This Georgia O’Keeffe inspired art lesson is quick, easy lesson that all grade levels will enjoy. Needing a one-lesson project for the end of my sixth grade art rotation, I was inspired by an O’Keeffe art print on my wall. But instead of focusing on the center of a flower and creating a detailed drawing, I thought it might be fun to jazz up Georgia with some graphic qualities!
Jazzing up Georgia
To start, I gave each student a 12″ x 14″ (note the size) white construction/sulphite paper. I used a paper cutter to reduce the regular sized 12″ x 18″ paper. The smaller size takes less time to complete. Then, using oil pastels, children selected warm or cool colors and drew circles or other organic shapes onto the paper. We focused on radiating design…lines and circles growing and changing outward. A simple liquid watercolor wash in either pink/orange or turquoise/blue spread over the entire piece.
While the watercolor dried (about 10 minutes), children selected from a tray of warm or cool patterned or solid pieces of paper. Some students used oil pastels to draw flowers and then cut, while others simply took to the scissors and created layers of flowers. We talked about the outer petals, middle/smaller petals and finally the center. A small amount of glue and the piece was finished in less than 50 minutes! Fun and fast. Now, what art teacher doesn’t like that?
Sixth Grade O’Keeffe inspired flowers….
Books for Children:
Georgia Rises: A Day in the Life of Georgia O’Keeffe
My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter
Helpful sites:
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Georgia O’Keeffe: About the Painter on PBS
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Gorgeous!
You are so amazing Patty, I just love these!
These are beautiful. What a fun project! They remind me a little of Monet’s waterlilies.
Thank you for sharing this! I am a 5th grade substitute and can hardly wait to try this next week! Any ideas about where to get the patterned paper without spending a bundle?
Hi Anne, we found great patterned paper online at one of the major art supply companies, I think Blick Arts or Sax/School Specialty. Search on their sites and check out the selection. Size was about 8.5 x 11, and there are some 2-sided papers in the bundle. We used them for a Faith Ringgold story quilt lesson.
What great resources for teaching kids! I am favoriting you!
I used the Georgia O’Keefe inspired flower lesson in my class templates for fundraising calendars and gift cards. They were gorgeous and the students are very proud of their artwork.
Your site is AMAZING!! Thank you soo much for all of the Great ideas. I love how I can always find what I am looking for here. I really wanted to focus on a famous artist this week, I wanted to review the warm and cool colors that I introduced last week with your birch tree lesson, and I wanted to focus on plants since that is what we are studying in science. I opened up your page and right there in front of me is exactly what I am looking for. This will be PERFECT and easy. Thank you.
Are liquid water colors just the dry stuff that you add a wet paint brush to or do I need to find something specific? will regular water colors work?
Glad you like this one! As for watercolors, read this post: https://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2011/03/22/all-about-liquid-watercolor-paints/
Love the graphic elements, I suppose you could also use wallpaper! I still have tons! Will probably try this with some.
Lovely! Thank you for the idea!
So good