"Like van Gogh, Mitchell took full advantage of complementary and near-complementary colors, expressing, as he put it "the love of two lovers by a wedding of two complementary colors, their mingling and their opposition, the mysterious vibrations of kindred tones." Both artists favored blues and yellows or yellow oranges, working them in crafty ways, Joan, like van Gogh, tucking a few strokes of orange into a corner, perhaps, rather than placing it next to the blue, thus setting up a dynamic pull that made her work sing."- from the book Joan Mitchell, Lady Painter, A life by Patricia Albers

All winter I've been working on my stack of 'unread art books' and oh what fun I have been having. I will say the 400 and some page book titled Joan Mitchell - Lady Painter, A Life took me quite awhile but everybit of it was an excellent read. Her troubles in life and how she always found comfort in her art. She was determined and lived and breathed art.
Another book I just finished How Georgia Became O'Keeffe - Lessons on the Art of Living" by Karen Karbo was a different kind of read but also, very, very good. This book really talked to me not only because I love Georgia O'Keeffe and again - her passion for her art shows through, but also because of the simple little angles this author looked at regarding how Georgia chose to live her life. Eventually O'Keeffe bought property in New Mexico and spent much time there, leaving her husband in New York for a good part of the year. "Stieglitz begged O'Keeffe not to go, but it was too late for that. New Mexico had claimed her heart, and even though she said she felt like a heartless wretch for doing so, she left" - to go to her place in New Mexico where she 'felt at home'. Definitely another entertaining read.
So as I keep 'attacking' my stack of books, I keep adding more to it - does anyone have any favorite art books to recommend that I add to this 'stack' - happy reading . . .

This image is a photo I took of a beautiful adobe in Santa Fe when I was there. I, too, fell in love with the beauty of New Mexico and can't wait to go back!