Fifth-grade students were given a creative challenge: each student was assigned a square section of a Georgia O’Keeffe flower painting and tasked with recreating it using oil pastels. As they carefully studied the intricate details of O’Keeffe’s bold colors and soft, sweeping lines, the students learned to focus on blending, shading, and capturing the essence of the flower's form. Working with vibrant pastels, they explored how to use texture and color to bring their piece to life, all while embracing the unique perspective that O'Keeffe’s art often provides. The result was a stunning mosaic of individual creations that, when put together, celebrated the beauty and complexity of nature through the eyes of young artists.
As a first-time teacher, who is still completing my student teaching requirements, I am learning everything at once. The Georgia O'Keeffe collaborative mural project was a great first project to do with students for my first time teaching alone. The fifth-graders did such an excellent job using their creativity and skills to create their pieces. It was nice to see students come together and help each other out as well as make their piece the best work for each other. That is what art is all about and I love to see community in the art world. The students continue to surprise me each and everyday. They have such creative minds and are so driven to be their best. I cannot wait to see and share what they do next.
