• About
    • All About Us
    • Contact
    • Disclosures
    • Privacy
    • Giveaway Rules
    • Sponsor
    • Features
  • Favorite Supplies
  • Gift Ideas for Kids
  • Our Books
  • By Age
    • Tweens
    • Elementary
    • Kindergarten
    • Preschool
    • Toddler
    • For Parents
    • For Teachers

Buggy and Buddy

Meaningful Activities for Learning & Creating

  • Create
    • Art Projects for Kids
    • Crafts for Kids
    • Recipes for Playing & Creating
  • Learn
    • Literacy
      • Book Sets
      • The Alphabet
      • Reading
      • Children’s Books with Activities
    • Math
    • Science
    • NGSS Science
  • Holidays
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Year’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
    • School Days
    • Birthdays
    • Tooth Fairy
  • Books Activities
  • Science
  • Printables
  • SHOP
You are here: Home / Create / Art Projects / Matisse for Kids: Paper Cut-out Collage

March 12, 2013 By Chelsey 20 Comments

Matisse for Kids: Paper Cut-out Collage

Share
Pin109
Tweet
109Shares

Here are two fun art projects for kids inspired by Henri Matisse. In one Matisse-inspired art lesson, children use magnets to create art that can be moved around and changed. In the second art project children use scissors and colored paper to create an art collage of shapes on canvas.

Follow our Art for Kids Pinterest board!

 Art for Kids Inspired by Matisse~ BuggyandBuddy.com

(This post contains affiliate links.)

 

Our Trip to the Museum

Recently Lucy and I headed to our local art museum looking for inspiration for our next art project. Luckily, they had a Henri Matisse exhibit going on that Lucy was immediately drawn to!

We walked around the large gallery taking photographs and commenting on each piece of artwork with Lucy unable to resist making a few echoing sounds in the large room. (Admittedly, it was a great room for making echoes.) Then we sat on the benches in the center of the gallery. Lucy got out her sketchbook, while I browsed the Matisse books the museum had made available.

Lucy began by drawing shapes from her favorite pieces. She loved writing the titles by them as well. Later, she came up with a game. We were to each secretly draw shapes from the one piece of Matisse’s artwork. Then, we had to look at each other’s and try to guess which piece the inspiration came from. We did that for quite a while!

 studying matisse at the art museum

Magnetic Art for Kids Inspired by Matisse

Later, we went downstairs and were pleasantly surprised to find a very inviting area set up for making art from paper cut outs just like Matisse did.

  • The wall was painted with magnetic paint (which I have yet to try myself, but am dying to) and had magnets placed randomly around the wall.
  • Near the wall were some baskets with different colored sheets and scraps of paper, scissors, and some children’s art books to serve as inspiration. (Some children’s books about Matisse: Matisse’s Garden, Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors, and Henri’s Scissors.)
  • On the wall we found designs and shapes from previous visitors.

Lucy could not get enough of this! We made some collages together and some on our own. At one point she commented, “I’m an artist. Anyone can be an artist. You just have to be creative.”

 

Magnetic Cutout Artwork for Kids Inspired by Matisse

 

She had us end with creating a tear art paper flower she had seen in one of the books nearby- “You do the center, Mommy, and I’ll do the petals.”

 

Wouldn’t this make a great creative center in a classroom? In place of a magnetic wall you could use magnetic cookie sheets or magnetic galvanized sheet metal.

 

Magnetic Cutout Artwork for Kids Inspired by Matisse

After releasing some energy, we headed off to have lunch together, talking about ideas we had for our art project.

Paper Cut Out Art for Kids Inspired by Matisse

Learning about Matisse

Once we got home, we read some more about Henry Matisse online, mostly about how and why he created his artwork from cut outs.

We learned he had become ill and painting was more difficult for him so he decided to substitute scissors for paint. He would use scissors to cut large and interesting shapes from painted paper. He called this “drawing with scissors.” He would usually cut the shapes out freehand and save both the piece he had cut out and the remaining paper. He would then use those pieces to create art by arranging  and rearranging them on his studio wall. Once he was satisfied with his creation, the collage of cut paper would be permanently glued down to some type of canvas or paper.

