Week 7: Feb 18-22 — Aspire International School

Matisse Inspired Lesson

1. the kids make an "X" on their paper with the corners of the "X" meeting the corners of the paper. The center of the "X" becomes the Vanishing Point.
the vanishing point is always on the horizon line of the landscape that they will create later.
2. Make an opening for the window by creating a rectangle. All corners of the rectangle must match up with the lines of the "X". Each corner of the window will rest on the "X". (use a ruler)
3. Create a sill under the window to put objects on. These objects can be something important to the artist to share with us their personality. Matisse usually put goldfish, plants, or flowers on his tables. I put my daily devotional book, my prayer shawl, my Chai Tea, and my cat.
Kids can put a football, their favorite book, or their phone on the sill.
4. Make a patterned curtain (Matisse loved wild prints) or use the vanishing point
to create shutters or lines on the ceiling.
5. Draw a landscape of choice. Matisse usually showed a sunny, hot place by the sea (his favorite).

Students can draw their favorite vacation spot, their front yard, or downtown city streets.

Matisse thought that art was not meant to look like a photograph. So, don't mimic realistic nature, draw what is in your imagination.