Georgia O’Keeffe was a bit of a tree hugger.

If you couldn’t tell from her stunning landscapes and countless flower paintings, she got most of her inspiration from the great outdoors. This is one of her earliest paintings, created shortly after moving to New Mexico, a strange land where nature freaks (and meth labs) are plentiful.

Upon arriving in her new homeland, she stayed on the ranch of novelist D. H. Lawrence, where she would spend countless nights lying on a bench underneath a massive ponderosa pine tree that stood at the front of the property. She would stargaze and daydream of this psychedelic rendition of a tree she grew to cherish so much. Lawrence was fond of it, too, writing that, "One goes out of the door and the tree-trunk is there, like a guardian angel."

At first glance, you might think this is a painting of a squid escaping form the depths of darkness or an anatomical rendering of blood vessels. An understandable mistake, as trees are rarely painted from this perspective. O’Keeffe’s decision to paint the underside of her beloved tree caused a bit of confusion and controversy in the art world. Apparently, the curators at the Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Art hung this painting upside down for many years, even though there are letters written by O’Keeffe explaining the correct orientation. Goes to show ya that even art world professionals can get stumped.