Arthur Dove — The Joy Project

Continuing the Art of Play
February 25, 2026

Artist: Arthur Dove (August 2, 1880 – November 23, 1946)

+Georgia O'Keeffe
O’Keeffe credited the work of Arthur Dove (1880–1946) as her primary introduction to modern art.

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Arthur Garfield Dove (August 2, 1880 – November 23, 1946) was an American artist. An early American modernist, he is often considered the first American abstract painter. Dove used a wide range of media, sometimes in unconventional combinations, to produce his abstractions and his abstract landscapes. Me and the Moon from 1937 is a good example of an Arthur Dove abstract landscape and has been referred to as one of the culminating works of his career. Dove made a series of experimental collages in the 1920s. He also experimented with techniques, combining paints like hand mixed oil or tempera over a wax emulsion as exemplified in Dove's 1938 painting Tanks, in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Wikipedia

AI Overview

Arthur Dove and Georgia O'Keeffe met in 1918 in New York City, introduced by photographer and gallery owner Alfred Stieglitz. Both artists were part of the inner circle of American modernists associated with Stieglitz's "291" gallery, and they maintained a long-lasting mutual respect for each other's work.

Context of Meeting: Following her move to New York in June 1918, O'Keeffe became part of the Stieglitz circle, which included Dove.
Influence: Although they met in 1918, O'Keeffe had already been familiar with Dove's work, acknowledging his pastels as an early influence on her own experimentation with abstraction.
Relationship: They were colleagues and peers in the American Modernist movement, with O'Keeffe later drawing inspiration from Dove's, and vice versa, throughout their careers.

Warm-up + Project:

This week we are looking at the abstract paintings and landscapes of Arthur Dove. Dove’s paintings influenced Georgia O'Keeffe and the two are an interesting pairing of artists for us to explore. Information is included on their professional relationship and respect for each other's work.

Think of simple shapes, freedom of abstract expression, fluid application of materials and openness as you build your work.

You may work quickly completing more than one piece or concentrate on one finished piece.

Materials: