Create a 3D paper flower vase inspired by the unique style of Benny Andrews.
Download Activity
Benny Andrews, Interior with Cat, 1988, Oil and collage, Gift of the Benny Andrews Foundation
Benny Andrews was born in 1930 to a multi racial family (Cherokee-Scottish-African American) in rural Plainview, Georgia. After becoming the first member of his family to graduate from high school, he attended Fort Valley State College supported by a scholarship. He was not allowed to attend the University of Georgia due to the color of his skin. In 1954, after serving as a military policeman in the Korean War, he used the GI Bill to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studying under Kathleen Blackshear. Benny Andrews rose from the injustices of the Jim Crow South to become a leading voice in American painting.
Supplies
Color Cardstock, Scissors, Stapler, Markers, Leaf & Flower Templates
Instructions
Step 1: Notice the flowers and vase in Benny Andrews’ Interior with Cat. How many colors and designs do you see? What kind of materials do you think Benny Andrews used in this artwork?
Step 2: Think about what you want your vase to look like! Choose a color paper for the base color of your vase.
Step 3: Start to design your vase! Use markers to draw shapes or patterns on the paper.
Step 4: When you’re finished decorating your vase, roll the paper into a cylinder horizontally. Use a stapler to staple where one side of the paper meets the other on the top and bottom of the vase.
Step 5: Fill your vase! Pick a type of leaf from the templates. Use scissors to cut out the leaf you want and then staple it onto the top inside of your vase.
Step 6: Add flowers! Pick out a flower from the templates. Repeat the instructions from the previous steps and staple the flower into the vase!
SEE BENNY ANDREWS’ INTERIOR WITH CAT IN THE BENNY ANDREWS GALLERY.
