ART HISTORY: Georgia O'Keeffe, Nov 7, 2026

Up Close: Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe See less. Look closer. Paint bigger. Discover how changing your point of view can transform an ordinary subject into something extraordinary. In this Art History: Hands On workshop, we’ll explore the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and the ways she used scale, color, simplified form, composition, and close cropping to make viewers notice familiar subjects in entirely new ways. We’ll begin with a brief look at O’Keeffe’s life and artistic approach, including how her close-up flower paintings became some of the most recognizable images in American modernism. We’ll consider what happens when an artist removes the surrounding details, enlarges a subject until it nearly fills the canvas, and asks us to pay attention to shape, line, color, and the spaces between forms. Then it’s your turn. Using O’Keeffe’s approach as inspiration, you’ll choose a floral subject and create your own dramatically enlarged painting. We’ll work on cropping and composition before painting, then explore how changes in color, value, and shape can suggest the folds, curves, and depth of petals without getting caught up in tiny details. This is an exploration of O’Keeffe’s ideas and ways of seeing—not an exercise in copying one of her paintings. Each participant will make their own choices about subject, composition, scale, and color, so every finished piece will be uniquely their own. Saturday, November 7 | 2:00–4:00 PM $25 | All materials included A canvas will be provided, but if you really want to embrace O’Keeffe’s sense of scale, bring a larger canvas or purchase one in the store and paint BIG. All skill levels are welcome, and no previous painting experience is required. Alabama Art Academy at Alabama Art Supply 1006 23rd Street South Birmingham, AL 35205 205-322-4741 AlabamaArt.com Elizabeth Ragona, MBA Artist, framer, business strategist, and Marketing & Framing Manager at Alabama Art Supply, Elizabeth Ragona combines her experience in business, marketing, pricing strategy, and the arts to help creative professionals build successful and sustainable art businesses. Her workshops focus on practical tools and real-world solutions that artists can apply immediately. Part of the Art History Series This workshop is part of the Alabama Art Academy: Art History series at Alabama Art Supply, where learning about art becomes a hands-on creative experience. Rather than simply studying the artists and movements that shaped art history, these workshops invite you to explore their ideas, techniques, and ways of seeing through your own artwork. No art history or previous art experience is required—just curiosity and a willingness to create. Discover the stories behind the art, try something new, and experience art history by making it.