Henri Matisse Activity

Henri Matisse was a French artist. He worked with bright, vibrant colours and is best known for his 'cut out' pictures. 

You will need:

  • A selection of coloured paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Paper to mount your collage

Doing the activity:

As Matisse grew older his eyesight and health started to faulter. It was hard for him to paint and instead used paper and scissors to cut out shapes; with these he made collages.

He was very particular about where the shapes went on the paper.

He had someone to help him pin them on the wall and move them around until he was happy with where the shape was put. See if you can do the same! Cut shapes out of the paper and place them to try and make a collage of your own. 

DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS:

    • The picture below is called "Lagoon". What do the colours make you think of?
    • What do you think the shapes look like?
    • From looking at the picture, where do you think you would find a lagoon?
    • Could you make up a story about creatures you might find in a lagoon?
    • What shapes do you think you could cut out?
    • Could you make a collage together by agreeing where things should go on the paper?

What sort of colour schemes can you make with paper? (using the colour theory that "Lagoon" uses, what other environments can you inspire with colour?

Match the colour: Below are a list of environmental elements, why not colour in the squares next to them in the colours that remind you of them? (Two have been left at the end for you to make your own colour scheme)

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