A Florist’s Guide to Georgia O’Keeffe: Exploring Flowers in Her Art

Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) is one of the most celebrated American artists, known for her striking depictions of flowers, desert landscapes, and abstract forms. For florists and flower enthusiasts, her work is a deep exploration of nature’s beauty, capturing the essence of petals, colors, and organic shapes in a way that goes beyond mere representation. Her floral paintings are bold, intimate, and almost sculptural, making them a rich source of inspiration for floral designers seeking to blend art with botany.

This florist guide explores O’Keeffe’s relationship with flowers, her most iconic floral works, and how florists can draw inspiration from her artistic vision.

1. Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Floral Vision

O’Keeffe’s flowers are not traditional botanical illustrations; instead, they are magnified, abstracted, and deeply emotional. She often zoomed in on the curves and folds of petals, creating compositions that evoke sensuality, movement, and a sense of vastness.

Why Flowers?

O’Keeffe once said, "Nobody sees a flower, really—it is so small—we haven't time, and to see takes time." She wanted viewers to slow down and truly observe flowers, immersing themselves in their delicate details and bold structures.

Her flowers often took on symbolic meanings, interpreted variously as expressions of femininity, sexuality, and the life force of nature.

2. O’Keeffe’s Most Iconic Floral Paintings

Red Canna (1924)

This painting is a vivid close-up of a canna lily, with swirling reds, oranges, and yellows creating a dynamic sense of movement. The fiery colors and fluid lines make the flower seem almost molten, blurring the boundary between plant and abstract form.

Florist’s Inspiration: Use dramatic red and orange blooms like canna lilies, anthuriums, or gloriosa lilies to create bold, sculptural arrangements that mimic her expressive color palette.

Black Iris III (1926)

O’Keeffe transforms the iris into a monumental form, emphasizing its deep, velvety folds and dark center. The rich purples, blacks, and blues give the flower a sense of mystery and elegance.

Florist’s Inspiration: Work with deep, moody florals such as black calla lilies, dark purple irises, or deep burgundy peonies to create arrangements that evoke depth and drama.

Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (1932)

One of her most famous floral paintings, this work features a large, luminous jimson weed (Datura stramonium) in soft whites and pale greens. The composition is simple yet powerful, emphasizing the flower’s trumpet-like shape.

Florist’s Inspiration: Create a dreamy, ethereal arrangement using white trumpet lilies, moonflowers, or datura combined with soft greenery like dusty miller or eucalyptus.

Oriental Poppies (1927)

This painting showcases two oversized poppies in fiery red and orange, their petals almost pulsating with energy. The close-up perspective makes them seem endless, emphasizing their fragile yet powerful nature.

Florist’s Inspiration: Use Icelandic poppies, ranunculus, or peonies in brilliant warm hues to recreate the lush, velvety texture of O’Keeffe’s poppies.

3. Floral Design Inspired by O’Keeffe’s Art

O’Keeffe’s flowers are not just about beauty—they are about form, scale, and emotion. Here are a few ways florists can incorporate her artistic vision into floral design:

A. Playing with Scale

O’Keeffe often painted flowers at an exaggerated scale, making them monumental. Florists can echo this by creating oversized floral installations with large blooms like peonies, dahlias, and proteas.

Design Idea: Try a giant floral wall with enlarged blooms or a single-flower arrangement that highlights one spectacular bloom in an artistic way.

B. Emphasizing Flowing Lines

Her flowers often feature soft, undulating curves that mimic the natural shapes of petals.

Design Idea: Use cascading arrangements with amaranthus, orchids, or wisteria to create a sense of movement similar to O’Keeffe’s compositions.

C. Using Bold and Contrasting Colors

Her work is known for high-contrast color palettes, from deep blacks against purples to fiery reds next to soft whites.

Design Idea: Try unexpected color pairings, such as deep plum calla lilies with golden orchids or intense red poppies with soft blue delphiniums, for a dramatic O’Keeffe-inspired bouquet.

D. Focusing on Negative Space

O’Keeffe’s paintings often use negative space to highlight the shape of the flowers, making them feel almost sculptural.

Design Idea: Opt for minimalist arrangements that leave breathing room between blooms, allowing each flower’s form to shine. A simple single-stem anthurium in a glass vase can be as striking as a full bouquet.

4. Visiting O’Keeffe’s World: Museums and Gardens

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Santa Fe, New Mexico)

This museum houses a vast collection of her works, including her floral paintings. It also explores her connection to the desert landscape, which influenced her later works.

Florist’s Tip: Visit during spring when the desert wildflowers bloom—O’Keeffe herself loved the resilient beauty of these plants.

Ghost Ranch & O’Keeffe’s Home in Abiquiú

O’Keeffe’s New Mexico home and surrounding landscapes deeply influenced her art. Her garden, filled with hollyhocks, poppies, and native plants, offers a glimpse into the real-life inspirations behind her work.

Florist’s Tip: Notice the interplay between desert plants and flowers—this contrast of softness and ruggedness is key to her aesthetic.

Florist insights

Georgia O’Keeffe’s floral paintings are a masterclass in seeing flowers differently—not just as objects of beauty but as powerful, almost spiritual forms. For florists, her work serves as a lesson in abstraction, scale, and color, encouraging a more artistic approach to floral design.

Next time you arrange flowers, take a cue from O’Keeffe: slow down, observe closely, and let each bloom speak with its own bold voice.