Sky with Flat White Cloud 1962

Georgia O'Keeffe made this big painting of a sky with a cloud, called "Sky with Flat White Cloud", using oil on canvas, but we don't know exactly when. I love the way the painting almost vibrates with light. The colors are applied in thin layers, almost like a watercolor, which is unusual for oil paint. Notice how the colors blend and bleed into each other, creating this soft-focus effect. O'Keefe creates a sense of infinite space, but there is also something solid and present about the cloud. It’s like she's trying to capture a feeling, a fleeting moment, rather than a literal depiction of a sky. For me, the most interesting part of the painting is the way the white cloud meets the blue sky. It's not a hard line, but a subtle shift in tone and texture. This reminds me of Agnes Martin's subtle grids. It's like they are both whispering, "Look closer, there is more here than meets the eye."