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.

Native American Buffalo Hides

2000 years ago, the Anasazi Indians inhabited the cliffs of the Southwest. They were the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians who live there today. There are 20 pueblo villages left; at one time there were 200! These ancient villages are built from adobe bricks. These natural homes are warm in winter and cool in summer; it rarely rains in the Southwest, so they won't melt.

The Anasazi Indians left Petroglyph drawings on rocks and cliffs. Some were chiseled into the rock with animal antlers, some were etched with the acid juices from cactus plants. They are pictures of Indian symbols. Symbols are pictures drawn very simply of things in nature, such as animals, plants, stars, people, etc.

The Indians were very spiritual people. They respected the earth, never wasted resources, and were ingenious at using the things in nature around them.

Students created these buffalo hides over three classes. We began by drawing a narrative using Native American symbols. After the drawing, students covered the paper with a light brown watercolor and cut the paper to look like a real buffalo hide.

The next class, students used fluorescent tempera paint to paint in all of their symbols. For the last class, students outlined all their symbols and also created a pattern around the edge of the hide.

Native American Pottery

Students in grades 4-6 created these Native American vases as an introduction to a pottery unit. We began by sketching several vase designs using traditional Native American designs and animal symbols. We watched several videos of native people creating vases. Students then drew out large vases and colored the designs with marker. When finished, the designs were outlined with black sharpie to make them stand out and have clear edges. The final step was to shade the vases with oil pastels; black on one side for a shadow and white on the opposite side for a highlight. 

Native American Animal Symbols

7th and 8th grade International Academy students created these vibrant animal symbols. We began by drawing a Native American animal symbol, which are believed to capture a person's spirit or be a personal guardian. After drawing the animal, students filled in the space with vivid patterns and designs. These were then mounted on a print made from handmade stamps of Native American designs.

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!

Native Pottery

I used this lesson as an introduction to Native American pottery. We began by looking at the different styles of pottery made by Native Americans. It is important for students to understand that these usually serve a practical purpose such as storage. I gave the students lots of examples so they could see the different designs, patterns and symbols Native artists would use. After completing several sketches, student drew them out on manilla paper. The designs were outlined in black and then colored with markers. I had the students leave some of the pottery uncolored to keep that natural clay look. After the marker is complete, we used black and white chalk to create some very subtle highlights and shadows. This shading along with the placement on the black paper can create a very effective 3D effect. Once these were finished, we began creating some real clay pots!