Taking from past endeavours with regards to painting techniques and visual complications I am aiming to work with gradients of background patterns and colours.
I have been experimenting with the use of colour, and most particularly how shadows can be described by complementary colour as schemes. I am particularly interested in the way in which Matisse described faces and forms in “Portrait of Madame Matisse”
In this portrait, Matisse uses colour to describe shadows and therefore shape. The Green line in the middle of the sitter’s face presents the viewer with a very clear delineation of the dark and light sides of the sitter’s face. In this painting, light turns into colour, creating a sense of vibration and drama.
The use of visible brushstrokes is also something that I am interested in. It enables the viewer to understand the artist’s use of layering and choice of colour.
One of my favourite works by the artist is The Goldfish, painted in 1912.
I saw it at the Pushkin in Moscow a couple of years ago and I was struck by its vibrant colours and compositional harmony. Matisse in my opinion is extremely talented in describing a sense of a homely setting, his use of a patterned background in this painting contributes greatly to the fullness of the composition and sense of a setting.
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