Support: The support is a medium-weight, relatively open, coarsely spun, basket-weave 2 x 2 cotton tacked to a commercial turnbuckle stretcher with metal corner inserts (stamped on stretcher). Canvas folds approximately ½" over to the back side of the stretcher and is tacked down, indicating preparation of the canvas by a studio assistant.

Ground or Support Preparation: Artist or artist's assistant appears to have applied a dilute protein size, such as rabbit-skin glue or gelatin, followed by a priming of alternating layers of lead carbonate (PbCO3) in oil and zinc oxide (ZnO) in oil. The priming appears to be applied in limited coats without sanding. X-ray fluorescence may reveal if barium sulfate is also present in the ground layer.

Design Layers: Graphite underdrawing is seldom visible at the margins of adjacent forms. The work is executed in single and double layers of stiff, paste-like paints, with multiple layers used at the brightest values. Brush texture is generally retained in the stiff paints of brighter values. Cream, vehicular paints, nearly smooth and leveled, occur only in isolated, dark values. There are frequent, linear, raised ridges of paint at the margins of forms. Scrubbing or zigzag brushwork has often been used in brighter values. The artist has executed gradual, stepped transitions in value or hue, often painting wet into dry in brief, slightly overlapping bands in a technique suggestive of pastel application. Brush strokes with grooves are evident in the fluid areas. There are raised brush edges where the black rock abuts the white background. Long fluid linear strokes create the base form on which the rock rests, and below that, short, dry, thin, and pasty paint application defines the side of the base form. The artist changes the background color from light green to white, presumably from 1963 to 1971, resulting in the thick appearance of the matte white background. This change also resulted in small flecks of green paint being transferred to other areas, likely through the use of the same brush. There is a small loose paint chip, appearing blue, white, and fibrous, at the bottom inside edge of the frame that is most likely from the tacking edge. Other, much smaller flakes are also seen along the bottom spacer.

Surface Coating: There are no records indicating a varnish application, though the surface slightly repels liquids.

Framing, Backing, and Hanging Hardware: The work is framed in a contemporary, micro-environmentally buffered, and gasketed, metal leaf "clam shell" profile frame that is a reproduction of Georgia O'Keeffe's original design, created by herself and framer/artist George Of. The glazing is Optium® tin salt-coated, UV-absorbing, static-free, non-reflective acrylic. The Optium glazing has a Volara closed-cell polyethylene gasket/pad. The frame is fitted with a laminated, Volara-gasketed backing strainer which has Security mirror-hanger and T-bolt hardware as well as D-rings.

Cracks are present along the stretcher bar lip along all edges of the painting and intermittently around the inner edge of the stretcher bar. There is a curvilinear, branched crack near the top edge of the canvas to the left of the rock form. Numerous paint, brush, hair, or fiber inclusions are scattered throughout the painting. At the lower portion of the white area in the rock is a very thinly painted area, approximately ¼" in size.

The upper left corner tacking edge was previously opened up, exposing cracks in the paint layer and frayed canvas fibers. This area was treated in 2011 using a Japanese paper hinge to stabilize the area. A small indentation, due to technique, may be seen in the brown paint near the top right side. There are small losses at the lower left and lower right corners. A few pinpoint losses may be found along the stretcher bar lip cracks. Abrasions from previous framing are visible at the top edge and on the upper left and right edges. There is a light abrasion at the center top edge and at the lower edge at approximately 3 ½" in from the left and ¾" up from the bottom. There is a very slight cusp at the lower right corner. Soiling is visible in the yellow area below the rock, right of center.