dreams at a time when women encountered tremendous barriers to artistic success.
She had a complicated marriage with photographer Alfred Stieglitz that both helped and hindered her career and personal life; this part of her story is well worth knowing as it demonstrates her courage and fortitude through adversity. . .ultimately making her hard-won success even more remarkable.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently focused on my work as a therapist. There is a tremendous need for child psychiatrists at the moment. The work is incredibly fulfilling (albeit draining!) and so I’ve decided to throw all of my energy into that calling.
To keep me energized, I continue to do circus arts (wirewalking and aerial silks). I’ve also begun to play around with some visual art—drawing and painting and puppetmaking. Perhaps a book is percolating inside me, only time will tell.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: We can all follow O’Keeffe’s example and find ways to infuse creativity into our lives, whether it’s making a simple soup, tending to a garden, or making visual art. That applies to fighting for our democracy as well: abundant creativity is needed for preserving the people and principles we value.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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