Marie WheelerI don’t believe I ever knew the drive and dedication of Henri Matisse.
Inspired by Matisse
Learning about him this week during my Love Art, Happy Life lesson was inspiring. I often contemplate what I would do if I were sick or injured or unable to walk or garden or be active. I tend to think I would persevere and either continue to do what I love or find other ways of creating meaning in light of my limited circumstances.
In my early 20’s, I was in a car accident that left me in pretty rough shape for about six months and after I was finally able to walk without crutches, I still dealt with a ton of pain and issues with balance. I wasn’t able to do my job at the time very well and others took over. It was truly just as well. It wasn’t a healthy occupation and I wasn’t do anyone any good.
Henri Matisse, Meet Man Ray’s Landscape
For my inspiration, I studied several of Matisse’s works and decided that I didn’t want to copy, but use the style of collage. I remembered my discussion around Man Ray’s landscape and how I wanted to continue to work with that and do a better job with successive iterations. This was my task: I would blend the inspiration of Matisse with the inspiration of Man Ray to make something new and awesome.
So the process was a bit tedious and there are certainly some things I would do differently. First, I would not use 140 lb watercolor paper scraps to paint over to make my collage pieces. I would use thinner paper that is easier to paint, cut and lay down. Probably. Second, I would be more careful with the background. I really mucked it up and while it came out okay, it isn’t what I wanted. and last, I would have used better perspective skills.
There we are, ta da! See you next time and don’t forget if you need to pick up your own art supplies, click on my Amazon Affiliate link and help support my ability to bring on the content!
