November 28, 2011 Grade 9

Grade nine students are learning to paint like "Wild Beasts" - the Fauves! As Matisse said, "Fauvism isn't everything, only the beginning of everything. Fauvism was the first major avant-garde art movement of the twentieth century and kicked the modern era with a bang!" (From The Annotated Mona Lisa).

The Hallmarks of Fauvism were: Intense, bright, clashing colors. Distorted Forms and perspective, vigorous brushstrokes. Critics refered to these artists as wild beasts.They used color with no restraint skies could be green and grass could be purple.

Our students are creating a landscape with trees in the tradition of the Fauves artists, Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck, Dufy, Rouault and Braque. We will use acrylic paint on sulfit paper. Wach for these non-traditional landscapes.