Georgia Okeeffe - Red Canna Flashcards
Working methods - GO
She travelled around America sketching tiny flowers (pieces of nature) then returned to her studio to enlarge the sketch into a massive painting.
This creates the idea of taking something small and making people see the beauty of it.
She liked to draw nature in its environment and develop ideas at home in her studio.
Use/ choice of materials/ media - GO
It is oil on canvas which gives off vibrant colours and a smooth look as it takes a long time to dry.
Can take weeks to dry so Okeeffe could keep blending paint and building layers to create a smooth texture.
Use/ choice of techniques/ technology - GO
The brushstrokes are soft and controlled. All of the brushstrokes are blended together to create a smooth look.
There is no brushstrokes which creates a very realistic, soft petal texture.
This starts to make it 3D.
Tone - GO
The cooler purple tones that are darker give the painting more depth because it looks further away.
She used a darker tone of red in the leaf to give them a curved look - which makes them seem more 3D.
Carefully rounded form.
Use/ choice of composition - GO
The painting is a zoomed in composition which makes it busy but simple because it is one object.
I think the focal point is the purple because it appears cold beside the hot colours.
This also makes it seem further away because it is darker and cooler and recedes.
The cropped composition makes the painting busy. It also makes it less realistic and slightly abstract as the flowers look like a flame.
Colour - GO
She has used a limited range of colours mostly reds and oranges and purples/blues which contrast because hot against cold.
The cooler tones give the painting depth.
These colours suggest summer and energy as it reflects the sun and how it makes things grow.
Line - GO
There is no outline.
All the lines are flowly and seem to overlap when there is a petal.
All the lines radiate from the stem of the flower and flows upwards.
This suggests growth throughout the plant.
Texture - GO
The texture is smooth because the oil paints make the flower look almost solid.
The painting looks fine and delicate and if you touched it it would feel glossy.
Blended to create a soft petal texture.
2D - GO
She used tone in every section so there is no 2D shapes.
Pattern - GO
She seems to have zoomed in on a large flower which makes the whole composition look like a pattern.
The pattern is organic and flowing of many different shapes sections.
The pattern flows out from the bottom middle like a plant growing.
3D - GO
She used cones on the leaf to make them look curved and shaped.
This has been carefully blended to create a curved, flowing, organic form. Light appears to be shining from above, this creates highlights and shadows.
Use/ choice of subject matter/ imagery - GO
The theme of this painting is the beauty of nature because it is enlarged flower.
Good idea because it took something small and then enlarged it so people would see the beauty behind it and not walk past it.
The painting makes you feel relaxed as it is simple with not a lot going on.
It is zoomed in, enlarged and cropped so this is purely about nature.
Use/ choice of mood/ atmosphere - GO
The painting makes me feel quite peaceful because it’s simple colours and it’s not very busy.
The very smooth paint with the brushstrokes also creates a very calming mood.
The flowing, organic patterns and shapes create a peaceful and elegant atmosphere.
Use/ choice of scale - GO
This is about 10x the size of life size.
This effects the way we see the painting , if it was life size it would be very small and by enlarging the photo we see the beauty behind it.
The scale makes a small, fragile flower appear strong and power.
Use/ choice of perspective/ viewpoint - GO
The perspective is from a bee’s eyes view inside the flower which makes it zoomed in.
Because it is zoomed in the flower looks more abstract and brings the flame to life.
Bees views helps engage.
