Last night’s O-riginal Art Activity highlighted Benny Andrews who incorporated fabric into his paintings, creating a signature look with textured surfaces.

Use fabric and collage to create a still life.

Benny Andrews, Set Up, 1982, Oil and collage, Gift of the Benny Andrews Foundation

Benny Andrews is known for his use of collage and fabric in his paintings. He often depicts people and scenes from daily life, especially highlighting the lives of poor people. Andrews was co-founder of the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition in 1969, an organization that brought awareness and inclusion of work by minority and women artists into major collections and exhibitions.

Supplies List:

Fabric, Scissors, Cardstock, Glue sticks, Markers

Instructions:

Step 1: First, decorate your basket template – you can glue pattern paper on it or color it with markers.

Step 2: Pick out your favorite fruit from the pre-cut fruit or create your own using color paper. Arrange the cut-out fruit in the basket.

Step 3: Use a glue stick to glue the fruit in the basket. Remember you can create depth by layering the fruit, putting one on top of the other.

Step 4: Where is your still life? Is the basket in a kitchen or in a bedroom? Add details to your still life with markers and additional fabric.