Introduction:
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was one of the most influential artists of our century.
He was a revolutionary colorist in his early days. In his later years, when he
became seriously ill and was bedridden, he became well known for his paper cut-outs
Matisse created interesting compositions with vibrantly colored paper cut in simple
shapes that are his most recognizable works to this day. Introducing young children
to Matisse is a wonderful way to let them practice their scissors technique.
Materials:
Colored
construction paper
Scissors
(preferably small enough for young kids to handle comfortably)
White glue
White or
black paper in 9" x 12" or 11" x 14" size
Examples
of Matisse's cut-outs are helpful (posters or books)
Directions:
Introduce the concept of shape by defining geometric and organic shapes. Demonstrate
cutting simple shapes, squares, circles, triangles, hearts, etc. Remember that
you shouldn't put too much emphasis on shapes being perfect. Let the kids experiment
and really get the feel of the scissors.
This is also a good lesson to introduce the primary and secondary colors you
will be using.
When gluing the construction paper to the white paper, emphasize that less
glue is better by pointing out that too much glue can lead to wrinkly paper. Let
the kids arrange their shapes abstractly, in patterns, overlapping, or in a concrete
design. The primary focus of this lesson for this age group is to let them practice
with the scissors. Stress the importance of filling the whole page with shapes
as opposed to grouping them all in the middle or to one side. Children at this
age have a real tendency to group all their shapes into one area of the paper.
You can initiate a "shape trade" at some point during the class where the
kids trade scraps with each other. This encourages the kids to look at the scraps
that are left over as viable shapes to include in their compositions.
When they are finished, do a "looking walk" so that they can see what everyone
else has created. An important part of fostering young artists is encouraging
them to look at and respond to other people's art. Ask them what they see and
how it makes them feel. Always encourage in the positive and don't criticize;
frustration comes easily to this age group. Keep them interested by showing them
their work is interesting.
Art Terms: Shape – when a line meets itself, a shape is created. Geometric shapes are
derived from math, like circles, squares, rectangles, etc. Organic shapes are
shapes you see in nature, like the shape of a cloud or a tree. Primary Colors – red, blue and yellow. By mixing these three colors, all
other colors of the rainbow can be achieved. Secondary Colors – three colors that can be obtained by mixing two of the
three primary colors. Red + Blue = Purple, Blue + Yellow = Green, and Red + Yellow
= Orange. Abstract – art in which the depiction of recognizable objects has been abandoned. Pattern – a decorative design, usually of a repeating figure or motif. Overlapping – when one shape wholly or partially covers another shape.
References: Boutan, Mila. Matisse: An Activity Pack. Chronicle Books, California. 1996.
Essers, Volkman. Matisse. Thunder Bay Press, California. 1997.
Mayer, Ralph. The Harper Collins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques. Harper
Collins Publishers, New York. 1991.
The Random House Dictionary of Art and Artists. Sir David Piper, Ed. Random House
Publishers, New York. 1988.
