My inspiration for this was the wonderful artist Henri Matisse.

The image was from a B&B that we stayed in in country South Australia.

HENRI MATISSE grew up in the northern part of France.

Becoming a Painter

He started painting in 1889 during recuperation from an illness.

His mother encouraged him not to follow the normal rules of art, but to try out new things and to paint his emotions.

In 1897, Matisse was introduced to impressionism, and to the work of van Gogh. Cezanne and Seurat.

Fauvism

In the early 1900s Matisse developed a new style. He began to paint with bright masses of colours that were freely applied. He used the colours to express emotion often using colors that had nothing to do with the natural colours of the subject.

In 1905 Matisse, together with fellow artists Maurice de Vlaminck and Andre Derain, exhibited their new style to the world. One critic called them "fauves", which meant "wild beasts". The name stuck and their style of art was called Fauvism.

Cutouts

In his later years, Matisse began to experiment with cutouts. He would cut out colored paper and make collages.

Legacy

Matisse is considered one of the founders of Fauvism art. He is also considered one of the leading figures of modern art as his paintings and art influenced many artists throughout the 20th century.