Matisse used bright colors and broad brush strokes.
Vivid colors and bold brush strokes characterize the paintings and cutouts of Henri Matisse. Although young people find Matisse's works easy to imitate, the French artist also produced a small number of sculptures and drawings that focused on erotic subject matter not appropriate for most children. But the lessons children learn from a hands-on approach to art instruction allow them to view the work of other artists with a critical appreciation.
Biography
Enliven your discussion about Matisse's life by focusing on the parts of his biography that appeal to children. Emphasize his use of color and shapes and talk about why the French named Matisse and his fellow artists "les fauves," or the wild beasts. Talk about the influences his world travels had on his art in his later years, such as African masks. Mention that Matisse was confined to a wheelchair for the last 13 years of his art and discuss the fact he continued to create despite this. Have the children practice pronouncing some of the French words associated with the artist, such as the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, one of the schools where he studied.
Matisse-Inspired Paintings
The Fauvists used bright, unmixed colors and applied paint with broad brush strokes. Paintings depicted real objects and scenes, but used elements of impressionism rather than strict representational reproductions of the objects. Have the children work with pots of tempera paint and wide artists brushes. Encourage them to picture a scene and then create a painting. Coax children who are hesitant to start with a simple outline and have them use that as a starting point for embellishing the painting.
Matisse-Inspired Cutouts
Matisse's collages, or cutouts, relied heavily on his earlier work as a painter. When the artist made his paper cutouts he used both the shape he cut out and the leftover bits of paper in the finished picture. Matisse cut shapes that represented real things -- the human form, leaves, water -- and shapes that merely suggested those things. Have the children cut shapes from construction paper and spend time arranging the shapes in different combinations before they're glued to the paper. Avoid helping with the cutting or making suggestions so their interpretation shines in the finished project.
For the Youngest Children
Have young students act out a painting. Choose a Matisse painting with human or animal figures and ask the children to bring the picture to life. Encourage them to use their imagination to decide what the characters are saying and what's going on in the painting. Have the children work in small groups to put on a play about the picture. Put four or five paintings or collages on display and have the children find similar shapes and colors in each painting. Have one child describe a painting or collage while another child keeps her eyes closed. Have her open her eyes and find the picture.
Materials
Frequently, the museum store at your local art museum has inexpensive reproductions of artists' work. Buy several to hang around the room for the children to study. If you don't have an art museum in your community, find Matisse images online and enlarge them to make posters. You'll need kid-friendly scissors, brightly-colored construction paper and white glue for the children to assemble into their own collages. Children need water-based paint and sturdy posterboard to create paintings in the style of Matisse.