We also stumbled across this old video on youtube of Matisse making some paper cut outs.

 

Footage of Henri Matisse Making a Paper Cut Out

After seeing his artwork and learning more about him, we were finally ready to get started making our own artwork inspired by Matisse!

 

Materials for Matisse Cut-out Collage

  • various colors of paper for cutting (or you can paint your own!)
  • one large sheet of paper to serve as the canvas
  • scissors
  • glue stick

 

How We Created Our Matisse-Inspired Artwork

1. We decided to start by making our own painted paper. (This is completely optional. You could just skip this step and use colored construction paper). We got out some white sheets of paper, paint and brushes. Then we began mixing paints until we found colors we liked and then painted the sheets of paper, letting them dry overnight.

 

painting collage paper

 

2. The next day we looked at some of the photographs we had taken at the museum. We noticed the bold colors Matisse used and described the shapes we saw.

 

artwork by matisse

 

3. Then we got our dry, painted paper, various colors of construction paper and scissors. We each chose some colored paper to use and got busy cutting various shapes. I loved listening to Lucy as she cut out shapes!

  • “Look! Mine has lots of lines in it.”
  • “I’m going to cut out squares and design with it.”
  • “Look at me! I’m making a hill!”
  • “I wonder what would happen if I folded it into a ball and then cut it. Let’s see what it would look like! It looks like the sun!”
  • “I like to fold the paper and then cut.”

 

4. We played around with the shapes over in over, rearranging them until we were satisfied with what we had created, just as Matisse must have done in his studio. Lucy~ “I wonder how I should put it. There.”

 

Magnetic Cutout Artwork for Kids Inspired by Matisse

 

5. Then, we glued each piece into place on our blank canvas to complete our masterpieces!

 

Magnetic Cutout Artwork for Kids Inspired by Matisse

This project would also be fun to do together in a classroom. I can imagine the kids sharing and discussing their shapes and designs as they are creating!
matisse art for kids

Filed Under: Art Projects, Artists, Elementary, Kindergarten Tagged With: art, artists, matisse

« Giant Spring Flowers Made with Collage Paper
Easter Craft for Kids: Easter Egg Art Inspired by Rechenka’s Eggs »

Comments

  1. Susan Call Hutchison (ReadAloudReadAlong.com) says

    March 12, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    Priceless! Your daughter is so talented, and fortunate to have a mom who gives her such great opportunities. And the video is a treasure. What a find!

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 13, 2013 at 9:49 pm

      Thank you so very much, Susan! It was such a memorable day! One of my favorite things about the day was she was so excited that she planned her most special outfit she could think of~ her Christmas dress, valentine leggings, Dr. Seuss hair bow, light-up shoes and her “detective jacket”.

      Reply
  2. Jessica Mitchell-Stoddard says

    March 13, 2013 at 9:40 am

    How fascinating!! I’m so happy that Lucy was so inspired by such a legendary artist! And this is a great project because children can learn that art can mean many, many things!! Also thank you for including the video of Matisse at work- it was amazing to see! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 13, 2013 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks, Jessica. It was just such a fun day! I loved hearing all the comments and reactions Lucy had to the artwork. Definitely a special memory!

      Reply
  3. Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas says

    March 13, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    How wonderful that you got to see his work in real life! I would have loved to have taken a trip when we did our Matisse art. Nothing beats seeing the real thing.

    I like that you used both colored paper and paper that you painted as well – lots of texture.

    Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Arty.

    Reply
  4. Tracey@We-Made-That says

    March 13, 2013 at 6:11 pm

    What a great way to get kids into art. And it looks like your daughter really enjoyed it and had fun with this. Thank you so much for sharing on We Made That!

    Reply
  5. PragmaticMom says

    March 14, 2013 at 6:33 am

    What a great post! I love the virtual art museum visit. Pinning it. Stopping by from the Mom’s Library Blog Hop.

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 17, 2013 at 10:12 pm

      Thank you for pinning! Lucy says she is taking her Daddy there next~ she had so much fun!

      Reply
  6. Jeanette Nyberg says

    March 15, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Awesome! I love how this was a multi-step project to really reinforce Matisse in her head. Her finished piece is lovely!

