 From
the Hills of Georgia: An Autobiography in Paintings
Dust Jacket Inside Text: "Twenty-eight dazzling,
storytelling paintings make a breathtaking visual autobiography of one of
America's most prominent folk artists, Mattie Lou O'Kelley. Her paintings,
accompanied by her own lively personal account, re-create the special world
of her papa's farm in Maysville, Georgia, during the turn early 1900s. Full
of the joy and spirit of family life and bustling with the activity of
everyday chores and play, of celebrations and family gatherings, From the
Hills of Georgia extends beyond the intimate account of one childhood and
paints a fascinating portrait of an entire way of life. It captures and
illuminates the qualities that make rural America special and that bind one
generation to the next."
 Mattie
Lou O'Kelley, Folk Artist "Just when
interest in American folk art is at its zenith, along comes this joyful
portfolio of southern country scenes in the early 20th century by acclaimed
folk artist Mattie Lou O’Kelley. In brilliant color and fond detail, her
first book published expressly for adults is a season-by-season panorama of
down-home memories, of farm chores and family celebrations, of animals and
birds and trees and flowers—all resplendent in landscapes that invite the
viewer not only to inspect them but to inhabit them with the eye.
At the age of 81, Mattie Lou O’Kelley, who did not begin to paint steadily
until she was almost 60 years old, has lived to enjoy national recognition
and to see her work placed in major American museum collections and
published in three children’s books. Despite the distractions of fame, she
has remained devoted to her painting and lives today not far from where she
grew up, and which continues to be depicted in ever her most recent work,
evoking the land of childhood long ago.
O’Kelley paints daily, by the natural light coming through her window, in
her self-taught, primitive style. Her canvases glow with the richness and
intricacy of fine needlework. It was these highly individualized "dot
pictures" that first struck Robert Bishop, now director of the Museum of
American Folk Art in New York. "I have been looking at folk art for more
than 25 years," he exclaimed, "and I have never experienced such a thrill as
I did in seeing Mattie Lou O’Kelley’s work."
Now Bishop has provided the introduction to this treasure of a book.
Included, too, are a short personal section about the artist and, in her own
inimitable words, lively comments on some of the paintings of the nostalgic
world she portrays. Here is a dazzling collections of O’Kelley’s oil and
watercolor paintings, rendered with the certainty of wonder and the
simplicity of genius."
 Moving
to Town: Twenty-four stunning paintings and a personal,
lively text tell the story of a rural family's move from their old farm to a
house in the big city. Moving to Town perfectly captures all
the anticipation as the family packs up three wagons full, travels through
hills and valleys, sleeps under the stars, and finally spots the first big
building! We share in the excitement of the children's first
explorations of their new home: visiting the zoo, eating in a restaurant,
shopping downtown, and even going to a movie -- all for the first time.
Each scene is depicted in glorious, whimsical detail and described with a
child's sense of wonder.
In the tradition of Ms. O'Kelley's first two highly acclaimed books,
From the Hills of Georgia and Circus!, Moving to Town not only
provides an intimate account of one childhood but also paints a fascinating
portrait of a simpler way of life, opening the door to a time and place that
will catch the imaginations of young and old. |
