One of the problems of trying to judge anything objectively is trying to detach yourself from the job enough to appreciate the skill in creating what you are judging even if you do not like it personally. Whether it is judging an exhibit at a flower show or giving a review at our book club, I feel that even if something is not necessarily to my taste it does not mean that it is bad. And when judging a floral exhibit I have to consider the quality of the plants and the exhibit even if the plants are not my favourite – though fortunately I have broad tastes in plants.

The reason this sprang to mind  is a quote I just stumbled on.

‘I hate flowers. I paint them because they’re cheaper than models and they don’t move.’

A datura painted by Georgia O’Keeffe. Image in the public domain to my knowledge

I had an OMG moment because it was uttered by an artist whose work I have admired for years. I have always loved the fluidity and boldness of Georgia O’Keeffe’s work – she seemed to understand the essence of the subjects she painted – but when I went to New Mexico, where she spent much of her life and where daturas grow wild, and then to Santa Fe where she died in 1986, I had a greater appreciation of her work.

To think that she managed to produce these amazing images of flowers without actually feeling anything for them! It’s a shock.

Maybe my doctor can write out a prescription and not give a damn whether I live or die. Or maybe politicians don’t care about me either!

I want my mom!

datura, Georgia O'Keeffe