This quick and easy lesson, inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe is perfect for sixth graders ready for a challenge. Instead of focusing on the center of the flower, students will add a graphic quality, giving this popular lesson a fun twist.
This is what you’ll need:
– A 12″ x 14″ piece of white sulphite paper (note the size; the smaller size takes less time to complete)
– Oil pastels
– Liquid watercolor
– Large round paintbrush
– Solid or patterned pieces of paper
– Scissors & glue
The Project:
Use either warm or cool colored oil pastels to draw the circles or organic shapes on a 12″ x 14″ piece of white sulphite paper.
Focus on creating a radiating design by drawing a single shape first, then add repeating shapes that radiate outward from the original.
Add a wash, or thin layer or a single color of liquid watercolor to the entire page.
The oil from the oil pastels will resist the water in the paint, allowing the lines to shine through like magic.
While the paint dries, set out a tray of warm or cool colored solid or patterned paper.
Some students will want to use oil pastels to draw layered flowers and then cut while others will go straight into cutting. Either way is fine.
Talk about the larger, outer petals, middle petals that are slightly smaller, then finally the center. All three of those layers should be different colors or patterns to enhance the contrast in the pieces.
Glue the petals onto the dried background.
And you should have a finished, artist-based project in less than 50 minutes! Fun and fast; now what art teacher doesn’t like that?
O’Keeffe Books for Children:
The Met Georgia O’Keeffe: She Saw the World in a Flower
My Name is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter
Helpful Sites:
Georgia O’Keeffe: About the Painter on PBS
Successful art projects don’t require fancy art supplies, so here is my list of must-haves and brands that I stock every year.
DOWNLOAD by clicking the yellow box below!
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
What bundle is this lesson plan from?
Hi Trina! This is most similar to the 3D Paper Flower lesson inside the Forward Progress bundle. This lesson is inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe and the full lesson is only inside The Sparklers’ Club.