Native American meets Georgia O'Keeffe

Students in grades 4-6 created these fun mash-ups that combine Southwestern Native American design with the skull paintings made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe. We began by looking at examples of Southwestern Native American designs on rugs, clothes and artwork. We noted the use of colors (mostly warm and natural colors with some blue accents), the geometric shapes and the use of symbols. Students then divided their papers up into sections using rulers and created similar style designs. Next, we punched holes in the bottom and students could choose different colors of yarn to weave through to mimic the textiles we were inspired by. During the final class, students drew cow skulls using highlights and shadows. This project is great for teaching about Georgia O'Keeffe, Native American art, weaving, and observational drawing.

O'Keefe Style Flowers with Butterflies

Students in grades 1-3 completed these brightly colored mixed-media artworks for spring. We began by learning about the artist Georgia O'Keefe and making a watercolor flower in her style. We looked at examples of many different flowers and students were free to create their own. I did require some type of texture lines in the petals and the flower had to touch every edge of the page. Students used a combination of regular liquid watercolors and fluorescents. During the next class, we learned about symmetry and created perfectly symmetrical butterflies. These were then painted symmetrically as well. For the final class, students cut out and glued the butterflies and also used oil pastels to blend the flowers and create some value. The end result is a beautiful painting perfect for the beginning of spring!

East Meets Southwest

The 4-6 classes ended the year with a second project that explored the artistic style of Georgia O'Keefe. We began by looking at some of her large close-up paintings of flowers. Students then worked on sketches that needed to include an enlarged flower or flowers that went off at least one edge of the page. I also gave the students the choice to include some elements similar to Japanese prints, such as enormous waves or stylized sun rays. After drawing on the large paper, we covered the lines with a black glue. This gives the lines a dynamic and fluid look. We then filled the rest in with vibrant liquid watercolors. The finished paintings were a great representation of spring!

Southwestern Skulls

We began by looking at quilt patterns of the Native Americans of the Southwest. Students created geometric patterns with repeating shapes in warm colors. We then wove yarn into the bottom to mimic the quilt. We then watched Georgia O'Keefe talk about why she began painting skulls and what they meant to her. Students created a realistic pencil drawing of a skull and placed it over the quilt design. This artwork is an interesting combination of two very different artistic views from the Southwestern United States!