O'KEEFFE/STIEGLIZ    LETTERS    O'Keeffe, Georgia    1936, July-Nov

July 1936

Yes even Stieglitz liked my big
painting -

Very few have seen it 

~ It is put away till the fall 
but every one that saw it was 
surprised and liked it - 

I am so glad you are so up [?]

~I a bit bewildered this 
morning ~

drove in late last 
night from Rainbow Bridge
and Monument Valley -

Am feeling fine but must get
quiet

I wish you were here to talk
this afternoon -

When I go to Santa Fe will
look for Otis and your manuscript
if it doesn't come to me here -

Fondly
G.

Summer 1936

The little white - velvety - many
painted leaves came - so sweet -
- The sort of a plant that does
something - makes me conscious
of all my skin as I look at it.

I am painting an old horse's
head that I picked out of some
red earth - it is quite pink and
all its soft delicate parts have been
broken off - This old head with
a turkey tail feather - so handsome
- but why must I - am on my
second one and must do it again at
least once more -

Thank you for the soft little
painted impossible thing - I am

sure they wonder what all this is about
here -

My love to you both -

G.

Aug 1936

[*Aug / 36*]

I spent this Sunday morning reading
your manuscript. I enjoyed it and
could see it as I read. Is there any
chance that you can do it?

I will take it or send it by some
one dependable tomorrow or the day
after to speed as Raymond Otis writes
me to.

I really enjoyed it very much.

Wish you were here to talk to -
- I have a feeling that you know where
I am - and most people even
when they are right in front of

me don't know where I am -

Well maybe I don't know 
where they are either

This isn't one of my writing nights

I've thought of you often today -

Saw Marie last week - looking
very well - but I must say that
outfit is like a chinese puzzle to me

It makes the sky good to think
about -

G.

Oct. 7, 1936

I am back in New York. Your letter came
to me here - and as always it makes
me feel the world is good - like a bird
flying out over the river.

It is not bad to come back to town
so early because I like my hours and
am so interested to help with the
Marin show. Also from what Stieglitz
and others wrote me I began to feel
uneasy because it sounded as if He
was not very well - so I am glad
to be back - If one could really take
a little care of him I think he would
be alright but it is hard to do
anything with him or for him and

it seems all I can do is to feed him
as best I can and let him spend him
self as he will - I think he seems
better than when I first came a week
ago last Saturday - Any way -
I am glad I'm here - I feel
easier in my mind.

I spent three nights at Maries
after coming down from the Ghost
Ranch. She left for Boston after
my first night there. She seems
well - and I must say I think
her a great girl - It gives me

great pleasure to see her and be with 
her
About the rest of it I
- well I just don't know - and
it isn't anything i can know about so
I try not to think about it
Paul is as usual - a little lesss
depressed than last year I think
Hi s house feels so nice and friendly
And always I think of you around here
It all seems so far away from here
and still so near that I sometimes wonder
where I am.
The summer at Lake George
seems to have been pretty bad - and 
 


that makes New Mexico seem very
near

I am glad that you work at some
thing that interests you

The "Sky Line Drive" sounds
like a lovely place for you and Peggie
to be living

And I love the thought of
you together

Fondly
Georgia.

Oct. 7 - -

Oct. 1936

Dear Henwar:

The moon is high out over the East River Bridge -
So bright that I see it and all the little lights across
the river as I sit here at the table in spite of the
bright light of the lamp on my pape - It makes
me think maybe I am foolish not to ride out over the
world to all of you as Felix will so tomorrow night - 
but I'll not be going. I'll not be writing you reasons
because my reasons and hunches put together make
me feel that it isn't the thing for me to do - so
- I will be here and you will all be there -
and I hope you will ask me again some other time.

I am feeling better -

With Sun Shine Biscuits shining across the
river at me in bright electric letters every night I
ought to be very good. I hope to get out to New Mexico
early this year and when I think of it always
wonder if you will all be coming again to the Ranch



No particular point in saying right now -
but I'll be thinking about it - and wondering

And seeing you all - somewhere I hope.

My love to all your hands hold,

fondly
Georgia.

