Life In The Arts

LONGTIMERS PRODUCTIONS AND THE MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION PRESENT

Jazz Collage with Laurie Myers

Wednesday, November 14, 2001 - 10:30 - 11:30 AM

PROGRAM GUEST

Laurie Myers went to school in Switzerland. She is self taught. Laurie always loved Art and her mother brought her up in a very artistic environment. Both her parents were successful interior decorators in Beverly Hills.

When Laurie's children started school she noticed there wasn't an art program. At private schools they had one. "I wanted my girls to have the opportunity to create like I had in Elementary school. In 6th grade one of my painting hung in the principles office for a long time (possibly years). This gave me the courage to continue painting later in my life even though no one really recognized my work as anything special. I knew I could impact children's lives by believing in them and encouraging them to express themselves. Now I have been teaching for about 11 or 12 years with great results. I developed my program by doing the art with the kids and finding what worked. I also wanted them to learn some art history and appreciation so included this as well. I was asked to put this in book form by my friends who are teachers and thus Sparking Creativity was written. I am now focusing on some of my own work. I have donated several pieces and sold to various people. But I have pursued selling my work although I would like to."

This lesson will show teachers how to help children learn to turn their creative ideas into something real. A poem, a play, a piece of art."It always surprises me how good they are at doing this if they are free to follow on the journey you take them. when they are not worried about what someone else thinks. when you keep reassuring them that the joy of art is in the process."

QUESTIONS FOR THE TELECONFERENCE GUESTS

1. Why did Matisse do paper cut outs?

2. What could you make with the knowledge you gained today?

3. What other artists did collage?

4. Why do some colors just look good together?

Student Project/ Lesson Plan

"JAZZ COLLAGE"

MATERIALS

The necessary supplies for this coming show are Many different colors of construction paper or fadeless art paper from artmax, scissors, white glue, a piece of white tag board 12x18.

12 X 18 Tag Board

All colors of construction paper

White glue

Scissors

History

Henri Matisse

French Painter

1869 - 1954

"There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter

than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first

to forget all the roses that were ever painted."

&emdash;Henri Matisse

Matisse was born in Cateau, France in 1869. He was part od the Post-Impressionist group. But he is better known for being a Fauvist, oe wild Beast. When the works of the Fauvist were judged one critic wrote that they must have been painted by Wild Beasts. so the movement got it's name, Van Gogh and Gauguin were the inspiration for Matisse, Braque, Derain, Viamink and Dufy were all part of the group. They liberated color to its most vibrant level. These artists didn't feel it was necessary to follow the Academy rules anymore, Arbitrary colors, thick paint, vertical line and pattern were his trademark. He was very well trained at the Ecole de Beaux Art in Paris. When Matisse's health finally made him wheelchair bound, he started his greatest work. He made cutouts from bright colored paper. these pieces, the inspiration for the stained glass window in the Cathedral in Venice, are in a book called JAZZ and these huge collages are full of life. he was interested in simplifying nature to line and shape.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Have your students study the wonderful shapes matisse made. He was a master of curved, fluid line. he used blocks of solid colors overlapping.

2. Show how he carries your eye around the piece with diagonal line, simple shape, wonderful color. What happens to the colors-light colors come forward and darks recede.

3. Don't let them glue until they have a good composition. You can play with the shapes. Would it look better with a black box behind it? Or maybe another color on top of the black and then the curved shape.

4. the idea is to get them to be free and create a well balanced project at the same time.

5. If they totally feel stifled you can let them use the stencils in your teacher materials. Make them on tag board so they can be reused. Or better yet make some of your own wonderful stencils using your whole arm with a loose fluid line. Have fun with the color !

BOOKS:

Laurie Myers " Sparking Creativity"

CAREER CORNER

Graphic Artist

Interior Decoration

Fashion Design

Textile Design

Web Site Design

Links

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/matisse/

http://www.musee-matisse-nice.org/

Back to the Life in the Arts 2001 - 2002 Broadcast Season