Henry Matisse: Painting on Paper or Painting with Scissors?

Henri Matisse is known for his bright, cheerful paintings, as well as his collage work, which he called "Painting with Scissors."  Matisse discovered his love of painting as a young man, while spending time in the hospital for a serious illness.  Afterwards he spent most of his time in France, painting outdoor scenes from his windows, interiors of his home, and portraits of various family members.  He was especially known for his creative use of color (bright, cheerful, and unnatural) and for this reason was associated with a group of painters known as the "Fauves," meaning wild beasts.  As Matisse aged, he was riddled with health issues once again.  When he became too ill to stand at a canvas and paint, he began working with collage, cutting organic shapes from bright paper and gluing them together to create vivid works of art.  He referred to his process as painting with scissors.
EI students were able to choose between drawing/painting or collage and began working after creating a few sketches.  Check out the amazing art they created!