Stieglitz has been very well this winter -
He has a very funny foreword for the Marin Show that
he brought home tonight - I'll send it to you as soon as it
is printed

Nov. 1936

GodHow it's Raining Henwar!
And when it rains up here my roof 
becomes a large pool with little drops 
dropping all over it ~~ and the 
windows are big and they are all
covered with drops and streaks 
of rain and it is too dark to paint
~~ The wetness outside ~~ the
greyness in the sort of empty feeling
room makes me want to shrink
into some sort of a warm colored
warm feeling place ~ maybe
some where in myself ~~ and
I wonder where that is ~~ I have
a fireplace ~~ shall I light a 
fire to makes it look and feel

warm ~~ No the room
isn't cold except for the rain and
greyness -- I'll write
to Henwar --
I've thought [of?] you often ~~[
[Tell?] Peggie I went to a concert with
her friend Dave last night ~~ and
I think he thinks often and wonderingly
of her ~~~ and of you too.  I beg to
tell him how I feel about you ~~ I
had told him before I met Peggie
~~and still I think he wonders
We have been seeing [Pierce?] quite often this
fall ~~ He is so different from the
people I ordinarily know that it

always make me laugh but I
like him.

The Marin show was beautiful. 
I will send you a catalogue ~~
Have intended to all fall ~~ I
hung it with the help of a young
man that I very much enjoy
working with ~~ Einstein ~~
a very distant relative of Alfreds
who has attached himself to A.
this past year ~~ He is the first
person who has been around A.
constantly and been able to keep
his own mind and his own
soul--or what you will--and
use it ~~ so it is really a
help ~~ The constant agreeing

of most of them has always
made me crazy ~~ or disagreeing
as Paul has ~~ moving away 
and letting it twist him out of
shape ~~

Working with the Marins
is a new - different feeling sort of
place and made me feel much more
certainly that he is even more 
than I had thought before

~~The most important painter
American has had ~~ 
and when the
show was all hung I had a feeling 
of satisfaction about my part in
putting it together that I [?]
never have in quite the same way

about any one of my own paintings. 
I was more satisfied with what I 
had done than I am with what I
paint Maybe if I felt that way
about my own painting once I
might not paint any more.

The reviews were good ~ very
good ~ and the attendance was 
good ~ but nothing sensational
in any way ~ Sales enough to
make us all feel easy in our minds
about Marin for the present -
~ and all to new people ~
~ Marin is probably only for the
few so I suppose it is fortunate
that he has been supported as

he has ~ but people argue about
that too

Any way the Marin
show is over ~ at the time it was
on the town was full of big French
shows ~ two beautiful PIcasso
shows ~ one retrospective 
and one of his later work ~

Marin is a part of the big
out doors - The French men 
are all indoors ~.

I wish you had seen it -

Stieglitz's summer with his family
had been very hard on him. He was

a very battered little piece of a man
when I came to town  Now he
seems and looks very well ~ I
seem to have some peculiar function
~ I almost never go to the Place
any more except to hang a show
but my being about seems to quiet
and steady him a bit ~

I have been working day times
quite steadily ~ feeling very well
~ and clear in my mind
~ so that for myself I seem to be 
able to see -

While the Marin show was at the
Museum Stieglitz showed Ansel Adams
photographs ~ You would have

enjoyed that too He is from
California ~ San Francisco ~
Look for him if it is ever convenient
~ he did the Taos photographs for
the Mary Austin book ~ Those that
S. showed were much better than
those ~ He does commercial
work too ~ Loves music ~
so very alive ~ Was here for two or
three days -

Now there is a mixed show in the 
big room ~ two things by each of 
us ~ and Beck is in the 
corner white room ~ It seems
just a little - little voice some where
from the far away distances -.

I have a Door - entitled  -  Rain
hanging beside my largest wet
window - 
It amused me sitting 
here  looking at it - staring as
one does at space some times - 
I find myself thinking that it is 
more rain than the rain out side

My love to you Henwar - and 
to your Peggie too -  I am so glad 
she is with you 
G.

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.