Color of Genius

 

 

 

As many of us continue to experience unusually extreme winter weather, 

I am wondering if you are craving some wild and delicious color right about now?

:)

I know I am!

In the previous post I spoke of rich comfort food, 
but two days of a spring-like melt last week, and I am greedy for more of the same...

So, bright greens and salads have replaced stews and hearty soups, and
spring cleaning has officially begun, with the hope of ushering in an early spring thaw....

(since we had snow last May, how we would love to see the season come on time this year!

palomasea

How about some beautiful color inspiration by the extraordinary  Henri Matisse...

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts just opened an exhibit of Matisse masterworks.
 (on loan from the Baltimore Museum of Art)

This collection features works from the Cone Collection, "assembled by two Baltimore sisters–
Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone."
 After purchasing their first Matisse, they built one of the world's largest collections of his art.

"The Lute" 1943

Born on December 31st, 1869 in Northern France, M. Matisse studied law, (and passed the bar), but this was never his passion. It was only after he was recovering from an illness, and his artist mother had given him art supplies, did he discover his true calling.

"La Danse" 1909

“From the moment I held the box of colors in my hands, I knew this was my life. I threw myself into it like a beast that plunges towards the thing it loves.” 

H.M.




His mother was a wise woman, telling him to listen to his 
emotions, instead of necessarily adhering to any rules of art.
He certainly heeded this advice,

(lucky for us)

and became one of the leaders of  the "Fauvism"movement.

A mode of expressionism, it emphasizes free brush strokes, vivid color, pure emotion, mood, feeling...

(I will add...JOY!)

 There is so much more information on the artists of this informal, most wonderfully free and creative art movement...way too much for me to post here...but this LINK is a great start.

 

 

 Matisse was classically trained, and the paintings below will certainly attest to his wide range of skill and talent...

"Woman Reading" 1894

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Dinner Table" 1896

You can see Cezanne's influence here...

 

(she reminds me of a young Mrs. Patmore!)

It was while visiting the French Riviera in 1904, that Matisse had a creative breakthrough, painting with "simplified" brushstrokes and wild, saturated colors....

Although this may look like a simple technique, 

it takes great skill to achieve such balance and beauty.  

"The Open Window Collioure" 1905

"We move towards serenity through the simplification of ideas and form.......Details lessen the purity of lines, they harm the emotional intensity, and we choose to reject them. It is a question of learning - and perhaps relearning the 'handwriting' of lines. The aim of painting is not to reflect history, because this can be found in books. We have a higher conception. Through it, the artist expresses his inner vision." 

H.M.

Perhaps his theory can be applied to more than just art...

:)

"Blue Nude" 1952,  paper cutout

Working on "La Serpentine" 1909

"La Serpentine" 1909

"Purple Robe and Anemones" 1937

Matisse was inspired by poetry, and on many mornings he would read the masters before beginning his work for the day....

For him, poetry was like oxygen: 

"just as when you leap out of bed you fill your lungs with fresh air." 

This kept him young at heart — like a sensual elixir of youth.

source

Merci, M. Matisse...

Here's to staying forever inspired and young at heart!

Much love and wishes for a happy week to dear friends and readers in all corners of our wild and colorful world...

xoxo