Georgia O’Keeffe often painted the same object from different angles or perspectives. Give each a child a seashell and ask them to inspect it, observing its size, shapes, colors, patterns and designs. Ask the children to create four drawings of the shell, filling the entire paper each time. For the first drawing, only a pencil should be used. Second, have the kids draw the same shell using colors that are as close to the true colors of the shell as possible. Third, the children draw the shell using only two colors of their choice. Finally, the children draw the shell with as many colors as they wish.
A distinctive trait of Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings is that they are close up, showing the detail of the petals or leaves. Collect real flowers or photos of flowers for the number of children in your group. Give each child a photo or flower and ask them to describe the details. Then, ask the children to sketch an outline of their flower on construction paper, so that the flower takes up the entire page. Next, color the flower with pencil crayons or pastels, beginning with the lightest colors and working towards the darkest. Encourage the children to color their drawing with as much detail as their photo or flower shows. Add leaves behind the flower petals.
Leaf paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe often show layered fall leaves of contrasting colors. Have the children collect several fall leaves and arrange them in layers on a table. Have the children create a collage that depicts their layered leaves, using different materials to show the colors and patterns. Use colored yarn, fabric, macaroni, nuts or dry beans to create the color and depth of layers.
Georgia O’Keeffe was inspired by the mountains of New Mexico and painted them from different perspectives; often contrasting the mountains with bones. Give children photos or magazine cut-outs of mountain ranges. If possible, take the children outside to view mountains in your area. Compare the mountains to other objects and shapes such as a rock or penny. Then have the children use watercolor paints to paint their mountain range as they perceived it, compared to their object.