‘Poppies’ was inspired by the work of Georgie O’Keeffe and coincided with Remembrance Day.

Firstly, the students looked at the beautiful, magnified images of O’Keeffe’s flowers. They began by drawing their own flowers, focussing on the shape and detail of the flower’s centre and petals. We then used artist quality oil pastels to colour our flowers.

We looked closely at O’Keeffe’s ‘Poppy’. The students described the colours, shapes and the mood of the painting. Students were given Magiclay to model their poppy. Each petal was formed individually and then pressed together to join. We encouraged the students to bend and shape the petals to form a 3-D shape. The poppies were painted with Vipond paint.

We discussed Remembrance Day, its significance and the symbolism of the poppy. The students at Buckley House participate in an annual Remembrance Day assembly, so are familiar with its meaning. The collaborative canvas was arranged to represent the fields of poppies in Europe.

Kym Leon and Helena Swain
Visual Arts Specialist Teachers
Buckley House- Ivanhoe Grammar School
Suitable for level 3