Capturing the feel of being there… ART FOR WRITERS
New York Street with Moon seems an approriate picture for a week where the moon has been so much in the news. I didn’t see the blue moon, the blood moon, or the super moon, but I did get a good look at quite a lot of clouds and a fair bit of rain. So, I will make do with Georgia O’Keeffe’s first painting of New York.
‘One can’t paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt.’
She painted it in 1925, when she was living on the 30th floor of the Shelton on Lexington Avenue. Her featureless skyscrappers manage to be both oppressive and exciting while the perspective is designed to make the viewer dizzy, because it’s all about the feel of the place. Someone once said – I wish I could remember who – that all writing, fiction and non fiction, literary, romance and thriller, has the same aim: to convince the reader that they know what it is like to be there…
I’ll end with another quote from the American artist that we should also take to heart.
Men put me down as the best woman painter…
…I think I’m one of the best painters.
If you enjoyed this, there’s a pretty good chance you’d also like my writing guide Back to Creative Writing School. 100+ reviews on Amazon…just saying.
Amazon UK Amazon US
5 comments on “Capturing the feel of being there… ART FOR WRITERS”
Leave a Reply
BACK TO CREATIVE WRITING SCHOOL — 120+ reviews on Amazon and over 75% gave it five stars
A Good Confession
"Unputdownable" Miriam Stoppard
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 
Good post
Thank you for thinking that & thank you for taking the trouble to add that comment here
This is so good!
Glad you like it Jennie – I feel so ignorant, I didn’t realise that she painted a whole series of New York paintings in the 1920s until I stumbled on this moon painting. Love the perspective.
You’re not alone, Bridget. Thank goodness you stumbled on the painting! Many thanks.