Mark Making: Georgia O'Keeffe with Melanie Lan
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Saturday, August 30, 11:00am - 12:30pm PT
This is an online workshop held via Zoom.
Georgia O'Keeffe is best known for her radical oil paintings of flowers, desert landscapes, and New York City skyscrapers, but did you know she also created free-flowing watercolor paintings as well?
Georgia O’Keeffe’s watercolor paintings, created primarily between 1916 and 1918, are bold, expressive explorations of color, form, and emotion that mark the beginning of her distinctive artist voice. Using layered washes and organic shapes, she created abstract compositions that often evoke natural elements like landscapes or celestial phenomena. Unlike traditional watercolor styles, O’Keeffe’s approach was experimental and deeply intuitive, revealing a fearless engagement with abstraction and the emotional potential of color.
This class was inspired by a trip to view the exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe: To See Takes Time at the Museum of Modern Art. In this workshop we'll take inspiration from her works on paper, her watercolor landscapes, and her free flowing abstracts, and we'll observe the way she would study a single subject in multiple iterations.
"Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time, and to see takes time – like to have a friend takes time." Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986)
Mark making describes the different lines, dots, marks, patterns, and textures we create in an artwork. It can be loose and gestural, or controlled and neat. We each have our own unique way of mark making, and discovering the limitless possibility is part of what makes art so immensely joyful!
Join zoom 15 minutes early (10:45am) for an informal meet and greet with the instructor and other class participants! Session instructions will begin promptly at 11:05am PT so that everyone has plenty of time to join!
Join Zoom 15 minutes early for an informal meet and greet with the instructor and class participants! Class will begin promptly at 5 minutes past the hour, so everyone has plenty of time to create!
SUGGESTED MATERIALS
These guidelines are here to help you gather supplies from home—feel free to use alternate options you love or have on hand!
- Your favorite Watercolor paints
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2-3 pieces Watercolor paper
- Brushes
- Cup of Water
- Mixing palette
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Studio Cloth or Paper Towel
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Optional: Washi, Artist's, or Nichiban masking tape
- Reference photos will be provided
ABOUT INSTRUCTOR
Melanie Lan is an artist, illustrator, and mama bear based in NYC. She earned her MFA in painting at the Burren College of Art in Ireland, and has an interdisciplinary background in painting, cross-cultural studies, and somatic psychology. Her work explores the intersection of healing, meaning-making, and the natural world. In her free time Melanie is a selenophile who loves tide pools, stargazing, big trees, and long walks with good snacks.
melanielan.com / @melanie.lan
THINGS TO KNOW
Zoom links are emailed 24 hours prior, and again 15 minutes prior, to the workshop start time. Please check out using the email address to which you’d like the link sent. If you have not received the link within 24 hours of your class, please check your spam folder first, then email friends@caseformaking.com.
Workshop recordings are sent automatically the day after class to everyone who paid for a spot, and are available for 30 days after the date of the workshop.
If you need to cancel, please let us know as soon as possible so we can open up your spot! We are only able to refund if we’re notified at least 48 hours prior to the workshop.
If you are planning to teach in the future using anything you’ve learned from us, we kindly ask that you credit Case for Making + the individual instructor where applicable.
Thank you so much for taking our workshops!!
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