Organic and Geometric shapes with Matisse

Second-Fifth Grade

Discussion: Geometric and Organic shapes
Have a few of Matisse's artworks that illustrate both geometric and organic shapes.
Geometric shapes: what are they?
Why are they called geometric?
Where do we see them in life everyday?
How do they help us get to school?
have you used the word geometric in your math class?
Organic shapes: name one in this classroom?
Where are they in nature everyday
Why are they called organic?
Where do we hear the word organic used a lot?

ARTIST: Henri Matisse
(1869-1954)
French Painter,
Studied law until he was 21
Mother gave him a paint box after surgery and he discovered painting
He returned to work, and every morning before work, he attended drawing classes; at lunch time he would paint for an hour or so, and then return to work. After work he would paint till night fell. It was his life.
In 1891 set off for Paris.
Matisse began his journey of studies which ultimately lead him to his love of line, shape and color.
Matisse felt that his greatest influence had been the work of the artist Cezanne (1839 – 1906, French).
In the 1950‘s, Matisse began creating paintings using paint and paper cut outs.
In his last years, as he aged and fell ill, Matisse continued to paint, this time on the walls of his room, using a piece of charcoal attached to the end of a bamboo pole. He painted until his death in 1954.
Matisse had strong feelings about only one thing, the act of painting.
The purpose of these pictures, he always asserted, was to give pleasure.
For Matisse, painting was the rhythmic arrangement of line and color on a flat plane.
He had created the technique of striking contrasts, unmixed hues, flat planes of color (similar to Gauguin, 1848 – 1903, French)
expressive brush strokes (similar to Van Gogh, 1853 – 1890, Dutch).
Light was expressed, not in the method of the Impressionists, but with a harmony of intensely covered surfaces.

For additional information please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Matisse

PROJECT:reduce Matisse's Purple Robe and Anemonies down to simple geometric shapes and redraw.
Step1: begin to see the organic shapes as Geometric and redraw it accordingly
Step2: When you begin to draw, FILL YOUR PAGE
Step3: use mixed media to fill in the work
Markers
Oil pastels
Chalk pastels
Colored pencils

MATERIALS:
Poster of Matisse's work: Purple Robe and Anemonies
White paper
pencils