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 17, 2013 at 10:04 pm

      Thank you, Jeanette. She was so proud and still talks about our special day. She wants to take Daddy there next!

      Reply
  7. Janis Cox says

    March 17, 2013 at 5:01 pm

    This is one of the best art lessons I have seen in a long time. Great inspiration and I love your daughter’s words – that she is an artist. And a wonderful lesson on a master artist.

    I had a lovely time walking with you through your day.
    Blessings,
    Janis

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 17, 2013 at 9:37 pm

      Thank you so much, Janis! It really was a wonderful and memorable day~ definitely inspired to do it more often!

      Reply
  8. maggy, red ted art says

    March 18, 2013 at 7:41 am

    Oooh wow! How lovely!!! You really had a FABULOUS time exploring Matisse! Love the museum visit and the notes/ sketches your daughter did in preparation of her own work. Your final artwork is beautiful. What a fantastic arty session. So pleased you joined us this month on Kids Get Arty! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Yay!

    Maggy

    Reply
  9. Carrie says

    March 22, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    Beautiful!! Such a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!

    Reply
  10. Sugar Aunts says

    March 22, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    Hello! What a fun day and beautiful artwork! We decided to feature you post on Share It Saturday tomorrow. We will also share with our FB, Pinterest, and Twitter followers. Here are the links to those pages if you would like to stop by.
    FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Aunts/406711342711382?ref=hl
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/sugaraunts
    Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/thesugaraunts/boards/

    We love your ideas and hope to see you again at Share It Saturday!
    The Sugar Aunts

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 24, 2013 at 7:40 pm

      Thank you so much for featuring our Matisse post!

      Reply
  11. Shaunna @ Fantastic Fun and Learning says

    June 1, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    I love how you went to the art museum to find inspiration. The entire study is terrific. Can’t wait to do some similar activities with my little ones. Thanks for sharing this post at Discover and Explore. Excited to see what you share for our Zoos and Wild Animals theme this week.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Artist of the Month for February 2014: Matisse | SeeTheLightShine says:
    February 4, 2014 at 7:22 am

    […] This page narrates a trip to the museum by a mother and daughter, looking for an art project to work on. There is a Matisse exhibit going on, and the little girl is immediately drawn to his work. The page follows her as she visits the exhibit and then produces some awesome paper cut artwork in the style of Matisse. You should find some good ideas by reading through this page. — https://buggyandbuddy.com/art-for-kids-paper-cut-out-artwork-inspired-by-matisse-kids-get-arty/ […]

    Reply
  2. 38 Awesome Art Projects for Kids Inspired by Famous Artists - Crafty Kids at Home says:
    November 24, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    […] a Magnetic Art Project inspired by Matisse. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; […]

    Reply
  3. Art Appreciation for Kids: Museums - All Done Monkey says:
    January 25, 2017 at 6:30 am

    […] an Art Museum From Wise Owl Factory: Art Museum Question to Ask Children From Buggy and Buddy: Using a Journal at the Art Museum From Edventures with Kids: Kids and Musems – 5 Tips for Your Next Visit From Mother Natured: […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

New? Start here…

Welcome to Buggy and Buddy! I'm Chelsey, a former teacher and parent living on the central coast of California. I love sharing crafts, science, STEM and STEAM activities, free printables and more! Read Moreโ€ฆ

Popular This Week

  • Straw Rockets- fun science activity for kids! (w/ Free Rocket Template) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com STEM for Kids: Straw Rockets (with Free Rocket Template)
  • Chinese New Year Crafts and Activities for Kids 50+ Chinese New Year Crafts and Activities for Kids
  • STEAM / Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope- explore reflections , light, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope
  • How to Make a Kite~ buggyandbuddy.com How to Make a Kite
  • Four Seasons Craft and Activities for Kids 15 of the Cutest Four Seasons Crafts and Activities for Kids
  • Over 30 Free Printable Scavenger Hunts for Kids 30+ Free Printable Scavenger Hunts for Kids

Copyright © 2021 Buggy and Buddy. All rights reserved. You may not take images or content from this site without written permission.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy