Art Activity Video: Georgia O’Keeffe

Make a floral piece of art just like artist Georgia O’Keeffe!

Activity best for children age 4 and up

Georgia O’Keeffe was an American artist. She is famous for her modern, abstract paintings of natural objects such as rocks, shells, and bones. Her most famous paintings are those of flowers! Georgia O’Keeffe’s work is considered abstract because she focused on the colors and forms of the natural objects she found. It is sometimes challenging at first to figure out what natural object Georgia O’Keeffe was painting, but her attention to the shades and hues of the smallest details of her objects allows the viewer to see the beauty in even the smallest part of natural objects. Today you are going to pay attention to the details in a natural object just like Georgia O’Keeffe would!

Materials you’ll need:

Natural object (flower leaf, twig, rock, etc.)

Playdough (If you don’t have playdough, we included a recipe below!)

Directions

STEP 1
Find a natural object outside that you think has beautiful details!

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STEP 2
Focus on the shape of your object and try to make it out of playdough.

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STEP 3
Next look at the beautiful details of your natural object. Add in those details by using smaller pieces of playdough, scrapes, lines, etc.

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STEP 4
Compare your artwork to your natural piece. Can you tell what it is because of your attention to the form and small details?

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Playdough Recipe

Materials you’ll need:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

Optional: add food coloring

Directions

STEP 1
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. All done! (If the playdough feels too dry, add a little bit of water until it reaches a soft consistency)

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